What should I charge for painting work?

Painting is quoted per room, per square foot, or per job — but it is funded by hours, paint, ladders, sprayers, and the prep nobody sees. Price the work from the total hours and materials plus a markup for overhead and profit, then present it as the per-room or per-square-foot price you quote.

Price a job the way contractors actually do it: add up what the job costs you, then add a markup for your overhead and profit. Fill in your numbers — your bid updates as you type.

What this job costs you

Materials & supplies ($) — your cost for everything you'll buy for this job

Other direct costs ($) — fuel, equipment rental, disposal fees, permits

Your labor

Not sure what to charge for your time? Employed painters earn a median of about $23.75/hr (BLS OEWS, May 2025). A self-employed labor rate is typically higher — roughly $35–$50/hr (about 1.5–2×) — because it also has to cover self-employment tax, the benefits an employer would otherwise pay, and the hours that cannot be billed.

Hours this job will take

Your hourly labor rate ($) — what your time is worth per hour; e.g. $35–$50

Hired help ($) — paid to a helper or subcontractor; leave blank if solo

Your markup — overhead & profit

This is where your business actually makes money. Industry standard is roughly 20–30% overall for contractors; solo operators often need the higher end to cover insurance, tools, truck, admin time, and slow weeks. Adjust to fit your business.

Markup on your costs (%)

Materials & supplies	$0
Your labor (0 hrs × $0)	$0
Hired help	$0
Other direct costs	$0
Your costs (subtotal)	$0
Markup (30% — overhead & profit)	$0
Bid price	$0

Pricing method and standard percentages from contractor-industry sources (Angi, Buildern, NAHB): overall contractor markup 20–30%, materials markup 7.5–35%, labor markup 25–50%, recommended profit margin 15–25%. A markup is a percentage of your costs; the resulting margin (share of the bid that's profit) is lower — both are shown above. These are general benchmarks, not a guarantee for your market.

What your markup has to cover

The markup in your bid covers the costs no single job shows. For painting work, your overhead typically includes paint and primer, brushes, rollers, and sprayer upkeep, drop cloths and tape, ladders and scaffolding, the truck and fuel, liability insurance, and dump fees for old paint. None of that appears on one job, but all of it is paid out of the markup added to every job. Published contractor guidance (Angi, NAHB) puts a typical overall markup at 20–30%.

Be realistic about your hours

Prep — taping, patching, sanding, priming — is often half the job and entirely invisible in the finished wall. A "one-day" room can be two days with prep and second coats. Quote off total hours including prep, not just the time with a brush in hand.

Painter pricing FAQs

Should I price painting per hour, per square foot, or per room?

Flat-rate (per room or per job) is usually best, because customers want a firm number and you keep the gains from your own speed. Use your hourly labor rate internally: estimate total hours including prep, multiply, add paint and supplies with markup, and present one price.

How much paint and material markup is normal?

Marking up paint and supplies 20–40% over your cost is standard — it covers the pickup, color matching, and leftover product. Buying contractor-grade paint below retail and charging near retail is a legitimate part of the margin.

Why is prep work so important to my price?

Prep determines how the finish looks and how long it lasts, and it is the most time-consuming part of most jobs. Because prep hours are billable labor like any other, a bid that does not count them separately understates the job.