What is a fair price to pay a painter?
James Olson
Updated on March 31, 2026
Professional Painter Prices. Most professional painters charge $2 to $6 per square foot of paintable area. Less commonly, they’ll charge anywhere from $20 to $50 an hour. In some areas with high costs of living, you might even pay upwards of $100 an hour.
How much should a painter cost per day?
How Much Does Painting and Decorating Cost? On average, you can expect painting and decorating prices to be around £160 per day, with prices in London likely to be a little higher. This means you should expect to pay between £375 and £500 to paint an average size room.
Is it worth it to hire a painter?
When your home needs its interior or exterior painted, you might be tempted to do the job yourself but in the long run, this option usually costs more time and money. Hiring a professional painter is always worth the money you spend, mainly because the job is guaranteed to be done correctly the first time.
How much is labor for painting a room?
The average labor cost to paint a room ranges from $1 to $3 per square foot based on the project surface area or between $2 and $7 per square foot based on the actual space in the room. For a one-room painting cost, you can expect to pay between $175 to $675 for the entire project.
How much do I charge to paint a room?
The cost to paint a room usually runs between $2 and $6 per square foot. Total painting costs range between $955 and $2,890, with a national average of $1,892.
How much does it cost to hire a professional painter?
A professional painter typically charges between $25 and $100 per hour. The cost will vary based on the painter’s experience, the difficulty of the job and where the location is, according to Angie’s List. Take invoicing and accounting off your to-do list with FreshBooks.
How to figure out how much a paint job will cost?
When hiring painters, it’s always a good idea to get a quote directly from the company as well. Measure the home or room. To figure out how much a paint job will cost, or how much you plan to charge, you need to know the square footage of the wall and/or ceiling you’re painting.
How much does it cost to bid interior paint job?
Bidding Interior Jobs. Interior jobs will almost always be more expensive. Sometimes they will be 2 or 3x the price of an exterior job. This is because: Some painters just charge per room; I’ve heard anywhere from $200 to $600 per room – which also depends on the size of the room. I’ve used this basic formula for many years with success.
How much does a square foot of paint cost?
Some painters keep it simple and just charge by square foot; If you charge $1.25 per square foot, 2500 sq ft. would cost $3,125 for the homeowner etc. (for exterior). For interior you’ll want to charge $2 per square foot minimum. Thankfully, almost every paint job will fall within the following pricing: