How Is Interior Painting Priced?

It's a fact that a fresh coat of paint in an otherwise dull room can do wonders for its appearance, and even improve how furniture, window dressings, and other things look in the space. Since it is a relatively straightforward job, applying interior paint is something that many homeowners opt to do themselves. However, as with any DIY task, the difference in cost between doing the job yourself and the professional painting price is going to be the deciding factor in who does the work.

Professional Painting Prices
Professionals base their prices on many different factors, such as: room size, amount of trim to be painted, how much preparation the surfaces will need before painting, how many furnishings have to be moved, covered or worked around, the kind and quality of paint, how many coats of paint, or possibly primer, it would take to change a paint color, etc. Most prefer to look at a project before giving a firm bid.

Interior painting prices vary incredibly from job to job, company to company, and area to area. Here at ServiceMagic, we keep records of every job we process, including interior painting prices. Our data shows that even similar jobs in similar areas can differ by a significant amount, so getting the best price is going to require a bit of research on the homeowner's part.

Usually the best way to shop for home improvements is to have about three different contractors come look at your project, and give you written estimates including the scope of work to be done and the specific materials to be used. This is the most efficient way to research your project, determine how to tackle it, how much the project will cost, and which contractor you prefer to hire.

DIY Interior Painting vs. Professional Interior Painting
There are many benefits to hiring a professional crew for this task, even though most of us aren't complete novices when it comes to handling a roller or brush. First, it is very likely that a professional crew will do the job better than your average homeowner. In addition to having a larger amount of people working on the project, professional painters have the experience and equipment to get the job done quickly, efficiently, and with amazing results. They will also have knowledge of color and paint application that could mean the difference between a job that's just mediocre and a room where the color is rich, pure, and appealing.

DIY Painting Prices
If you want to do the job yourself anyway, there are a couple things to consider as far as price goes. The best results come from using the best tools, and it is likely that you will be able to purchase or rent much of the same equipment that a professional crew would use. Also, it is a good idea to do some research on the colors, varieties, and brands of paint that will work best for your situation. While some paints might require several coats to look their best, and some colors might require a primer coat, other options might cost a little more at first, but look good after only a single coat. Issues of durability are also a concern. When you add up the cost of equipment rental, the time it takes to prepare the room and the surface for painting, the time it takes to research and choose the proper paint for the job, and, of course, the amount of time and energy it will take to actually apply the paint, the professional painting price might seem a little more reasonable.