How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room?
Typical costs to paint a room yourself or with a professional, what drives the price, and how to estimate your own room in two minutes.
Painting a room is one of the cheapest ways to change a home, but prices vary a lot depending on who does the work, where you live and how much prep the walls need.
Here's how the cost breaks down and how to estimate your own room.
Typical costs (US, 2026)
These are broad ballpark ranges. Local labor rates vary a lot, so get two or three quotes for real numbers.
| Room | DIY (paint + supplies) | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| Small room / bathroom | $60–$150 | $250–$600 |
| 12 × 12 bedroom (walls) | $100–$250 | $400–$1,000 |
| Bedroom with ceiling & trim | $150–$350 | $700–$1,500 |
| Large living room | $200–$450 | $900–$2,000 |
What you pay for
- Paint: roughly $25–$80 per gallon depending on brand and finish. Most rooms need 2–3 gallons.
- Supplies: rollers, brushes, tape, drop cloths and patching compound, about $40–$80 if you're starting from scratch.
- Labor: the biggest part of a professional quote. It depends on wall area, ceiling height, prep, and how much furniture needs moving.
- Prep and repairs: patching holes, sanding, priming stains or covering dark colors adds time.
Estimate your own room
- Use the paint calculator to get the paint you need and its cost. Enter your price per can.
- Add supplies if you're doing it yourself.
- For a professional estimate, multiply the paintable area by a local rate per square foot. See interior painting cost per square foot.
Painters: the Paint Calculator & Estimator app adds labour hours, hourly rate and mark-up to each room and turns it into a branded PDF quote.