According to Angi and Home Advisor, you can generally expect to pay between $967 and $3,076 to have the interior of your house painted, with the average homeowner spending $2,014. It costs an average of $2 to $6 per square foot, depending on if walls, trim and ceilings are included in the project.
According to Forbes, you should “expect to spend between $1 and $2 per square foot or $25 and $100 per hour on labor alone.” This Old House explains, “There is no licensing required in the residential painting field in most areas, so almost anyone can call themselves a painting contractor.
You can charge from $2 to $6 per square foot on average for most interior painting jobs. Exterior jobs typically range from $0.50 to $4.50 per square foot. Taller buildings, difficult-to-reach areas, or switching between paint colors frequently add to this price.
Day rates for a painter and decorator in the UK range from £150 to £400 a day. Not including the cost of paint and materials, daily rates are typically between £100 and £250.
Multiply the painting's width by its length to arrive at the total size, in square inches. Then multiply that number by a set dollar amount that's appropriate for your reputation. I currently use $6 per square inch for oil paintings. Then calculate your cost of canvas and framing, and then double that number.
The Actual Costs of Painting a Home's Interior
An average cost in America for a 2,000 square foot home is $2,581. The range is between $1,714 and $3,682 for a home that size. A lot of the differences in cost have to do with the amount of paint and labor required and how much preparation for painting is needed.
Some contractors use a rough base rate of $1.50 or $2.00 per square foot, some multiply 4 to 6 times the paint cost, some estimate the time the job will take and add it to an estimate of materials—and some may simply offer the lowest price to outbid the competition.
Most handymen charge between $50 and $80 per hour, making an average of $150 to $600 per job. Rates depend on their specialty, experience, level of education, and whether the handyman is insured, requires specialized equipment, or services rural locations.
Desired profit amount + desired salary + operating costs / number of income producing hours = your hourly rate. For example: Desired profit of $16,500 + desired personal pre-tax salary of $83,500 + operating costs of $30,000/1040 income generating hours = $125 per hour.
Labor Costs: The biggest chunk of your estimate usually goes to labor. This includes the time the painters spend prepping, painting, and cleaning up afterward. Materials: Paint, primer, brushes, rollers, and other supplies all add up. If your painter is using premium paints, this cost can skyrocket.
Labor Costs: $200 to $800 or more, depending on bathroom size and complexity.
(Height x Width) × Price per square inch
This formula is used for flat, two-dimensional work, like paintings, prints and drawings.
As noted above, painters typically charge an average of $20 to $60 per person per hour for labor. Price variations depend on the house painter's experience level, the difficulty of the job, and your location.
According to National benchmark data, a painting business owner takes home about 15% to 18% of their business's revenue on average. However, this figure might not align with your financial aspirations, especially if you are playing an active role in your business.
Bidding on a paint job begins with inspecting the site to measure the walls and find any damage or other problem areas. Use the square footage to find the amount of paint and other materials you'll need. Estimate the labor costs of the job and add your overhead and profit margin to the final estimate.
While labor is factored into the average per-square-foot price, depending on the season, location, and overall situation, you could expect to pay between $25 and $100 per hour for professional exterior painters.
Labor will likely be your biggest expense (as a percentage of revenue) for every job–usually accounting for 80-85% of total costs.
As a painting estimator, your responsibilities are to prepare detailed cost estimates that can be used to bid on residential and commercial painting jobs.