How to Price Painting Services in 2026: Interior, Exterior, and Commercial

The Painting Contractor's Margin Problem

Painting is one of the most competitive trades for new customers. Price too high and you lose to cheaper competitors. Price too low and you work long hours for thin margins. The businesses that thrive price based on real cost data, not market anxiety.

The mistake most painters make: pricing based on what they think the customer will pay rather than what the job actually costs. This leads to underbidding complex jobs and occasionally overbidding simple ones — inconsistency that makes profitability unpredictable.

Calculate Your Production Rate

The foundation of accurate painting estimates is knowing how long each task takes your crew. Build a production rate database from your actual jobs:

• Roll and brush interior wall (one coat): 100-150 sq ft/hr per painter
• Spray interior walls: 250-400 sq ft/hr per painter (but includes masking time)
• Brush and roll ceiling: 75-100 sq ft/hr per painter
• Prep and paint trim (per linear foot): 4-7 linear feet/hr
• Exterior siding (brush/roll, one coat): 80-120 sq ft/hr per painter
• Exterior siding (spray): 200-350 sq ft/hr per painter (plus masking)

With production rates, you can estimate hours from square footage, and hours from your labor rate gives you your base price.

Residential Interior Painting Prices (2026)

Per-room pricing: - Small bedroom (10×10): $350-$550 - Standard bedroom (12×12): $425-$650 - Living room (16×20): $650-$1,100 - Kitchen (includes trim and ceiling): $550-$900 - Full home interior (per room average): $350-$600/room depending on size and complexity

Full home interior typical totals: - 1,500 sq ft home: $2,200-$3,800 - 2,000 sq ft home: $2,800-$4,800 - 2,500 sq ft home: $3,500-$6,000

Residential Exterior Painting

Exterior is priced per square foot of paintable surface (not interior floor area).

• Standard siding (wood, hardboard): $1.50-$2.80/sq ft
• Brick painting: $1.75-$3.25/sq ft
• Stucco: $1.50-$2.50/sq ft
• Two-story premium (access difficulty): add 20-35%
• Trim painting: $1.00-$2.50/linear foot

Typical exterior totals: - 1,500 sq ft home: $3,200-$5,800 - 2,000 sq ft home: $4,200-$7,500 - 2,500 sq ft home: $5,200-$9,500

Commercial Painting

Commercial painting is priced differently — often by square foot with a labor multiplier:

• Office space (walls only): $0.80-$1.50/sq ft
• Retail (walls + ceiling): $1.10-$2.00/sq ft
• Industrial (epoxy floor): $2.50-$4.50/sq ft

Commercial projects require proper insurance certificates, often working nights or weekends to avoid business disruption, and faster turnaround times. These factors justify 15-25% premium over comparable residential pricing.

The Estimate Presentation

How you present the estimate matters almost as much as the price. A professional, itemized written estimate with photos of the surfaces, specific paint brand/sheen noted, and a clear scope of work wins jobs that lower prices do not. Customers who have been burned by vague verbal estimates appreciate documentation.

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