How much does painting cost per square foot?

It depends on prep and region — enter your labor rate.

Is sales tax included?

Add it with the labor and margin calculator.

How do I estimate a whole house?

Add wall and ceiling areas room by room.

How much to paint a 1,500 sq ft house interior?

Walls and ceilings total roughly 4,500–5,000 sq ft; multiply by your rate.

Charge per square foot or per room?

Per square foot is clearer; per room is easier to sell.

What share is materials?

On interior jobs, paint is usually the smaller share versus labor.

Paint cost calculator

Area, coverage, coats, can size and your prices per can and labor per area: you get cans, total cost and price per area.

Purchase quantity

1 bucket

Net measurement: 3.17 gal · Waste 10 %

Paint buckets1 bucket · $60.00
Labor645.835 ft² · $360.00
Cost per m²10.764 ft² · $7.00

Indicative estimate: $420.00

Use my prices

Your prices per language/currency. Used when you enable “Use my prices” in calculators. My prices →

Calculate labor, margin & tax

How it's calculated (visible formula)

cans = ceil(area ÷ coverage × coats × (1 + waste) ÷ can size); cost = cans × price + area × labor

Net geometric measurement, no waste.
Adjustable waste % for cuts and breakage.
Purchase rounded up to sellable units (boxes, bags, buckets, boards).

See methodology and formula versions

How to calculate it, step by step

Work out the area (walls, ceilings or both).
Work out gallons and cans from coverage and coats.
Enter the price per can.
Enter labor per area.
Review total and cost per area; add margin and tax.

Worked example: 645 sq ft, 400 sq ft/gal, 2 coats, 5 gal at $60, labor $6/m²

≈ 3.5 gal with waste → 1 five-gallon bucket
$60 + 60 m² × $6 = $420

→ $420 (about $0.65 per sq ft).

Common mistakes

Forgetting plastic, tape and patching compound.
Pricing ceilings like walls.
Leaving out travel and furniture protection.

Pro tips

Charge separately for heavy prep (skim coating, water damage).
Price ceilings, walls and trim differently.
Include protection, cleanup and travel.
Offer mid and premium paint with the price difference.

From calculation to quote

Add labor, overhead and your margin, and generate the professional PDF.

Create quote Calculate margin & tax

FAQs

How much does painting cost per square foot?: It depends on prep and region — enter your labor rate.
Is sales tax included?: Add it with the labor and margin calculator.
How do I estimate a whole house?: Add wall and ceiling areas room by room.
How much to paint a 1,500 sq ft house interior?: Walls and ceilings total roughly 4,500–5,000 sq ft; multiply by your rate.
Charge per square foot or per room?: Per square foot is clearer; per room is easier to sell.
What share is materials?: On interior jobs, paint is usually the smaller share versus labor.

Sources and standards

Maintained by Srikanta M · Formula v1.0.0 · Verified 2026-09-10 · Updated 2026-09-10 · Limits: quantity estimation, not structural design or site supervision.