Painting the inside of a house costs $3,500 to $10,000 on average in 2026, by national published figures. We do not publish a Modesto price list, because the house sets the price: how many rooms, how high the ceilings are, how much repair the walls need and whether ceilings, trim and 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 to paint a whole interior, 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, or $3 to $7 per square foot of floor space.
Most Modesto homes are single story with textured drywall, which is quick to paint when it is in good shape. Two story entries, stairwells and heavy wall repair push a job toward the higher end. We measure and look before we give a number.
How much does it cost to paint a room?
It costs $300 to $1,000 to paint one average room, by the national figures, 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, published as $250 to $500 or more.
| Room | National range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $150 to $400 |
| Primary bathroom | $250 to $650 |
| Kitchen walls | $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 |
These figures come from HomeGuide's room painting page. A room with walls only costs less than one where the ceiling, trim and doors are painted too.
How much does it cost to paint a 1,500 or 2,000 square foot house inside?
For a 1,500 square foot house the national range is $4,500 to $6,000, and for a 2,000 square foot house it is $6,000 to $8,000. Those figures are from HomeGuide's interior painting page and go by floor area.
| 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 |
HomeGuide's separate room painting page gives a lower range for the same houses: $1,300 to $4,400 for 1,500 square feet and $1,600 to $5,600 for 2,000 square feet. The two pages do not agree, which shows how much the scope of work changes the price.
How much does it cost to paint a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house?
A 3-bedroom house costs $1,200 to $8,500 to paint inside, by the national figures. HomeGuide does not publish a separate price for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house.
You can build a rough picture from the room figures. Two bedrooms at $350 to $850 each, one primary bedroom at $650 to $1,400, one bathroom at $150 to $400, one primary bathroom at $250 to $650, a living room at $600 to $2,000 and kitchen walls at $150 to $250 add up to $2,500 to $6,400. Hallways, ceilings, trim, doors and closets are on top of that. It 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, by the national figures, or $3 to $7 per square foot of floor space. Walls alone are $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot of wall.
Make sure you know which square foot a quote means. A 12 by 12 room has 144 square feet of floor but close to 400 square feet of wall. Painter labor is published at $20 to $50 per hour on HomeGuide's interior page, and labor is 70% to 85% of the total.
Do painters charge by the room or by the square foot?
Both. Small jobs are usually priced by the room, and whole houses are often priced by the square foot or by a detailed count of walls, ceilings, doors and trim. Either way, the painter is estimating the hours and the paint.
We give one written price for the job, with the rooms and surfaces listed. That is easier to compare than a rate.
Does it cost more to paint ceilings as well as walls?
Yes. Ceilings add $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot on top of the wall price, by the national figures. Painting a ceiling alone costs $1 to $2 per square foot of ceiling, or $150 to $300 in labor per ceiling.
Textured and popcorn ceilings are published at $1.00 to $3.50 per square foot because they soak up more paint and take longer. Many Modesto homes have textured ceilings, so ask for the ceiling price as its own line.
How much extra for trim, doors and baseboards?
Trim and baseboards cost $1 to $4 per linear foot to paint, by the national figures, or $25 to $200 per room. A whole house of trim is published at $500 to $2,000.
- Interior door: $75 to $150 each. Door and its trim together: $80 to $250.
- Interior window frame: $25 to $100 per window.
- Crown molding: $1 to $5 per linear foot.
- Baseboards in a bedroom: $40 to $160.
How much extra for high or vaulted ceilings and stairwells?
Ceilings higher than 10 feet raise the painting cost by 10% to 50% or more, by HomeGuide's figures. No dollar amount is published for vaulted ceilings, so we price them after a walkthrough.
Stairwells are published 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. The extra cost is ladders, planks and time. Many two story Modesto homes have a tall entry or a vaulted living room, and that one area can be a large share of the labor.
Does it cost more to go from a dark color to white?
Usually yes, because dark walls need more coats to cover. No price figure is published for it. HomeGuide says only that a light to dark or dark to light change may need extra coats, which adds paint and labor.
A coat of tinted primer over a dark color often saves a finish coat. We tell you how many coats we have allowed for in the quote.
How much more if the walls need a lot of prep?
A lot of prep can add noticeably to the price, because prep is labor. The national figure for sanding and patching is $1 to $3 per square foot of the area repaired. Adding wall texture is published at $0.80 to $2.00 per square foot.
In Modesto the usual prep items are nail pops, cracks at door and window corners, texture that has to be matched on a patch and stains from an old leak. We list repairs in the quote so they are not a surprise later.
Does the price include moving furniture and covering floors?
Covering floors and furniture is a normal part of a painting job and is in our quotes. Moving furniture is where painters differ. Nationally, moving furniture is published at $35 to $60 per hour when it is charged as an extra.
We move and cover furniture and protect the floors. We ask you to put away small and fragile items, clear closets that are being painted and take pictures off the walls. Ask any painter what they expect you to do before the first day.
Why are my painting quotes so far apart?
Quotes are far apart because the painters are not pricing the same job. One has allowed for two coats, primer on repairs, ceilings and trim. Another has priced one coat on the walls only.
- Number of coats and whether primer is included.
- Which surfaces: walls only, or ceilings, trim, doors and closets as well.
- How much repair and sanding is allowed for.
- The grade of paint.
- Whether the painter is licensed, insured and carries workers' compensation for employees.
Ask each painter to list those five things in writing. Then the prices can be compared.
How do I know if a painting quote is fair?
A painting quote is fair when it is written, specific and close to other quotes for the same scope. It should name the rooms and surfaces, the prep, the number of coats, the paint and the total price.
In California, also check the license. The Contractors State License Board asks consumers to get at least three bids and to verify the license number. A price far below the others usually means less prep, fewer coats or no insurance. See our page on choosing a painter.
A free walkthrough and a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (209) 231-7078.