Painting the inside of a house costs $3,500 to $10,000 on average in 2026, by national published figures, and one room costs $300 to $1,000. We do not publish a Miami price list, because the job sets the price: the wall area, the ceiling height, the state of the walls and how much trim and how many doors are included.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, paint prices 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 on average to paint the whole interior, with a national average of $7,500. HomeGuide lists a low of $2,000 and a high of $15,000.
Miami homes differ a lot. A two bedroom condo in Brickell with smooth walls and little trim is a quick job. A 1950s house in Coral Gables with plaster, wood windows and crown molding takes far more hours. We walk the rooms before we give a number.
How much does it cost to paint a room?
One room costs $300 to $1,000 to paint on average, by the national figures, with a national average of $750. HomeGuide lists a low of $150 and a high of $2,500. Most painters also have a minimum project fee, published at $250 to $500 or more.
| Room | National range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $150 to $400 |
| Primary bathroom | $250 to $650 |
| 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 does it cost to paint a 1,500 or 2,000 square foot house inside?
For a 1,500 square foot home the national range is $4,500 to $6,000, and for a 2,000 square foot home it is $6,000 to $8,000. These figures go by the floor area of the home.
| Home size | National range |
|---|---|
| 1,000 sq ft | $3,000 to $4,000 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $3,600 to $4,800 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $4,500 to $6,000 |
| 1,800 sq ft | $5,400 to $7,200 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $6,000 to $8,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $7,500 to $10,000 |
| 3,000 sq ft | $9,000 to $12,000 |
Floor area is only a starting point. Two homes of the same size can have very different wall area, ceiling height and trim.
How much does it cost to paint a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house?
HomeGuide's national range for a 3-bedroom house is $1,200 to $8,500. The range is wide because it covers everything from walls only in a small house to walls, ceilings and trim in a large one.
You can also add the published room figures. One primary bedroom ($650 to $1,400), two bedrooms ($350 to $850 each, so $700 to $1,700), one bathroom ($150 to $400), one primary bathroom ($250 to $650), a living room ($600 to $2,000), kitchen walls ($150 to $250) and a hallway ($300 to $1,000) add up to $2,800 to $7,400. That is arithmetic on national figures, not a quote for your house.
How much do painters charge per square foot?
Painters charge $1 to $3 per square foot of surface painted, by the national figures. Measured by floor space, the published figure is $3 to $7 per square foot.
| What is painted | National figure per square foot |
|---|---|
| Walls only | $1.00 to $2.00 |
| Add ceilings | plus $1.00 to $2.00 |
| Add texture | plus $0.80 to $2.00 |
| New construction | $2 to $5 |
Always ask which measure a quote uses. A price per square foot of wall and a price per square foot of floor are very different numbers.
Do painters charge by the room or by the square foot?
Painters use both, and many also price by the hour or the day. Small jobs are often priced by the room. Whole houses are usually measured. HomeGuide publishes painter labor at $20 to $50 per hour on its interior page, and says labor is 70% to 85% of the total.
How a painter gets to the number matters less than what the number covers. Ask for the rooms, surfaces, number of coats and prep to be written out.
Does it cost more to paint ceilings as well as walls?
Yes. Ceilings add to the price. Nationally, a ceiling costs $1 to $2 per square foot to paint, and a textured or popcorn ceiling costs $1.00 to $3.50 per square foot.
In Miami many homes from the 1960s to the 1980s still have popcorn or knockdown ceilings. They take more paint and more care than a smooth ceiling. If the ceiling is in good shape and the color is not changing, you can leave it out and save that part of the cost.
How much extra is it for trim, doors and baseboards?
Trim and baseboards cost $1 to $4 per linear foot to paint, or $500 to $2,000 for a house, by the national figures. Baseboards alone are published at $25 to $200 per room. An interior door is $75 to $150.
| Item | National figure |
|---|---|
| Trim and baseboards | $1 to $4 per linear foot |
| Crown molding | $1 to $5 per linear foot |
| Interior window frame | $25 to $100 per window |
| Interior door | $75 to $150 each |
| Interior door and trim | $80 to $250 |
Many newer Miami homes and condos have little trim: a low baseboard and plain door casings. Older houses can have much more. Count the doors before you compare quotes.
How much extra is it for high or vaulted ceilings and stairwells?
High ceilings raise the price. HomeGuide says ceilings higher than 10 feet increase the painting cost by 10% to 50% or more. It gives no dollar figure, so we price tall rooms after we see them.
For stairwells, HomeGuide publishes a rate per linear foot by wall height: $16 for 8 to 13 feet, $20 for 13 to 17 feet, $24 for 17 to 19 feet and $30 above 19 feet. Two-story entry halls and vaulted living rooms are common in newer homes in Doral, Pinecrest and Cutler Bay. They need tall ladders or scaffolding, and that is where the extra time goes.
Does it cost more to go from a dark color to white?
Usually yes. Covering dark walls with white or a pale color often takes a primer coat or a third coat. No published dollar figure exists for this. HomeGuide only says a big color change may need more coats, which adds paint and labor.
Tell the painter the old and new colors when you ask for a quote. A good quote says how many coats are included.
How much more does it cost if the walls need a lot of prep?
Walls that need a lot of prep cost more, and the extra depends on what is wrong. HomeGuide publishes sanding and patching at $1 to $3 per square foot on its interior painting page. It gives no single figure for a whole house.
In Miami the usual prep items are settling cracks at door and window corners, old water stains from roof or air conditioner leaks, mildew in bathrooms and failed patches. A quote should list the repairs it includes. If a wall has real damage, see our page on drywall and ceilings.
Does the price include moving furniture and covering floors?
With us, yes. We move and cover furniture and protect the floors, and we ask you to put away small and fragile items. That is not true of every painter, so ask.
Some companies charge for moving the furniture. HomeGuide's interior page lists it at $35 to $60 per hour. Emptying shelves and clearing closets yourself before the crew arrives keeps the job short.
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, ceilings and trim with full prep. Another prices one coat on the walls only.
- Which surfaces are included: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets.
- How many coats, and whether primer is included.
- How much patching, sanding and caulking is included.
- The grade of paint.
- Who moves furniture and who cleans up.
- Whether the company is licensed and insured.
Line the quotes up item by item before you compare the totals.
How do I know if a painting quote is fair?
A painting quote is fair when it is complete, written and close to other complete quotes for the same scope. It should name the rooms and surfaces, the number of coats, the paint and the prep.
You can set it against the national ranges on this page, but treat those as a rough guide. A quote far below every other one deserves questions about what was left out.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (786) 745-7109.