What is the average cost to paint a house interior?

A typical interior repaint runs roughly $2 to $6 per square foot of paintable wall area for professional labor plus materials, depending on region, prep, and paint quality. A DIY material-only job is usually far lower because you skip labor.

How do I estimate cost per square foot?

Divide total estimated project cost by paintable square feet. The calculator shows cost per square foot after you enter room sizes, coats, paint price, and labor rate.

Interior painting cost calculator

Estimate interior painting cost per square foot before you buy or hire.

Enter room dimensions or a known square footage. CoatWise estimates paint coverage, gallons, primer, supplies, labor, and total interior cost for a house, apartment, or single room.

Paintable area

Room dimensions Total square feet

Room length, ft Room width, ft Wall height, ft Rooms like this

Doors to subtract Windows to subtract Include ceiling Include primer coat

Paint and cost assumptions

Finish coats Coverage per gallon, sq ft Paint price per gallon Primer price per gallon Supplies budget Waste factor, %

A whole-house interior uses more supplies and often more rooms. Update paint price to match the line you buy; mid-tier interior paint typically runs $35 to $55 per gallon.

Labor estimate

Labor rate per sq ft Minimum labor charge

Set labor to 0 for a DIY material-only interior estimate.

Freshly painted interior room with roller and color swatches

Estimate by room or by whole house. Enter each room's size, or switch to total square feet for a full interior.

Interior cost breakdown

Materials, primer, and labor

Line item	How it is estimated	Amount

Cost to paint a house interior

For a whole-house interior, estimate each room separately or switch to total square feet and enter your measured wall area. A 2,000 sq ft house interior often has roughly 1,500 to 2,500 paintable square feet of walls after subtracting doors and windows. Two coats is standard, so most interiors need several gallons per room plus primer for bare drywall or big color changes.

What changes the price

Ceilings, crown molding, wall repairs, dark-to-light color shifts, and local labor rates all move the total. The calculator lets you toggle the ceiling and primer and set a labor rate so the estimate matches your project.

Interior painting cost per square foot

Professional interior painting commonly lands around $2 to $6 per paintable square foot including labor and materials, with higher numbers for heavy prep, trim, or premium paint. A DIY material-only job is mostly paint, primer, and supplies, so cost per square foot drops sharply once you remove labor.

DIY vs professional

For DIY, set labor rate to 0 and budget paint, primer, tape, rollers, trays, drop cloths, and touch-up paint. For a contractor quote, enter a local labor rate per square foot and a minimum charge.

Related calculators

Plan every part of the interior job

Cost to Paint a Room CalculatorPrice one bedroom or living room Painting Estimate CalculatorBuild a contractor-style quote Paint Cost CalculatorMaterial, supplies, and labor costs Behr Paint CalculatorEstimate Behr gallons and cost Sherwin-Williams Paint CalculatorEstimate SW gallons and cost Paint Coverage CalculatorCoverage by gallons and square footage

Interior painting cost FAQ

How much does it cost to paint a 2,000 sq ft house interior?

Wall area for a 2,000 sq ft home is often about 1,500 to 2,500 paintable square feet. At a typical $2 to $6 per square foot with labor, that is roughly $3,000 to $15,000 for a professional repaint, or a few hundred dollars in materials for DIY. Enter your own numbers above for a tailored estimate.

What is a realistic interior cost per square foot?

Professional interior work commonly runs $2 to $6 per paintable square foot including labor and materials. The calculator shows your exact cost per square foot after you enter room sizes, coats, paint price, and labor rate.

Does the estimate include ceilings and trim?

Check "Include ceiling" to add ceiling area. Trim, baseboards, and crown molding are not in the wall estimate; add them by increasing paintable square feet or the supplies budget.

Is this a contractor quote?

No. It is a planning estimate. Final pricing depends on prep, repairs, paint brand, room condition, and your local labor market.

Independent tool. CoatWise is not affiliated with any paint brand or retailer. Coverage and price vary by product line, surface, and region. Verify the numbers on the can label and with your painter.