Estimating painting
Prices for painting, what drives the cost and how to structure the estimate, for remodeling contractors bidding the work.
Painting is labor-heavy, and most of the labor is prep. The size of the job tells you how much paint to buy; the condition of the surfaces tells you how long it takes. Price prep, coats and trim as their own lines.
No contract. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.
Exterior painting prices
Q4 2026 pricing. National figures are the median of 50 metro areas. Ranges are rounded to the nearest $50, or $100 from $5,000 up.
1 story, complete
$3,100 to $10,500
800 to 2,400 square feet
1 story, trim only
$1,350 to $4,300
800 to 2,400 square feet
2 story, complete
$3,550 to $20,000
1,000 to 5,000 square feet
2 story, trim only
$1,350 to $7,200
1,000 to 5,000 square feet
Labor and materials
For a typical job, nationally. Labor rates move more from place to place than materials do.
How the estimate is structured
The cost categories an estimate for this work breaks into:
- Exterior painting
What drives the cost
Prep and surface condition
On a worn surface, scraping, sanding, filling, caulking and priming take longer than the finish coats. Walk the job and price the prep you see.
Interior or exterior
Exterior work adds ladders or lifts, weather delays and more prep. Interior work adds masking, moving furniture and cutting in.
Stories and access
A two-story exterior takes more ladder or staging time than a one-story house, and steep or blocked sides slow it down.
Trim and detail
Doors, windows, soffits, fascia and trim are slow work. A trim-only job can take longer than its size suggests.
Coats and color changes
Two coats is the norm. Covering a dark color, new drywall or bare wood may need primer or a third coat.
Repairs
Holes in drywall or plaster, damaged sections and popcorn ceiling removal belong in their own lines, ahead of the paint.
Building the estimate
Size painting jobs by floor area
The painting templates in Clear Estimates are sized by the floor area of the house, or of the rooms being painted, not by the total painted surface. Enter the floor area, then adjust for tall ceilings, lots of trim or heavy prep.
The lines in a painting estimate
- Masking and protection
- Surface prep: cleaning, scraping, sanding, filling and caulking
- Repairs to drywall or plaster
- Primer, where it's needed
- Walls and ceilings, by coat
- Trim, doors and windows
- Exterior siding, soffit and fascia
- Cleanup
Interior and exterior templates in Clear Estimates
Templates cover interior painting of walls, ceilings and trim, exterior painting of one and two story houses (complete or trim only), garage floor painting, popcorn ceiling removal, and drywall and plaster repairs. Deck staining and painting are under Decks and porches.
Other projects
Each with its own price table, nationally.
Local pricing
Prices for painting in each metro area, against the national median.
- New York, NYPrices run 19% above the national median.
- Chicago, ILPrices run 24% above the national median.
- Atlanta, GAPrices run 2% below the national median.
- Washington, DCPrices run 1% above the national median.
- Dallas, TXPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Boston, MAPrices run 17% above the national median.
- Minneapolis, MNPrices run 11% above the national median.
- Detroit, MIPrices run 4% above the national median.
- Seattle, WAPrices run 16% above the national median.
- Pittsburgh, PAPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Los Angeles, CAPrices run 9% above the national median.
- Philadelphia, PAPrices run 11% above the national median.
- Denver, COPrices run 2% below the national median.
- Baltimore, MDPrices run about the national median.
- Miami, FLPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Charlotte, NCPrices run 9% below the national median.
- St. Louis, MOPrices run 3% above the national median.
- Houston, TXPrices run 13% below the national median.
- San Francisco, CAPrices run 24% above the national median.
- Tampa, FLPrices run 13% below the national median.
- Phoenix, AZPrices run 3% below the national median.
- Orlando, FLPrices run 11% below the national median.
- Cincinnati, OHPrices run 4% below the national median.
- Cleveland, OHPrices run 3% below the national median.
- Kansas City, MOPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Columbus, OHPrices run 6% below the national median.
- Indianapolis, INPrices run 6% below the national median.
- Raleigh, NCPrices run 10% below the national median.
- Virginia Beach, VAPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Riverside, CAPrices run 5% above the national median.
- San Diego, CAPrices run 6% above the national median.
- Portland, ORPrices run 6% above the national median.
- San Jose, CAPrices run 21% above the national median.
- San Antonio, TXPrices run 15% below the national median.
- Grand Rapids, MIPrices run 5% below the national median.
- Jacksonville, FLPrices run 12% below the national median.
- New Orleans, LAPrices run 12% below the national median.
- Albany, NYPrices run 1% above the national median.
- Richmond, VAPrices run 9% below the national median.
- Las Vegas, NVPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Providence, RIPrices run 4% above the national median.
- Memphis, TNPrices run 11% below the national median.
- Rochester, NYPrices run 2% above the national median.
- Greenville, SCPrices run 10% below the national median.
- Bridgeport, CTPrices run 10% above the national median.
- Worcester, MAPrices run 10% above the national median.
- Syracuse, NYPrices run 1% below the national median.
- Sacramento, CAPrices run 8% above the national median.
- Nashville, TNPrices run 12% below the national median.
- Milwaukee, WIPrices run 4% above the national median.
Questions
Does a painting estimate include prep and multiple coats?
It should. List prep (cleaning, caulking, masking, sanding), primer and the finish coats as separate lines, so you can adjust the coats and the prep for each job. The painting templates price two coats.
How do I estimate interior versus exterior jobs?
Price them separately. Interior jobs go by the floor area of the rooms being painted. Exterior jobs go by the floor area of the house, the number of stories, and whether it's a complete repaint or trim only.
Can I use my own paint prices?
Yes. Change any material line to the price you pay or the product you prefer.
Can I turn a painting estimate into an invoice?
Yes. Once the job is approved, turn the estimate into an invoice and take a card or ACH payment from it.
Estimate painting with prices for your area
No contract. No setup fees. Cancel anytime.