Interior painting costs $350 to $850 per room on average in 2026, by national published figures. We do not publish a Brooklyn price list, because the home sets the price. A fourth floor walk-up with cracked plaster is a different job from a new condo with flat drywall and an elevator.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Brooklyn labor, parking, walk-up access, building rules and the condition of your own walls move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
How much does it cost to paint the interior of a house?
Nationally it costs $3,500 to $10,000 to paint the whole interior of a house, with a national average of $7,500. HomeGuide lists a low of $2,000 and a high of $15,000. That works out to $1 to $3 per square foot of wall and ceiling surface.
A Brooklyn row house is rarely an average job. Ceilings on the parlor floor are tall. Walls are old plaster. Trim, doors and stair parts are wide and detailed, and each floor has its own stair hall. All of that is labor, and labor is 70% to 85% of an interior price by the same source.
How much does it cost to paint a room?
It costs $300 to $1,000 to paint one room on average, with a national average of $750. The published low is $150 and the high is $2,500. Many painters also have a minimum job fee, listed at $250 to $500 or more.
| Room | National range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $150 to $400 |
| Kitchen, walls only | $150 to $250 |
| Bedroom | $350 to $850 |
| Primary bedroom | $650 to $1,400 |
| Living room | $600 to $2,000 |
| Dining room or hallway | $300 to $1,000 |
How much to paint a 1,500 or 2,000 square foot house inside?
By the national table for whole interiors, a 1,500 square foot home runs $4,500 to $6,000 and a 2,000 square foot home runs $6,000 to $8,000. Smaller homes are listed too: 800 square feet at $2,400 to $3,200 and 1,000 square feet at $3,000 to $4,000.
For apartments, the same source lists a studio at $800 to $3,600, a one bedroom at $1,200 to $4,800 and a two bedroom at $1,600 to $7,200. Most Brooklyn interior jobs are apartments and co-ops, so that table is often the closer match.
How much to paint a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house?
The national range for a 3 bedroom house is $1,200 to $8,500. The spread is wide because it covers walls only at one end and walls, ceilings and trim at the other.
You can also add it up by room with the published figures. Three bedrooms at $350 to $850 each is $1,050 to $2,550. Two bathrooms at $150 to $400 each is $300 to $800. Add a living room at $600 to $2,000, kitchen walls at $150 to $250 and a hallway at $300 to $1,000. The total is $2,400 to $6,600. That is arithmetic on national figures, not a quote.
How much do painters charge per square foot?
Painters charge $1 to $3 per square foot of surface painted, or $3 to $7 per square foot of floor space, by the national figures. Walls only are $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot of surface. Hourly, the interior page lists $20 to $50, and $70 to $100 for specialty work.
Do painters charge by the room or by the square foot?
Most painters price by the room or by the whole job, and use square feet behind the scenes to check the number. A price by the room is easier to read. A price by the square foot is useful only if you know whether it means wall surface or floor space, because the two differ by about three times.
We give one written price for the scope we walked with you, with the rooms and surfaces listed.
Does it cost more to paint ceilings as well as walls?
Yes. Adding ceilings costs $1.00 to $2.00 more per square foot of ceiling, by the national figures. A bedroom ceiling is listed at $150 to $300 and a living room ceiling at $250 to $1,000.
In older Brooklyn homes the ceiling is often the hardest surface in the room. Plaster ceilings crack along the lath, and many have medallions and cornices that are cut in by hand.
How much extra for trim, doors and baseboards?
Interior trim costs $1 to $4 per linear foot, or $25 to $200 per room for baseboards, by the national figures. Interior doors are $75 to $150 each. Window frames are $25 to $100 each, or $50 to $120 with sashes and mullions. Crown molding is $1 to $5 per linear foot.
Row houses here have far more trim than a newer home: tall baseboards, wide door casings, shutters folded into the window jambs, wainscot and stair balusters. Count it when you compare quotes.
How much extra for high ceilings and stairwells?
High ceilings over 10 feet raise the painting cost by 10% to 50% or more, by the national figures. No dollar figure is published. Stairwells are listed per linear foot by height: $16 for walls 8 to 13 feet high, $20 for 13 to 17 feet, $24 for 17 to 19 feet and $30 above 19 feet.
This matters in Brooklyn. Parlor floors in brownstones often have ceilings of 11 feet or more, and the stair hall can run the full height of the house. Both need tall ladders or staging.
Does it cost more to go from a dark color to white?
Usually yes, but no figure is published for it. Covering a dark color with white often takes a primer coat or a third coat, which adds paint and time. We look at the color change during the estimate and write the number of coats into the quote.
How much more if the walls need a lot of prep?
Walls that need a lot of prep cost more, and the published figure for sanding and patching is $1 to $3 per square foot. Skim coating a wall is listed at $1.00 to $1.30 per square foot.
Old plaster is the usual reason in Brooklyn. Decades of paint build up on it, cracks open at the corners and old repairs show through. We tell you during the walkthrough which walls need more than a light sand and patch, and price that part separately so you can see it.
Does the price include moving furniture and covering floors?
Covering floors and furniture is part of any proper job. Moving furniture is sometimes extra. HomeGuide lists moving furniture at $35 to $60 per hour when a painter charges for it.
Ask every painter what they expect of you. In a small apartment there is often nowhere to move things, so the furniture goes to the middle of the room under plastic. Tell us about heavy or fragile pieces during the estimate.
Why are my painting quotes so far apart?
Painting quotes end up far apart because they are rarely for the same job. One painter prices two coats on walls only. Another includes ceilings, trim, plaster repair and primer.
- Which surfaces are included: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets.
- How many coats, and whether primer is included.
- How much patching and sanding is allowed for.
- The grade of paint.
- Access: stairs, elevator booking, parking.
- Whether the company is licensed and insured.
How do I know if a painting quote is fair?
A painting quote is fair when it is written, complete and close to other complete quotes for the same scope. It should list the rooms, the surfaces, the prep, the number of coats and the paint.
You can set it against the national ranges on this page, but treat them as a rough guide. A quote above the range is not wrong for a house with tall ceilings and heavy trim. A quote far below every other one deserves questions.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (917) 746-3274.