How much does it cost to paint a room yourself?
About $98 in materials for a 12 x 10 ft room with 8 ft walls, walls and ceiling, against roughly $870 to $2,620 to hire it out.
Estimate only, computed from the paint calculator's default inputs and prices. Your sizes and local prices will change it.
Do it yourself (materials)
$98
Hire it out
$870 to $2,620
Worked example: a 12 x 10 ft room with 8 ft walls, walls and ceiling
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Wall paint, 2 gal | $70 |
| Ceiling paint (flat white), 1 gal | $28 |
| Total | $98 |
Assumptions
- 2 coats on smooth, previously painted walls, with 1 door and 1 window left out
- About 316 sq ft of wall and 120 sq ft of ceiling, 10% extra
- Paint at $35 per gallon for walls and $28 for ceiling paint, the calculator's defaults
- Brushes, rollers, tape and drop cloths not included
What changes the price
- Paint is most of the DIY cost. Better paint covers in fewer coats, so a pricier gallon can cost less per room.
- Patching, a dark-to-light color change, or bare drywall adds primer and often a coat. Pick the wall condition in the calculator.
- Supplies you do not own yet (roller frame, covers, angled brush, tape, drop cloth) are a one-time cost on the first room.
Price your own project
Enter your measurements and local prices in the free paint calculator for a full materials list and cost.
Open the paint calculatorAlso useful: Drywall calculator
FAQ
How much does it cost to paint a room yourself?
About $98 in materials for a 12 x 10 ft room with 8 ft walls, walls and ceiling, against roughly $870 to $2,620 to hire it out. These are estimates from the paint calculator's default prices; enter your own sizes and prices there for your project.
How much do you save if you paint a room yourself?
On this example, doing it yourself saves roughly $770 to $2,520, before tools you would need to buy or rent.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the same math the paint calculator runs, fed its default inputs and unit prices. They are rough US averages, not quotes, and local prices vary.
More DIY cost estimates: cost to install gutters yourself, cost to drywall a room yourself, cost to tile a floor yourself, cost to build a deck yourself, cost to build a fence yourself.