How much do you pay for painting?

Question

In NC, what's the typical sq. ft. price you pay for painting int. and ext.?  I have a 1 story 1600 sf house outside of Charlotte that needs to be totally repainted inside and out.  Half of the exterior is brick, which doesn't need painting.  I've got a quote for $8000, does that sound reasonable?  Thanks!

Christopher K. · Answer

@Jill Rossi - don't sweat it. That's why communities like this exist. You did your proper diligence by asking more experienced people about a price you weren't sure about and you shopped around and got multiple bids until you found one within reason. We were all noobs once, no need to feel like anything other than an investor working their business.

Jill Rossi · Answer

Thanks for the very sensible advice everybody, I got on thumbtack and got a couple more quotes.  They were all literally HALF what the first guy wanted.  I feel like such a nubie.  Glad you guys were there to steer me in the right direction.  Thanks!

Christopher K. · Answer

@Jill Rossi $8k is pretty high. I pay $2/sq ft for interior paint (walls, trim and ceiling) but this is for a 3 color scheme (walls are one color, trim is another, ceiling is another). I pay less if it's 2 tone. $2/ft is pretty much at the top of the market for the 'going rate' in this area, but paint is one of those items that I intentionally pay a little more for in order to have it done right and done quickly. I'm also flipping and usually in the $250k-$500k range on my retail (ARV) prices, so it's worth it for me to have a higher skilled, more experienced guy.

Exterior paint can vary some, as @Shaun Palmer pointed out. But I generally pay about $1.50/sq ft for the exterior. Especially if it's only 1 story. And you said you aren't even painting half of the exterior?

$4k - $6k total for both the exterior and interior is the range you should be in IMO for a 1,600sf 1 story, without any considerable extenuating factors. And this would be if you were painting all of the exterior. If you're only painting half of the siding, I'd knock another $1k or so off (so, $3k - $5k).

Bob Okenwa · Answer

@Jill Rossi

All markets are different, but that is a very high price. It should probably be around half that price if not less. Keep getting bids to get a better idea of what you should be paying.

Shaun Palmer · Answer

@Jill Rossi

$1.80/sf interior is a good price Walls, Trim, and Ceiling).  This would be 2 coats of paint.  The exterior is more difficult to determine based upon what it looks like.

Brian Corbett · Answer

It is high for Eastern NC as well.  Although, there could be more to the story such as removing wallpaper, repair sheetrock or plaster walls, etc.  Does it include trims and cabinetry? Are you changing colors?

All of these can factor into a painters estimate.  I would definitely get 3 bids from reputable painters just to keep everyone honest.

James Masotti · Answer

That's high for my market as well, but RTP is a hot market right now so it's possible that there's plenty of work to go around so contractors are able to jack the prices up.

How much do you pay for painting?

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