Interior Painting Costs in 2025 When You Want It Done Right
Photo by Max Vakhtbovycn
Now that fall is quickly approaching, have you started thinking about inside projects to carry you through the winter?
Maybe you’ve been thinking about freshening up your space, breathing new life into it before the holidays?
Whether you’re looking for an indoor project or have decided it’s time your home’s interior get a little TLC, interior painting is one of the easiest ways to boost your home’s value and feel-good factor.
We’re breaking down everything you need to know about costs, timelines, and what to expect in 2025, starting with why this time of year is the perfect window to get it done.
Interior Painting Should Definitely Be On Your Fall Home Upgrade List
If you’ve been staring at the same scuffed-up walls for months (or years), this fall might be the perfect time to finally take that project off your to-do list.
A fresh coat of paint can completely reset the look and feel of your home, without the expense or disruption of a full remodel.
And in Minneapolis, fall isn’t just a convenient season, it’s the ideal season.
Cooler temperatures and lower humidity levels mean faster dry times and better paint adhesion.
Crews are often easier to schedule before the end-of-year rush, and many homes, such as our beloved older models, with wood trim, textured plaster, or remnants of past DIY jobs, benefit from extra prep time that’s easier to manage before winter.
So whether you’re tackling one room or planning a full-home refresh, painting in the fall offers the best mix of efficiency, comfort, and long-lasting results.
2025 Interior Painting Costs: What You’ll Pay Per Square Foot or for the Whole House
So, how much does it actually cost to paint a whole house interior in 2025?
The short answer is: it depends, but it can range anywhere from $3,000—$15,000. Here’s how to get a better idea of what that looks like for your home.
On average, interior painting ranges from $2 to $6 per square foot.
That number includes everything from basic wall prep to paint and labor, but your final cost will depend on things like ceiling height, wall condition, and whether trim or ceilings are included.
For full interior repaints, most homeowners spend anywhere from $3,000 to $15,000, depending on the size and layout of the home.
Based on your square footage, here’s an approximate cost:
1,000 sq ft home → $3,000–$6,000
2,000 sq ft home → $6,000–$10,000
3,000 sq ft home → $9,000–$15,000
These ranges are a great starting point if you’re planning a whole-home refresh. If you're only painting one or two rooms, costs will vary based on the space which we’ll cover next.
Cost To Paint A Bedroom Vs Other Rooms
Not every room is priced the same. And it comes down to more than just square footage.
Factors like size, ceiling height, trim details, and wall condition can all affect the total cost - but more on that later!
A large room in good condition could end up costing less than a smaller room with more intricate trim details or a deteriorating wall condition.
Below, we’ve outlined average price ranges for different rooms in your home so whether you’re planning a small update or phasing out a full interior refresh, you’ll know what to expect.
Bedroom: $400—$800
Bedrooms tend to be fairly straightforward to paint, especially if the walls are in good condition and there's minimal trim work. The final price depends on room size, ceiling height, and the number of coats needed. Most standard bedrooms fall right around $500.
Bathroom: $300–$600
Bathrooms are usually smaller, but they take more detailed prep. Cutting around mirrors, vanities, tile, and tight corners accurately adds to the job.
Humidity is another factor in bathroom painting. If the room isn’t properly ventilated or the timing isn’t right, paint can peel or fail to cure correctly. (and a major reason we think it’s worth hiring a professional).
Kitchen: $600–$1,200
The cost to paint a kitchen is often higher per square foot due to its complexity. There are more obstacles, like cabinets, backsplashes, appliances, and lighting, so even smaller kitchens take more precision. If you’re painting walls only (and skipping cabinets), you’ll stay closer to the lower end of the range.
Kitchen Cabinet Painting: $3,000+
Photo by Keegan Checks
You can absolutely paint your kitchen cabinets, it’s one of our favorite ways to give a kitchen a new look without investing tens of thousands of dollars!
On average, cabinet painting ranges from $3,000 to $6,500, depending on the number of doors and drawers, prep work, and finish type.
If you’re considering a full kitchen update, combining wall and cabinet painting in one project can help streamline the timeline and finish quality. Let us know this is your bigger vision and we can get you a custom quote!
Living Room: $800–$1,500+
Living rooms are some of the largest and most visible rooms in the home. If you’ve got vaulted ceilings, a fireplace surround, built-in shelving, or oversized windows, the cost goes up accordingly. Open-concept layouts often make these spaces more time-intensive to paint, too.
Unexpected Costs To Expect With Interior Home Painting
As you’ve seen, even within the same home, some rooms can cost more to paint than others. This is usually because of added prep work, height challenges, or detailed surfaces. If you're seeing a higher estimate for a specific room, it's often due to one or more of the following:
Vaulted or tall ceilings: More height means more time, more ladder work, and sometimes special equipment.
Textured walls: Heavily textured surfaces often require more paint to achieve even coverage and more labor to prep.
Wallpaper removal: Taking down old wallpaper, and repairing any damage it leaves behind, adds significant time to the job.
Extensive trim or built-ins: Crown molding, wainscoting, shelving, and window frames all require precision that look beautiful but realistically slow down the process so we can get into those details.
Damaged or patchy surfaces: Cracks, holes, and peeling paint need to be repaired before the first coat goes on.
These extras don’t apply to every room, but they’re pretty common in our historic older Minneapolis homes. Before beginning any project, we take the time to look at your home and ensure you’re informed about any yellow flags before we start.
What Impacts the Cost of Interior Painting?
The price you pay to paint your home isn’t just about square footage or the number of rooms. There are several behind-the-scenes factors that affect your final quote, some you can anticipate, others you might not realize until a professional walks through your space, and still others that remain unknown until we start peeling and scraping.
Here’s what we’re factoring in when creating a quote:
Surface Condition & Prep Work
If your walls are in rough shape—cracked, stained, peeling, or patched—your painter will need to spend more time prepping the space.
That could mean scraping, sanding, caulking, priming, or applying stain blockers before the first coat even goes on. But, the better the prep, the better and longer-lasting the end result.
Ceiling Height & Room Accessibility
Taller ceilings take more time and tools sometimes requiring scaffolding to reach. The same goes for tight stairwells, two-story entryways, or high accent walls. Expect higher costs for rooms that require more setup or ladder work.
Number of Colors & Finishes
Using more than one color in a space, or even combining different sheens like matte on walls and semi-gloss on trim, all adds time and precision. Each color change means more prep, more cutting in, and more cleanup.
Trim, Doors, & Built-Ins
Painting trim, baseboards, crown molding, interior doors, or built-in shelving is almost always quoted separately from walls. These areas require smaller brushes and slower, more detailed work. They also often need sanding and priming before paint is applied.
Paint Quality & Type
We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but not all paint is created equal.
Higher-end paints with better coverage, durability, and low-VOC formulas cost more upfront, but usually saves you money in the long run as it requires fewer coats and lasts longer.
If you're aiming for a long-term investment, especially in high-traffic rooms, opting for quality paint can be a worth while investment.
Timeline & Scheduling
Rushed timelines, off-hours work, or coordinating around furniture and people living in the space can all affect labor costs. If you're flexible with scheduling, your painter may be able to bundle your project into a multi-job route or offer better availability.
What’s The Average Timeline For Interior Painting?
Whether you're coordinating around a move, prepping for guests, or just trying to minimize the mess, knowing what to expect can help you plan ahead with confidence.
Single Room Professional Painting Timeline
1 day or less - 1 standard-size room
A few hours - clean walls with minimal prep
At least a full day - more complex jobs like accent walls, wall repairs, or color changes)
Requires a custom quote - walls with smaller surface area but more edges and cut-ins, like in bathrooms and kitchens
Whole Home Painting Timeline
Painting the interior of an entire home usually takes a few days, depending on the size and scope.
3-4 Days - 1,000–1,500 sq ft.
Up to 7 days - 2,000–3,000+ sq ft (especially with multiple colors and trim).
Larger or older homes may take longer if there's added prep or access challenges.
More painters = faster completion with less disruption.
Other Timing Factors to Consider
Occupied vs. empty homes: We can absolutely work around your family and schedule but it is faster to paint when furniture is out of the way and no one’s living in the space.
Dry time between coats: Our professional painters will wait the appropriate amount of time between coats to ensure the finish is smooth and durable.
Weather and ventilation: In fall, cooler Minneapolis temps and lower humidity help speed up drying and reduce fumes, another reason fall is a great season for interior work.
Painting is one of the more efficient home upgrades, but it still requires planning, especially if you're juggling family schedules, pets, or work-from-home routines.
DIY vs. Done For You: The Cost Isn’t Just in the Paint
Painting your own space might seem like a simple weekend project, but once you factor in the prep, tools, cleanup, time, & motivation, it adds up fast.
Some homeowners love a good DIY challenge. Others would rather know the job will be done right, the first time, without the hassle. Where do you fall?
DIY Interior Painting
Pros:
Lower up-front cost & no labor fee
Flexible timing, paint when it works for you
Personal satisfaction from tackling a project yourself
Cons:
Supply costs can add up: brushes, rollers, drop cloths, tape, ladders, trays, primers, multiple paint types.
There’s a good chance you’ll get distracted, be too tired for work, or something always seems to come up just as you’re getting in the mood to paint.
Let’s not forget those added trips to Home Depot because you ran out of tape, forgot a brush, or worst case scenario — ran out of paint.
More time-intensive than expected especially with ceilings, trim, or multiple rooms
Risk of uneven coverage, drips, or damage from poor prep.
Choosing the wrong paint type for the room or season. Like using the wrong sheen in a humid bathroom or painting in conditions that slow down drying.
Cleanup is all on you, furniture, floors, brushes, and more.
Hiring a Professional Painter
Pros:
Experienced prep, clean lines, and a smooth finish that looks good.
A professional job that not only looks good, it stands the test of time.
Faster turnaround especially on multi-room or whole-home projects.
Less mess, less stress, and no wasted weekends.
Someone else gets to handle all those little lines on the door you insisted on painting.
Not having to Google “how to get paint out of pillowcases/hair/carpet” or “What if my dog wants in paint”.
Access to higher-quality paints and finishes (often at a discount).
Cleanup and touchups handled for you.
Loving your home just a little more because you didn’t have to suffer through painting it (like how food tastes better when someone else makes it).
Cons:
Higher up-front cost
Must coordinate scheduling around crew availability
Whatever feels most right to you, the next decision is just as important: should you paint everything at once or take it room by room?
Should You Paint The Whole House At Once?
It might seem easier, and less expensive (in the moment), to paint a room or two at a time. But in many cases, painting the whole interior at once can save you time, money, and future hassle. The right approach depends on your timeline, your budget, and how much disruption you're comfortable with.
When It Makes Sense Paint The Whole House at Once
Cost efficiency: Painters can prep and paint more efficiently when they’re already on-site, which can reduce labor costs.
Consistent finish: If you use the same paint type and color throughout, painting everything at once ensures a clean, consistent look. No mismatched batches or slightly different finishes.
Less disruption overall: One big project usually means less overall time spent moving furniture, taping off trim, or living with paint fumes.
Preparing to sell or rent: A freshly painted interior is one of the easiest ways to boost your home’s appeal and value on the market.
Finishing a renovation: If you’ve just completed construction or updates, painting the entire space brings it all together.
When It Makes More Sense To Wait
Budgeting over time: If your home needs a lot of work, it might make more sense financially to phase the project room by room.
Major renovations in progress: If you’re still planning updates (like flooring or lighting), it’s usually better to wait until those are done before painting.
Uncertain design decisions: If you're still choosing color palettes or planning furniture changes, starting small gives you flexibility.
Rental properties between tenants: Sometimes a quick paint refresh for your HOA or property of just the high-traffic areas (like hallways or kitchens) is all that’s needed to prep for the next renter.
Before We Wrap It Up, Ask These 5 Questions When Getting an Interior Painting Estimate
Photo by Ivan Samkov
Before you book your project, it’s worth taking a few minutes to understand what’s included in your estimate and what’s not. A professional quote should be clear, detailed, and easy to understand. If something feels vague or rushed, it’s okay to ask questions.
Here are a few things we recommend looking for in any interior painting quote:
1.What’s Included in the Price?
Is the estimate broken down by walls, ceilings, trim, and doors?
Does it include all labor, prep, primer, and cleanup?
Are materials and paint included or priced separately?
2. What Type of Paint Will Be Used?
Will they use high-quality, low-VOC paint that’s safe for indoor spaces?
Are you getting a single coat or two?
What sheen (matte, eggshell, satin) is recommended for each room?
3. What Prep Work Is Included?
Will they handle minor wall repairs, patching, or caulking?
Do they offer wallpaper removal or textured wall smoothing, if needed?
How will they protect furniture, flooring, and adjacent spaces?
4. Timeline and Scheduling
How many days will the job take?
Will a dedicated crew be on-site each day?
How far out are they scheduling projects?
5. Do They Offer a Warranty or Touch-Ups?
Is there a touch-up window included in case of missed spots or touch-ups needed after furniture is moved back?
How do they handle unexpected issues or concerns post-project?
Ready to Refresh Your Home? Let’s Talk
If you're planning an interior painting project this fall, or even just thinking about it, we’d love to help. We offer clear, detailed estimates with no pressure, no upsells, and no surprises.
Whether you want to paint one room or the whole house, we’ll walk you through the process and make it easy from start to finish.
