Painting Cost Calculator — Whole House Repaint Budget
Who this is for: For homeowners budgeting a full interior repaint — where one wrong assumption about wall area moves the number by thousands.
Whole-house repaint budgeting: home size and room count in — get total wall area, gallons and the DIY/pro cost.
Quick answer: Whole-house interior repaint: walls-only area of a 2,000 sq ft home ≈ 2,600–3,000 sq ft → 15–17 gallons for two coats → DIY $450–700 in materials, professional $5,200–7,800 (US 2026, $2–6/sq ft of wall). Enter your home size for a snapped estimate.
| Wall per room | ≈ footprint² × height − 53 sqft openings |
|---|---|
| Gallons | Area × 2 coats ÷ 350/gal |
| 2026 band | Pro $2–6/sqft · DIY materials 15–25% of pro |
| Example | 2,000 sqft / 8 rooms → ~2,800 sqft wall → 16 gal |
| Color change | +primer, +15–20% |
| Status | Figures follow 2026 US industry averages: pro interior $2–6/sq ft of wall area, coverage 350–400 sq ft/gal per coat, paint $15–60/gal by tier, exterior $1.5–5/sq ft. Estimates for budgeting — your local market and surface condition move the final number. |
How much does it cost to paint a whole house interior?
The estimator works from your home's size and room count: average room footprint × wall height − openings gives wall area per room, multiplied across rooms. A 2,000 sq ft home with 8 rooms and 8 ft ceilings carries roughly 2,600–3,000 sq ft of wall; two coats need 15–17 gallons. Costs: DIY materials $450–700 (mid-grade), professional $5,200–7,800 at the wall-area rate (a 2,000 sq ft home carries ~2,800–3,300 sq ft of wall × $1.5–3.5) — which is why whole-house quotes you hear ($6,650–7,350 Houzz average) sit where they do. Primer for dramatic color changes adds 15–20%. The calculator snaps to your inputs rather than a national average.
Common uses
- Budgeting a full interior repaint before moving in
- Comparing a whole-house quote against room-by-room math
- Planning a phased repaint (which rooms this year)
- Checking whether the painter's gallon count is honest