What it costs to paint a room in 2026
Painters price interior work by the square foot of surface painted, or by the room. HomeGuide puts it at $1 to $3 per square foot of surface and $300 to $1,000 for the walls of an average room; Fixr prices it by the room's floor area:
| Room | HomeGuide, walls only | HomeGuide, walls, ceiling and trim | Fixr, walls only | Fixr, walls and ceiling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 x 10 ft | $320 to $1,200 | $640 to $2,400 | $150 to $350 | $300 to $400 |
| 12 x 12 ft | $380 to $1,400 | $770 to $2,900 | $215 to $505 | $430 to $575 |
| 14 x 14 ft | $450 to $1,700 | $900 to $3,400 | $300 to $700 | $600 to $800 |
| 20 x 20 ft | $640 to $2,400 | $1,300 to $4,800 | $600 to $1,400 | $1,200 to $1,600 |
The guides differ most at the top of the range. The calculator uses HomeGuide's per-square-foot rates, so its range is the wider of the two.
The calculator works out the wall area as the four walls times the ceiling height, less about 20 sq ft for each door and 15 for each window: our convention. Trim is priced by the linear foot around the room, at HomeGuide's $1 to $4. Many painters also charge a $250 to $500 minimum project fee (HomeGuide), so a small bathroom often costs the minimum.
What moves the price
A big color change takes a primer or an extra coat. Wall repairs add prep time: most painters fold small nail holes into the price, but HomeGuide puts major drywall repairs at $300 to $1,500 each. High ceilings add wall area and ladder time, which the calculator counts through the ceiling height.
Pricing a room as a painter
Take that 12 x 12 ft room, walls and ceiling, two coats, a similar color:
| Line | How it's figured | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Paint | 3 gallons at $45 | $135.00 |
| Supplies | Tape, plastic, rollers, caulk | $15.00 |
| Labor | 9 hours at $45 an hour, fully burdened | $405.00 |
| Cost | $555.00 | |
| Price at a 20% margin | $555 divided by 0.8 | $693.75, about $1.41 per sq ft |
That is inside HomeGuide's $1 to $3 per square foot, toward the low end, which fits an easy room with a similar color. How to bid a painting job walks through production rates and prep, and the painting estimate template has lines for colors and sheen so the touch-up matches next year.
Questions about room painting cost
How much does it cost to paint a 12x12 room?+
HomeGuide puts the walls of a 12 x 12 ft room at $380 to $1,400, or $770 to $2,900 with the ceiling and trim. Fixr's range for the walls alone is lower, at $215 to $505.
How much paint do I need for a room?+
Work out the wall and ceiling area, multiply by two coats and divide by the coverage on the can, often about 350 sq ft a gallon. A 12 x 12 ft room with 8 ft ceilings takes about 2 gallons for the walls and 1 more for the ceiling.
Do painters charge a minimum?+
Many do. HomeGuide notes a $250 to $500 minimum project fee is common, so a small room or a bathroom often costs the minimum.
How this calculator works
The price range for the size of the job comes from the published guides below, from the lowest low to the highest high where they differ. Where your job lands inside that range is our method: each answer that makes the work harder or slower moves it toward the top, and each that makes it easier moves it down. Extras use each guide's published price for that item, and the likely price uses the middle of the extra's range.
Prices checked September 28, 2026.