Which square foot is your quote in?
HomeGuide lists four ways painters price a job: by the room, by the hour, by the square foot of wall, or by the square foot of floor. And a room has far more wall than floor: HomeGuide's 10 x 12 ft room has 44 ft of wall running around it. At an 8 ft ceiling, that's 352 sq ft of wall on just 120 sq ft of floor.
Price that room at $2 per square foot of wall and the quote is $704. Spread over the floor, that same quote is $5.87 a square foot.
One $704 quote for a 10 x 12 ft room, two rates
So don't compare rates. Compare totals. Need the floor area room by room? The square footage calculator adds it up.
Even per square foot of floor, published ranges run from $2 to $8.19. They don't really disagree. Each one prices a different job, and so does the calculator once you add trim and ceilings.
Interior painting per square foot of floor
Is it the same job?
Before you read a quote as high or low, check what it paints. HomeGuide says a typical professional estimate covers the walls only, with covering, taping and minor surface prep. Ceilings, baseboards, trim, casings and windows cost extra. So a quote well under our estimate may simply leave the trim out.
Homewyse's $4.22 to $8.19 per square foot of floor is for a basic job. It covers two coats over lightly textured walls and ceilings, patching up to 4 defects per 100 sq ft, caulking gaps and spot priming, and up to 2 doors and their trim per room. A full coat of primer is extra. Hold your quote up to that list. If your walls need more than light patching, pick moderate or extensive prep in the calculator before you compare.
Then get it in writing: which surfaces, how many coats, what prep and repairs, and which paint and sheen. When you have two or more quotes, the free bid comparison template lines them up on one scope.
Before you sign a quote or pick up supplies, take the free readiness assessment. It lists the gaps and open decisions to settle first, then builds a preliminary cost range room by room. It works for just the painting or the whole remodel around it. No card needed.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to paint a 12x12 room?
The calculator puts the walls at a preliminary $1,064, or $1,702 with the trim and ceiling. A 12 x 12 room has 144 sq ft of floor, which is the number you enter.
How much does it cost to paint the interior of a 2,000 sq ft house?
The calculator gives a preliminary $7,560 for the walls, or $12,096 with trim and ceilings. NerdWallet puts that house at $4,000 to $12,000.
How much paint does one room take?
Two to three gallons, HomeGuide says: two for a 10 x 10 room, about three for a 12 x 12 room.