Interior Painting Cost Calculator: Room or Whole House, DIY vs Pro
One room to a whole two-story: DIY from $262 in paint and supplies, a painter from $350.
- Pick the size and scope: one room, walls of a 1,500 sq ft house, the whole interior with ceilings and trim, or a 2,500 sq ft two-story. The paint, ceiling paint and enamel change with the tier.
- Set your hourly rate — the break-even is $70–$115 an hour on the house tiers, so DIY wins on money at almost any rate. The hours are the real question: 30–130 depending on scope.
- On the Hire a pro tab, tick ceilings and trim if you picked walls only and want them quoted, doors by count, and the stairwell setup on a two-story.
- The DIY total assumes a 6-foot step ladder is owned. The two-story tier adds an extension-ladder rental for the foyer.
Calculate cost
| Tools to buy or rent | $107 |
|---|---|
| Materials | $615 |
| Disposal | $10 |
| DIY cash cost | $732 |
| Your time (40 h × $25) | $1,000 |
| DIY all-in | $1,732 |
DIY saves about $2,468 after valuing your time ($3,468 in cash).
National estimates for planning. Doesn't include the risk-side costs described on the comparison page.
Typical results by job size
Defaults the calculator starts from: commonly owned tools excluded, typical pro price, no add-ons.
| Size | Verdict | DIY | Pro | Your hours | Typical savings | Break-even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One 12 × 12 room, walls only | DIY | $262–$282 | $350–$900 | 5–8 hours | $278 (51%) | $43/hour |
| 1,500 sq ft house, walls only | DIY | $722–$742 | $3,000–$6,000 | 30–50 hours | $3,468 (83%) | $87/hour |
| 1,500 sq ft house, walls, ceilings, trim and doors | Hire | $982–$1,002 | $4,500–$9,000 | 50–80 hours | $5,508 (85%) | $85/hour |
| 2,500 sq ft two-story, walls, ceilings, trim and doors | Hire | $1,497–$1,517 | $7,500–$15,000 | 80–130 hours | $8,993 (86%) | $86/hour |
Break-even is what an hour of your time would have to be worth for DIY and hiring to cost the same. Above it, hiring is cheaper all-in. See how these are calculated.
Reading the result
The tier you pick applies to both tabs.
Do it yourself totals the paint for that scope — 2 gallons for a room, 10 for the walls of a 1,500 sq ft house, 16 for the two-story, plus ceiling paint and trim enamel on the whole-interior tiers — with primer for patches and color changes, tape and masking, spackle and caulk, roller covers and brushes, a starter set of roller frame, sash brush, putty knife and drop cloths, a bucket and grid for boxing paint on the house tiers, an extension-ladder rental on the two-story, and your hours at the rate you set: 5–8 for a room, 30–50 for walls, 50–80 for the whole interior, 80–130 for the two-story. A step ladder is assumed owned. There’s no permit.
Hire a pro starts from a low, typical or high price for that scope, then adds what a base quote leaves out: ceilings and trim if you picked walls only, doors by the count, wallpaper removal and drywall patching by the room, a stain-blocking primer coat, accent walls, and a two-story foyer or stairwell setup. Tick what applies and compare.
What neither tab prices: the weekends. A crew does the house in two to four days; a homeowner does it over a month of evenings and Saturdays with the furniture in the middle of every room. The cost comparison covers when that trade is worth it, and the DIY guide is the order of operations if it is.
Frequently asked questions
Which size should I pick?
One room is a 12 × 12 bedroom or office, walls only. The 1,500 sq ft walls-only tier is a whole single-story house or a large apartment with ceilings and trim left alone — the most common DIY scope. The whole-interior tier is the same house with ceilings, trim, doors and closets. The 2,500 sq ft two-story is four bedrooms and a foyer or stairwell. For a partial job — three rooms, say — run the single room and multiply, or take the walls-only tier and scale by the share of the house.
Why does the DIY total barely move between walls-only and the whole interior?
Because the extra cost of ceilings and trim is $260 of ceiling paint and enamel; the extra cost from a painter is $2,300, because it's labor. That's the shape of this whole service: materials are 10–20% of a pro's price. The hours are what move — 30–50 for walls, 50–80 with ceilings and trim — and your hourly rate is what prices them.
What do the quote levels mean for interior painting?
Low is a similar color over sound walls, contractor-grade paint, off-season, in a market with plenty of painters. Typical is the national median for that scope with a mid-grade paint-and-primer, two coats, minor patching and caulking included. High is a big metro, premium paint, a dark-to-light change with primer, furniture-heavy rooms, or a lot of trim. Wallpaper removal, plaster repair, stain-blocking, accent walls and a stairwell setup are add-ons on any level.
Sources
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance (SOC 47-2141), Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics , U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-04
- Interior Painting Costs | Average Cost To Paint Interior of House , HomeGuide, 2026-09
- How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room? , HomeGuide, 2026-09
- How Much Does It Cost to Paint the Interior of a House? , Angi, 2026-09
- How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room? , Angi, 2026-09
- Cost to Paint Interior of House , HomeAdvisor, 2026-09
- How Much Does Interior Painting Cost? , This Old House, 2026-09
- Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2026-09
Figures last reviewed . See how we estimate.