Quick answer
It costs $3,000–$6,500 to paint the interior walls of a 1,500 sq ft house in 2026, or $4,500–$10,500 for the full package including ceilings, trim, and doors. National average lands around $4,800 for walls only and $7,500 for the full interior. That works out to $2–$4/sqft of floor area for walls, $3–$7/sqft for the full package.
Below-$2/sqft quotes on a 1,500 sqft house ($3,000 total) are red flags for skipped prep, one-coat coverage, or an unlicensed painter cutting corners. Above $10,500 for the full interior usually means high-detail work, premium paint, or a high-cost metro (SF, NYC, LA, Boston).
What's in a 1,500 sq ft house
A 1,500 sq ft home typically has:
- 3 bedrooms (one master, two secondary)
- 2 bathrooms
- Living room + dining room (often combined in newer builds)
- Kitchen
- Hallway + entryway
- Roughly 4,500–5,500 sqft of paintable wall surface (walls are typically 3× the floor area for an 8-9 ft ceiling home)
- Roughly 1,500 sqft of paintable ceiling area
- Roughly 500–800 linear ft of trim + baseboard
Room-by-room breakdown (walls only)
| Room | Cost range |
|---|---|
| Master bedroom (12×14) | $450–$1,000 |
| Secondary bedroom × 2 (12×12 each) | $600–$1,400 |
| Bathroom × 2 | $500–$1,200 |
| Living room + dining | $700–$1,600 |
| Kitchen (walls only) | $450–$1,000 |
| Hallway + entryway | $300–$800 |
| Total (walls only) | $3,000–$7,000 |
Full package (walls + ceilings + trim + doors)
Add roughly 50–75% on top of the walls-only price:
- Ceilings (1,500 sqft): add $1,000–$2,500
- Trim + baseboards (500–800 linear ft): add $500–$2,400
- Interior doors (12–16 doors, both sides): add $400–$1,200
Full-package total: $4,500–$10,500 for a 1,500 sq ft home in 2026.
What's actually in the labor bill
On a $7,500 full-interior project at the national midpoint, the breakdown is roughly:
- Labor: ~68% ($5,100). A 2-painter crew takes 4–6 days on a 1,500 sqft house — prep, tape, prime, cut, roll, cleanup. Prep alone is a full day if the walls need patching.
- Paint + primer: ~15% ($1,125). Roughly 13–16 gallons of mid-grade paint at $45–$70/gal.
- Other materials: ~5% ($375). Tape, drop cloths, brushes, rollers, patching compound.
- Overhead + profit: ~12% ($900). Truck, insurance, tools, and margin.
How we know: BLS cross-check
According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS 2025 data, the national median wage for a painter is $23.75/hr. A production painter covers 100–150 sqft of wall area per hour. A 1,500 sqft house has ~5,000 sqft of wall surface (2 coats = 10,000 sqft of coverage), which takes 65–100 hours of a single painter's time — or 4–6 days for a 2-painter crew. At $52–$71/hr fully-loaded labor cost (median wage × 2.2–3.0), that's $3,400–$7,100 in labor — matching the midpoint of the range every major cost publisher (HomeGuide, Angi, Homewyse, TaskRabbit) cites for a 1,500 sqft interior repaint.
Factors that push the 1,500 sqft price UP
- Heavy prep work. Peeling paint, water damage, plaster repair — add $500–$2,500.
- High ceilings. 12– or 14-foot ceilings need scaffolding — add 20–40% to affected rooms.
- Cabinet painting. A kitchen with cabinets to paint: $1,500–$8,000 on top of the interior wall job.
- Wallpaper removal. $1–$3/sqft on top — easily $1,500–$4,500 on a 1,500 sqft home.
- Premium paint (Benjamin Moore Aura, Sherwin-Williams Emerald). Add $300–$700 to the paint line.
- Location. SF Bay Area, NYC, LA, Boston can add 30–50%.
How to save $500–$1,500 on a 1,500 sqft repaint
- DIY the prep. Patching, sanding, and taping is 40% of the labor. Doing it yourself and hiring a painter for the rolling can save $1,500–$3,000.
- Do walls only. Skipping ceilings and trim saves $1,500–$4,000 on a 1,500 sqft home.
- Get 2–3 written quotes. On a $5,000–$10,000 project, the spread between quotes is often 30–50%.
- Schedule in shoulder season (late fall or early spring). Painters discount 10–20% during their slow months.
- Skip premium paint on low-traffic rooms. Save the $60/gal paint for kitchens and bathrooms; use $30–$45/gal in bedrooms.
FAQ
How long does it take to paint the interior of a 1,500 sqft house?
A 2-painter crew takes 4–6 days for a full interior repaint of a 1,500 sqft home — 1 day prep, 2–3 days rolling and cutting, 1 day trim and touch-up. A single DIY painter takes 40–80 hours (1–2 weekends of full days plus evenings).
Should I paint the ceilings when I paint the walls?
If it's been more than 8–10 years, yes — the marginal cost is small ($1,000–$2,500) and the labor overlap makes it much cheaper than doing it separately later. If the ceilings are recently painted or in a light color already, walls-only is fine.
How many gallons of paint for a 1,500 sqft house interior?
13–16 gallons of wall paint (2 coats, ~350 sqft coverage per gallon per coat) plus 4–5 gallons of ceiling paint if doing ceilings. Add 1–2 gallons of primer for any patched or stained areas. Buy 10% more than calculated — running out mid-job costs a trip and possible dye-lot mismatch.
Is it cheaper to paint the whole house at once or one room at a time?
Whole-house is 25–40% cheaper per sqft than one-room-at-a-time. Painters set up once, buy paint in bulk, and finish faster — all savings that pass through. If budget is the constraint, ask for a bundled quote for all 5–6 primary rooms rather than spreading over 6 separate visits.
What paint sheen should I use where?
Flat/matte for ceilings and low-traffic bedrooms (hides imperfections). Eggshell for most walls (subtle sheen, still washable). Satin or semi-gloss for kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, kids' rooms (durable, wipeable). Semi-gloss or gloss for trim, doors, cabinets (protects from wear).
Related
Other sizes: 1,000 sq ft, 1,200 sq ft, 2,000 sq ft, 3,000 sq ft. Full breakdown: interior painting cost per square foot. Exterior: cost to paint the exterior and exterior painting cost per square foot. Cabinets: cost to paint kitchen cabinets. See what painters earn on our painter rates pages (all 51 states).
Updated August 2026. Sources: BLS OEWS 2025 (472141 Painters), Angi, HomeGuide, Homewyse, TaskRabbit, Houzz.