House Painting Cost Calculator 2026

Professional interior house painting costs $2–$6/sqft of wall area. A 1,800 sqft home with standard 8-ft ceilings has about 2,400 sqft of wall area, costing $4,800–$14,400 for professional painting including prep, primer, and 2 coats. Per-room cost ranges from $200 (small bathroom) to $1,200 (large living room).

Professional painters provide better results for: ceilings, trim, high walls, exterior work, and when surface prep is needed. DIY interior painting saves $1,500–$4,000 on a full home but takes 20–40 hours of your time plus rental equipment. For exterior work, professionals are strongly recommended due to safety, equipment needs, and prep work complexity.

Interior walls: every 5–10 years under normal conditions. High-traffic areas (hallways, kids' rooms): every 2–3 years. Exterior with quality paint: every 7–10 years. Exterior in harsh climates (high UV, coastal, cold winters): every 5–7 years. Premium exterior paints last 10–15 years and often save money long-term vs. repainting more frequently.

Exterior house painting costs $1,800–$5,500 for a 1,500–2,500 sqft home. Pricing: 1-story ranch home (1,500 sqft): $1,500–$3,500. 2-story colonial (2,500 sqft): $2,500–$5,500. Victorian (complex trim): $4,000–$8,000+. Factors driving exterior costs: height (second-story work requires staging), surface condition (prep/scraping adds $200–$800), number of trim colors, and stucco vs. wood siding. Labor is 80% of exterior painting cost — shop for quality painters, not the lowest bid.

Cabinet painting costs $900–$3,500 for a typical kitchen depending on number of doors and drawer fronts. A 30-cabinet kitchen professionally painted: $1,500–$3,000. Cabinet refinishing (vs. repainting with fresh color): $800–$2,500. DIY cabinet painting: $200–$500 in materials but requires 30–50 hours and careful prep. Key tip: proper prep (cleaning, sanding, priming) is 80% of the result — poor prep leads to peeling within 2–3 years. Cabinet painting is the highest-ROI kitchen update at 5–10% of the cost of new cabinet boxes.

Interior design trends for 2026 favor warm neutrals and earthy tones: Off-whites with warm undertones (Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17, Sherwin-Williams Alabaster SW 7008) for most walls. Warm greiges (greige = gray+beige) for living areas. Clay, terracotta, and sage green for accent walls. Navy and forest green for home offices and libraries. The rule of 60-30-10: 60% dominant wall color, 30% secondary (furniture, trim), 10% accent (pillows, art). Avoid trendy specific colors that date quickly — warm neutrals have staying power and broad appeal.

Exterior paint lifespan depends on paint quality, climate, and surface preparation: Budget latex paint: 4–6 years. Mid-grade 100% acrylic: 7–10 years. Premium acrylic (Sherwin-Williams Duration, Benjamin Moore Aura): 10–15 years. Wood siding (properly prepped): 7–10 years. Stucco: 5–8 years. Brick: 8–12 years. Fiber cement (Hardie): 15–25 years with proper paint. Climate factors: high-UV areas (Arizona, Florida) fade paint faster. Freezing climates (Minnesota, Vermont) cause paint to expand/contract. Coastal areas (salt air): 5–8 years. Signs you need repainting: peeling, flaking, chalking, fading, mold/mildew growth. Never repaint without proper surface prep — cleaning, scraping, and priming — or the new paint won't last.

Paint coverage calculator: 1 gallon covers approximately 350–400 sqft of wall area with 1 coat. Steps: (1) Calculate wall area: perimeter of room × ceiling height. Example: 12×14 ft room with 8 ft ceilings: (12+14+12+14) × 8 = 416 sqft. (2) Subtract doors (20 sqft each) and windows (15 sqft each): subtract ~70 sqft = 346 sqft of paintable wall. (3) Divide by 350 = 1 gallon per coat. (4) Most rooms need 2 coats: 2 gallons per room. For a whole house (10 rooms): 20–25 gallons of wall paint + 3–5 gallons of trim paint. Buy 10% extra for touch-ups and future use. Premium paint ($60–$75/gallon) is worth it for high-use areas — it covers better, cleans easier, and lasts longer.