Coverage rates, prep factors, and room-by-room pricing. Choose a project type below for a complete step-by-step guide with formulas, waste factors, productivity benchmarks, and pro tips.
Painters price work by paintable surface — the actual square footage of walls, ceilings, and trim that takes paint — not by floor area. A 12×15 room with 9 ft ceilings has 180 sq ft of floor but over 450 sq ft of wall surface; quoting on floor area systematically under-prices the job. Coverage rates are roughly 350–400 sq ft per gallon for standard latex, lower for primers and rough exterior surfaces, and labor productivity runs 100–130 sq ft per hour blended (faster on open walls, much slower on cutting-in and trim). The single biggest margin killer in painting is prep — scraping, patching, sanding, caulking, priming — which is invisible on the wall when the job is done but routinely runs 30–50% of total labor on repaints. Painters who lump prep into a flat per-sq-ft rate either lose money on rough jobs or look overpriced on clean ones. The fix is breaking prep into its own line at hourly rates. The trade is distinct from drywallers, who handle substrate before paint, and stainers, who use different products and coverage rates. Pricing differs sharply between new-construction (clean substrate, no furniture, fast cycle times at $1.50–$2.00/sq ft) and occupied repaints (extensive prep, protection, multi-day setup at $2.50–$3.50/sq ft).
Sound paint over clean drywall paints fast. Peeling, chalking, water stains, or texture variations multiply prep time by 2–4×. Walk every surface before pricing.
Walls under 9 ft are routine. Above 10 ft requires extension poles or ladders for cutting-in, which cuts productivity in half. Add a $0.50–$1.00/sq ft surcharge above 10 ft.
Each additional color adds cut-in time, cleaning between rolls, and the risk of touch-up. Two-color rooms run 15–20% slower than single-color; accent walls add a fixed setup hour.
Baseboards, casings, and crown are skill-intensive and slow. Always price trim per linear foot ($2–$5/LF) separately from wall pricing — never bundle.
Floor area undercounts walls by 2–3× and ignores ceilings entirely. Always measure paintable surface.
On rough jobs you lose money; on clean jobs you look overpriced. Break prep out as its own hourly line.
Ceilings need different setup, often a different finish, and cause more drips. Price ceilings as a separate line item with their own rate.
Interior room painting is priced by paintable square footage — the sum of all wall surfaces minus 50% of door and window openings. The formula is straightforward, but getting prep right is where margin is won or lost.
Exterior painting estimates are driven by siding type, surface condition, and story count. Prep — scraping, priming, caulking — often equals or exceeds the painting labor itself on older homes.
Cabinet painting is priced per door/drawer front or per linear foot of cabinets — not by square footage. It is among the most time-intensive painting work due to prep, priming, and the multiple thin coats required for a durable finish.
Deck staining is priced per square foot of horizontal deck surface, with railings, stairs, and vertical surfaces priced separately. Surface condition and wood type are the primary variables that affect labor time.
Fence painting is priced per linear foot of fence, with height and style (picket, privacy, rail) as the key variables. Both sides and end-grain absorption must be factored into material calculations.
New construction painting is faster and cheaper per sq ft than repaints — surfaces are clean, rooms are empty, and prep is minimal. But volume is the name of the game: accurate takeoffs from blueprints determine profitability.
Pressure washing is priced per square foot of surface cleaned, with surface type and soil level as the key variables. It is one of the fastest-turnover services a painter offers — high volume, low materials cost, and straightforward scope.