Whether you’re a painting contractor building estimates or a GC subbing out paint work, knowing your labor cost per square foot is the difference between making money and working for free. Paint labor is one of the most commonly underpriced trades because it looks simple from the outside, but production rates, prep time, and coat count add up fast.
In this guide, we break down real painting labor costs per square foot for interior and exterior work, show you how to calculate labor for actual jobs, and cover the variables that push costs up or down. Try EstimationPro free to build detailed painting estimates with accurate labor pricing in minutes.
Quick Answer: What Does Painting Labor Cost per Square Foot?
Painting labor typically runs $1 to $4 per square foot for interior work and $1.50 to $5 per square foot for exterior work (2026 rates). These are labor-only figures and do not include paint, primer, or supplies. The actual rate depends on surface condition, number of coats, ceiling height, and how much prep is involved.
| Work Type | Labor Low | Labor High | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior walls (standard) | $1.00/sf | $4.00/sf | $2.00/sf |
| Interior trim/doors | $2.00/lf | $5.00/lf | $3.50/lf |
| Exterior walls | $1.50/sf | $5.00/sf | $3.00/sf |
| Exterior trim | $2.50/lf | $6.00/lf | $4.00/lf |
| Ceilings (flat, 8 ft) | $1.00/sf | $3.00/sf | $1.75/sf |
Sources: BLS 47-2141 painter wages (May 2024, median median annual wage of $48,660), Angi 2026 painting cost guide. Prices vary by region, season, and local labor market. Always get quotes from local contractors for your specific project.
What Drives Painting Labor Cost?
Not all square feet are created equal. A fresh drywall repaint in a new construction hallway is a completely different animal than scraping and repainting old exterior trim with peeling lead paint. Here’s what moves the needle.
Surface Condition and Prep
Prep is where most of the labor hours live on a paint job. A surface that’s clean, smooth, and previously painted in good condition might only need a light sand and wipe-down. A surface with peeling paint, nail holes, caulk failures, or water stains could double or triple your prep time.
Key prep factors:
- Patching and filling - nail holes, screw pops, drywall repairs
- Sanding - between coats, or heavy sanding on rough surfaces
- Caulking - trim joints, window frames, door casings
- Scraping - exterior peeling paint (this is the big time killer)
- Priming - bare wood, stain blocking, color changes
A good rule of thumb from the field: prep accounts for 60-80% of total labor hours on most repaint jobs. New construction work flips that ratio because there’s less prep but more cutting in.
Number of Coats
One coat versus two coats doesn’t just double your paint cost. It adds 40-60% more labor because you still only set up, mask, and clean up once, but you’re rolling or spraying everything twice. Going from a light color to a dark color (or vice versa) often requires a tinted primer plus two finish coats.
Ceiling Height
Standard 8-foot ceilings let painters work from the floor or a short step ladder. Once you get to 9-10 foot ceilings, you need extension poles or taller ladders. Anything above 12 feet typically requires scaffolding or a lift, which adds both equipment cost and slower production rates.
| Ceiling Height | Production Impact |
|---|---|
| 8 ft (standard) | Baseline rate |
| 9-10 ft | +10-20% labor |
| 12-15 ft | +30-50% labor |
| 15+ ft (cathedral/commercial) | +50-100% labor |
Interior vs Exterior
Exterior painting costs more per square foot because of:
- Weather windows - you can only paint in certain conditions (above 50F, low humidity, no rain)
- Ladder and scaffold work - slower production on elevated surfaces
- Surface prep - exterior surfaces take more abuse from weather and UV
- Caulking and sealing - more joints and penetrations to address
How to Calculate Painting Labor for a Job
Here’s the method that works whether you’re pricing a single room or a whole house.
Step 1: Measure the Paintable Surface Area
For walls, multiply the perimeter by the ceiling height. Subtract window and door openings (standard door = ~20 sf, standard window = ~15 sf).
Example: 12x14 bedroom with 8 ft ceilings, 1 door, 2 windows
- Perimeter: (12 + 14) x 2 = 52 linear feet
- Wall area: 52 x 8 = 416 sf
- Minus openings: 416 - 20 - (15 x 2) = 366 sf of paintable wall
Step 2: Determine Your Production Rate
Production rate is how many square feet a painter can complete per hour, including prep, paint, and cleanup. Here are field-tested rates for a single experienced painter:
| Task | Production Rate (sf/hr) |
|---|---|
| Interior walls, repaint (2 coats, light prep) | 150-200 sf/hr |
| Interior walls, new construction (2 coats) | 200-300 sf/hr |
| Interior trim, brush (per linear foot) | 30-50 lf/hr |
| Exterior walls, brush/roll (2 coats) | 80-150 sf/hr |
| Exterior walls, spray (2 coats) | 200-400 sf/hr |
| Ceiling, roll (1 coat, 8 ft) | 200-250 sf/hr |
These rates include reasonable prep time for the condition described. Heavy prep (scraping, extensive patching) will cut production by 30-50%.
Step 3: Calculate Labor Hours and Cost
Divide the total area by your production rate, then multiply by your burdened labor rate.
Worked Example 1: Interior Repaint - 3 Bedroom House
- Bedroom 1: 366 sf walls + 110 sf ceiling = 476 sf
- Bedroom 2: 320 sf walls + 96 sf ceiling = 416 sf
- Bedroom 3: 280 sf walls + 80 sf ceiling = 360 sf
- Hallway: 240 sf walls + 60 sf ceiling = 300 sf
- Total paintable area: 1,552 sf
Production rate (interior repaint, 2 coats): 175 sf/hr Labor hours: 1,552 / 175 = 8.9 hours Add 15% for masking, setup, cleanup: 8.9 x 1.15 = 10.2 hours Burdened labor rate: $45/hr (painter wage + burden) Total labor cost: $459 Per square foot: $459 / 1,552 = $0.30/sf
Wait, that looks low. And it is, because this is wall area only at production speed. When you add trim, doors, closets, cutting in at edges, and touch-ups, the real number lands around $1.50-$2.00/sf for the total room square footage (floor area), which aligns with our reference range.
The key distinction: labor cost per square foot of wall surface is different from labor cost per square foot of floor area. Most published rates use floor area because that’s how contractors think about rooms.
Worked Example 2: Exterior Repaint - 1,800 sf Home
- Exterior wall area (after window/door deductions): ~2,400 sf
- Condition: moderate prep (some peeling, caulk replacement needed)
- Method: spray body, brush trim
- Trim: 280 linear feet
Body labor:
- Production rate (spray, moderate prep): 200 sf/hr
- Hours: 2,400 / 200 = 12 hours
Trim labor:
- Production rate (brush): 35 lf/hr
- Hours: 280 / 35 = 8 hours
Setup, masking, cleanup: 6 hours Prep (scraping, caulking, priming spots): 8 hours Total hours: 34 hours Burdened rate: $45/hr Total labor: $1,530 Per sf of exterior surface: $1,530 / 2,400 = $0.64/sf Per sf of home (published rate): $1,530 / 1,800 = $0.85/sf
Add a second painter and you cut the calendar time in half, but the total hours (and cost) stay roughly the same.
Interior vs Exterior Painting Labor: Side-by-Side
| Factor | Interior | Exterior |
|---|---|---|
| Labor range | $1.00-$4.00/sf | $1.50-$5.00/sf |
| Typical rate | $2.00/sf | $3.00/sf |
| Biggest cost driver | Prep + number of coats | Prep + access (ladders/scaffolding) |
| Production rate | 150-300 sf/hr | 80-400 sf/hr (varies by method) |
| Weather dependent | No | Yes |
| Typical timeline | 1-3 days (avg home) | 3-7 days (avg home) |
All rates are labor-only. Costs vary by region, condition, and scope. Always get multiple bids for your specific project.
Pro Tips for Pricing Paint Jobs
These come from years of watching paint estimates go sideways.
1. Always walk the job before quoting. Photos don’t show everything. You can’t see peeling paint behind furniture, soft drywall under a bathroom vent, or the 14-foot cathedral ceiling that wasn’t mentioned. Walk every room and check every surface you’re expected to paint.
2. Price prep separately from painting. On your estimate, break out prep as its own line item. This protects you when the homeowner says “I thought that was included” and it helps the client understand why the bid is what it is. Transparency builds trust.
3. Don’t forget masking and protection. Drop cloths, tape, plastic sheeting, paper for floors. This is real labor time. On a kitchen repaint where you’re protecting countertops, appliances, and cabinets, masking alone can take 2-3 hours.
4. Account for your waste factor. The industry standard waste factor for paint is 10-15% on interior work and 15-20% on exterior work (more overspray, more waste from weather). Build this into your material estimate, not your labor number, but know that running out of paint mid-job burns labor hours on extra trips.
5. Build in a production buffer. New painters often estimate based on best-case production rates. Build in a 15-20% buffer on your labor hours for interruptions, touch-ups, and the reality that not every wall is a smooth, open surface.
Common Mistakes When Estimating Paint Labor
-
Measuring floor area instead of wall area. A 200 sf room has roughly 500-600 sf of paintable wall plus 200 sf of ceiling. If you bid at $2/sf of floor area, you’re actually covering 700-800 sf of surface for $400. Make sure you know which “square foot” you’re pricing.
-
Ignoring trim labor. Trim, baseboards, crown molding, door frames, and window casings are slow, detail work. Brush production is 3-5x slower than roller production. A house with extensive trim can double the labor hours versus a house with minimal trim.
-
Underestimating prep on older homes. Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint, which requires EPA-certified renovation practices (RRP rule). This isn’t just more work. It’s a different (and more expensive) scope entirely.
-
Forgetting to price color changes. Going from dark to light or light to dark isn’t a simple two-coat job. It’s typically a primer coat plus two finish coats, which is 50% more labor than a standard repaint.
-
Not adjusting for texture. Textured walls (knockdown, orange peel, popcorn ceilings) use 20-40% more paint and take longer to apply evenly. Smooth walls are the baseline for published production rates.
How Paint Labor Fits Into a Full Estimate
Paint labor is just one piece of a painting estimate. Here’s the full picture for a typical interior repaint:
| Line Item | % of Total |
|---|---|
| Labor (painters) | 60-70% |
| Paint and primer | 15-25% |
| Supplies (tape, drops, rollers, brushes) | 5-10% |
| Overhead and profit | 15-25% |
For a 1,500 sf home interior repaint (walls and ceilings, 2 coats), a reasonable estimate breakdown looks like:
| Line Item | Low End | High End |
|---|---|---|
| Labor (painters) | $2,400 | $3,600 |
| Paint and primer (8-12 gal) | $600 | $900 |
| Supplies (tape, drops, rollers) | $150 | $250 |
| Subtotal | $3,150 | $4,750 |
| Overhead and profit (20%) | $630 | $950 |
| Total | $3,780 | $5,700 |
That works out to roughly $2.50-$3.80 per square foot of floor area, which is consistent with what you’ll see in most markets for a professional paint job.
If you need to put together painting estimates quickly with all these line items built in, Try EstimationPro free. It handles the math, generates a professional proposal, and follows up with your client automatically so you don’t lose the job to a slow response.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I charge per square foot for interior painting?
Interior painting labor typically costs $1 to $4 per square foot depending on surface condition, number of coats, and ceiling height. For a standard repaint with minimal prep and two coats, most painters land around $2 per square foot of wall surface. Add 15-25% for overhead and profit to set your selling price.
Is exterior painting more expensive than interior?
Yes. Exterior painting labor runs $1.50 to $5 per square foot, compared to $1 to $4 for interior. The higher cost reflects ladder/scaffold work, weather-related delays, and typically heavier prep requirements (scraping, caulking, priming weathered surfaces).
How many square feet can a painter paint per hour?
An experienced painter working on standard interior walls (repaint, 2 coats, light prep) typically covers 150 to 200 square feet per hour. New construction work with clean drywall is faster at 200-300 sf/hr. Exterior brush work is slower at 80-150 sf/hr, while spray application jumps to 200-400 sf/hr.
How do I calculate labor hours for a paint job?
Measure total paintable surface area (wall area minus doors and windows, plus ceiling area). Divide by your production rate (sf/hr) to get base hours. Add 15-20% for setup, masking, cleanup, and touch-ups. Multiply total hours by your burdened labor rate to get the labor cost.
Should I price painting by the room or by the square foot?
Price by the square foot of wall/ceiling surface for accuracy. Per-room pricing is simpler to communicate to clients but can burn you when room sizes vary. A 10x10 bedroom and a 16x20 master bedroom aren’t the same scope, even though they’re both “one room.” Calculate by square foot, then present to the client however makes sense for your market.
Related Tools and Resources
Need help with the numbers? Check out these free tools:
- Paint Calculator - figure out how many gallons you need
- Painting Estimate Calculator - build a full painting estimate with labor and materials
- Labor Cost Calculator - calculate your fully burdened labor rate so your $/sf numbers are based on real cost
- Contractor Markup Calculator - verify that your markup percentage actually hits your target margin
- How Much Paint Do I Need? - contractor’s guide to paint quantity
- Interior Painting Cost Per Room - per-room cost breakdowns with DIY vs professional comparisons
- How to Estimate Construction Jobs - the full estimating system that applies to painting and every other trade
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