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| | | Fresh paint can take a room from looking dreary and out-of-date to a sense of sparkling newness for a relatively low price compared to other remodeling projects. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Interior paint itself costs anywhere from $12-$50 or more a gallon, depending on the quality. Painting a 12x12-foot room, both walls and ceiling, can require $25-$100 worth of paint, plus $10-$50 for primer, brushes, rollers, drop clothes and other supplies. For a 1,500-square-foot home, supplies run $200-$300 for average paint, and $400-$600 for higher quality.
- Expect to pay $200-$400 to have a 12x12-foot room painted by a licensed contractor with brand-name paints; a 15x20-foot room or larger runs $300-$700 or more; and a 1,200-1,500 square foot home is $1,100-$2,000 or more. Having the ceiling painted bumps the cost to the high end of the scale.
What should be included: | |
Additional costs: | - Cheap paint roller covers leave fuzz on the wall while inexpensive brushes leave streaky marks; pay a few extra cents or dollars to get better results.
- It takes more coats of paint and costs more to cover a dark color with a light one, or vice versa.
- Removing heavy furniture is often not included in painters' estimates; if you can't do it yourself or hire someone, ask if there will be an extra charge.
- Having to paint crown molding, baseboards, wainscoting or other detailed can add to a contractor's estimated price, as can walls taller than the average of 8 feet. The exact extra expense will varies depending on the amount of extra labor required.
Discounts: | - If a painter is setting up to do a single room in a home, additional rooms may cost less than the first--it's possible to save money overall by painting everything at once.
- Painters' quotes can be lower in winter, early spring or late fall--the off-season--than in peak summer months when there's lot of work available. Ask if there's a discount if the project is done on a fill-in basis, in-between other projects.
Shopping for painting an interior: | |
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Article updated May 2007 |
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Recent Posts |
| Amount: $250.00 |
Finally got bathroom painted
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| Posted by: First Time Homeowner in Santa Clara, CA. | Purchased: September, 2005 |
| Number of Rooms: 1 | Painter: small firm, 1 guy |
| My wife and I hadn't gotten to painting our bathroom for over a year, and we had hired a guy to paint our exterior, so we asked him how much he'd charge to finish our bathroom and he quoted $250. I think the price was a little high considering he was already here and it's just a bathroom, but he'd be setting up to paint (inside) for just room, so we hired him. He did a great job. I have to admit, our one professionally painted room looks much better than the rooms we painted ourselves. We definitely wanted a name-brand paint, and he used Kelly-Moore. |
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| Amount: $1,650.00 |
interior painting
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| Posted by: Prepping house for sale in Sonoma, CA. | Purchased: November, 2007 |
| Number of Rooms: 6 | Painter: local guy |
| It was very helpful having your information before we started looking for a painter. We were quoted drastically different prices - your article gave us ideas of what to question, to find out what each painter really included in their quote. Thanks a lot. |
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| Amount: $400.00 |
I was trained as a painter by my father who was a painter his entire life from age 15 til he was 78
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| Posted by: Thumper in cleveland, OH. | Purchased: 2007 |
| Number of Rooms: 1 bathroom | Painter: me |
| The ave cost to paint a bathroom always depends on several factors, size, condition of the room type of paint. For a small bathroom 10 x 10 including the ceiling will cost about $100.00 in paint, and another 300 to 400 for labor. |
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| Amount: $400.00 |
Amount 400.00
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| Posted by: Mikey1111 in Forest Park, GA. | Purchased: 2007 |
| Number of Rooms: 1 | Painter: Local painter |
| He did a great job, he had to remove the popcorn ceiling (we hated it and wanted it gone) so the price jumped by 200.00, not bad, since it took him a long time to scrape and to filler it back to normal. |
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| Amount: $1,250.00 |
Seemed a bit expensive to me at the time
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| Posted by: AnotherBob in Vancouver, WA. | Purchased: March, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 4 | Painter: Local |
| Bathroom, kitchen, living room, bedroom. Including ceilings. Primed and painted. |
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| Amount: $12,000.00 |
interior home
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| Posted by: Tom & Ellen in Lancaster, PA. | Purchased: April, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 12 | Painter: Bill Torres Painting |
Bill Torres Painting painted our Home
about 12 rooms walls,ceilings,trim 2 coats
he used Behr Premium we choose a Eggshell
Finish walls Flat Enamel ceilings Semi-Gloss
on trim Bill did a thorogh prep job very neat
and clean easy to work with |
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| Amount: $19,000.00 |
Interior Painting
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| Posted by: Johnathan in Oconomowoc, WI. | Purchased: February, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 9 | Painter: Dan Fulwiler |
| Dan Painted faux finishes in every room of my house. He included several trompe l'oeil effects and a mural, too! I could not be more delighted with Dan's proffessionalism and the perfection of his work. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
Watch out for the cheap guys
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| Posted by: Nick LoGrasso in St. Charles, MO. | Purchased: 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 0 | Painter: SNL Painting, Inc. |
| I am a smaller painting contractor just outside of St. Louis, MO. My price usually falls in the higher end of the spectrum, but we run our business like a business, not like a hobby or out of a truck. Our painters are background checked, trained on a regular basis, and are "normal, happy people". Our customers always say it was worth the extra money. Check out our website at www.snlpainting.com, and don't think just because the price is higher that it's not worth it. |
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| Amount: $8,875.00 |
Interior Painting
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| Posted by: Richard & Angella in Wayne, PA. | Purchased: May, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 6 Rooms | Painter: Bill Torres Painting |
We Had Bill and his Men do some work at our home
what a great guy to work with very professional and respectful of our home He and his men went out of there way to make this a wonderful experience.very neat and clean & on time will definitely have him back to do more work |
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| Amount: $1,300.00 |
interior paint bid
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| Posted by: dreyer in phoenix, AZ. | Purchased: December, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 5 | Painter: mike |
| new 1300 sq ft home empty home they wanted walls, celing and trim 1 color. I bid $1180 for the job and the owner thought it was way too much. Just wondering if it was a fair bid. and it was a spray. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
It is worth the extra money to get it done right.
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| Posted by: Rich in Clayton, NC. | Purchased: 2008 |
| am a smaller painting contractor just outside of Raleigh, NC. If your painting a home you own, they do it right, get it done by a professional, especially one with references. I have many and they keep coming back. It is all about the prep, I spend more time prepping than painting, but speed is not important. Do it right, it will last and look great! Pay a little more, it is worth it. Our customers always say it was worth the extra money because of the quality. . |
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| Amount: $5,500.00 |
Interior painting + plaster repair
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| Posted by: a user in Albany, CA. | Purchased: January, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 6 | Painter: |
Complex interior paint job for 900 sq. ft. house. Each room had a different color, with same trim and ceiling color throughout. A couple rooms required extensive plaster "floating" due to old lathe/plaster crumbling.
Caveat emptor: have the painter put everything in writing ahead of time. Things we forgot to put in writing included the time of day the painters would leave, the number of days the job would take, and the cleanliness of the house at the end of each day. |
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| Amount: $1,000.00 |
pricing
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| Posted by: Fred Murtha in Cheshire, CT. | Purchased: January, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 1 | Painter: Daniel Painting |
The prices you give for painting a room are ridiculous! $200..$400..per room...Is there furniture to cover? Walls or ceilings need patching? Wallpaper to strip?
Stained trim needs 1 coat primer and 2 finish coats...Deep base colors need multiple coats...Popcorn ceilings have to be painted with oil and sometimes need 2 coats...You are misleading people. |
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| Amount: $1,700.00 |
Professionally painted interior
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| Posted by: Eileen in Racine, WI. | Purchased: March, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 4 | Painter: Fletcher's Fine Finishes |
| We had Brian paint our master bedroom, master bathroom, kitchen, and Dining Room. We used 4 different colors including a faux painted border in our dining room. We were extremely impressed with the neatness of the work and the professionalism of the painters. The price was in the middle of three bids we had for the work. One guy quoted $700.00 and left an estimate hand written on notebook paper. Another quote came in at $1950.00. We are having Fletcher's Fine Finishes come back this spring to paint our exterior. |
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| Amount: $2,800.00 |
Full interior
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| Posted by: AR in Richmond, VA. | Purchased: March, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 17 | Painter: Ray Earp |
| We were painting walls only with no trim work with the exception of a tray ceiling and a bathroom ceiling. |
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| Amount: $1,700.00 |
Entire Home 2300 SF
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| Posted by: bob the painter in Appleton, WI. | Purchased: 2009 |
| There is no reason to spend $5K, $10K, $20K to paint a home. Figure it out. How many weeks does it take to paint a room or two, or even a whole house. If a guy quotes you $5K+ for a solid week's work--about the time it takes to paint an entire interior of a house, he's making $250K a year painting. Seems a bit high to me for labor. Keep in mind he's probably paying the helpers 10 or 15 bucks an hour. The paint itself is just not that expensive. |
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| Amount: $900.00 |
Great Paint Job
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| Posted by: Mr.s Williams in weymouth, MA. | Purchased: August, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 4 | Painter: Inside -out Painting |
| I had 4 rooms 3 bedrooms 10x10 and a small bathroom 8x4 not much prep work needed and they did the windows as part of the job i was very happy with the results and the price was not bad they cleaned up after themselves and were very nice i would give them jobs again |
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| Amount: $13,000.00 |
Good painting job!!
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| Posted by: Mrs. Smith in Perry Hall, MD. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 5 | Painter: Valencia Painters |
| My husband and I bought a new home in Md. Beautiful, we start to look for colors and magazines to get an idea for interior painting and do it ourselves, we did the first room and looked terrible, I mean, the color is pretty, but the color is not even, after so many coats we get so tired and frustrated. We decided to call a local painter contractor, we saw Valencia Painters signs here in Perry Hall, Md. They make me an estimate for $13,000.00 to paint all interiors, we thought it was expensive, but after we saw the results, the price really worth it. |
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| Amount: $1,400.00 |
labor rate
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| Posted by: AL HANEY in bakersfield, CA. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 7 room | Painter: business |
I do lot of painting interior job run 200.00 per room on white color only. If there is baseboard and ceiling for white only and wall colors are 300 per room
I have seen many business charge fair labor cost. best service good qulify job always start at 300 per room. Cheap labor cost always hit and run.
I am local in city that where many jobs are need of paint job. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
trim painting
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| Posted by: Hutch in choctaw, OK. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 8 | Painter: Hutch |
| I am charging 800.00 to paint the base and crown in 8 rooms, some are small, some are larger, I am including the doors and cabinets. |
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| Amount: $1,500.00 |
Interior Paint- Whole house
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| Posted by: TD Castro in The Colony, TX. | Purchased: June, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 8 | Painter: local painter |
| JUST MOVED INTO A 2027 SQFT HOUSE, PAINTING MOST ROOMS, 4 COLORS. (AND THE FINSHING THE GARAGE OFF IN WHITE). I HAVE THE PAINTERS THAT THE BUILDER USED FOR THE BUILDER BEIGE. |
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| Posted by: a user in somewhere, GA. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 0 | Painter: - |
| the price of a paint job should not increase because multiple colors unless you are A having accent walls painted or B multiple coats for a red or a color that requires alot of tint for the base that does not cover with 3 coats. patching walls, caulking, wall paper removal should be included at a seperate rate in the pricing on top of what it cost to do an adaquat job. To the poster above, for a new interior, $1150 is too cheep for a 1300 sq ft house, even for AZ. someone has to set a standard. Be Honest, what is your time worth if you do what you are soposed to with your job and the gov. there are alot of aleins painting, as well as other trades that work cheeper rates. That is why the people that are trying to make a living cant make what they need because of people doing jobs for $5.50 per hour. they dont make that where they are from and dont care what it is doing to the people that actualy pay taxes and have insurance to do these type of projects. did you know that painters liability insurance is the 3 highest in the residential trades? bet you didnt |
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| Amount: $8,875.00 |
Painting
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| Posted by: Richard in Harrisburg, PA. | Purchased: March, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 8 | Painter: Bill Torres Painting |
| Wow! Wished we Had Bill And his Team in the 1st place We had 3 quotes went with the lower Est.What a mistake that was the 2nd bidder not much better. We called Bill Torres after telling him we went with a lower bid he never said a word about it,never adjusted his quote went in and fixed the other two painters work and completed our project. We had bill And his team paint 8 Rooms W/C/Trim and some walls were Faux Finished.We learned from this experience price isnt everything |
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| Amount: $900.00 |
painter's name
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| Posted by: Ellen in weymouth, MA. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 4 | Painter: ?? inside out |
| There is no listing for "Inside Out Painting" in Weymouth or any area on South Shore. Can Mrs. Williams provide the name of the company that did her painting? Thanks |
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| Amount: $700.00 |
professional painters
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| Posted by: george from los angeles in los angeles, CA. | Purchased: July, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 3 | Painter: john 8185996740 |
| very professional and fast at a reasonable price... |
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| Amount: $1,800.00 |
Whole Interior
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| Posted by: Carl in Downers Grove, IL. | Purchased: July, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 7 | Painter: Local Painter |
| We had our rental property patched and painted. Turns out we needed the whole house painted instead of the 3 rooms I expected. He said there was more patching needed since I had to have the house jacked up a couple inches. I never got a bid since I had to have it done the same day because oak floors were being installed. The bill came to $2200 and I was floored. I paid him $1500, then another $300 to finish the baseboard after the floors. They did do the ceilings in all but 2 bedrooms. They didn't do the door or window casings. He complained but finally accepted the $1800 for the whole job. Was I wrong or was he trying to get more money out of me? I think $1800 is more fair than $2200. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
Painting Contracts
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| Posted by: Bob Allen in Somerset, NJ. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 0 | Painter: Bob Allen Custom Interiors |
I am a contractor now for 20+ years. The wide variations in pricing tells me two things. 1. there may be more information not given that would justify rates. 2. some people (or contractors) here got ripped off.
So many variables go into pricing that I've been using "RSMeans Repair & Remodeling Cost Data" manual so I can be uniform and close to the natioanl average for industry professionals. I can also show the customer that there aren't different prices for the "rich & poor".
I can verify my ability and customer satisfaction with testimonials form ALL my clients. Potential customers should always ask for referrals and at least see in pictures, if not in person, jobs the contractor has done. Phone calls to former clients will also help.
$13,000 for 5 rooms? $8,875 for 8 rooms? Was the paint $100 per gallon? Did these guys use Egyptian brushes? I faux paint as well and the cost for that type of work is higher, granted, but Da Vinci would never get that type of money if he painted your rooms.
Yes, buyer beware! Even the highest quality work doesn't demand a 100, 200 or even 300% increase in cost. |
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| Amount: $2,286.00 |
painting interior
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| Posted by: sky in spring valley, WI. | Purchased: August, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 5 | Painter: local painter |
| I paid 336.00 for paint and a total of 1950.00 for the labor and did not get charged for to supplies had 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, kitchen,2 hallways, a single wall also all the ceiling got sparyed. Is this a good price or was it to much?? |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
tj & jt interior painting
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| Posted by: thomas yingling in killeen, TX. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: - | Painter: SELF |
| I have a small painting business and on the subject of prices per room i personaly charge by the size vs. the amount of masking (tapping covering ect.) usualy running from $200.00 and down. for example; the bathroom cost the same for me to paint because there is more masking involved and takes more time, though it is a relitively small room. One must take into considaration the time and matarials that go into each individual room. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
Popcorn Ceiling Painting
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| Posted by: Dave the Painter in Birmingham, AL. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: Lots | Painter: Me |
| Popcorn/Textured ceiling don't have to be painted with oil. I have painted hundreds of them with latex they are difficult to roll its better to spray with an airless. When rolling the stuff may start to turn loose especially if it was not painted when the dwelling was first built. |
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| Amount: $5,500.00 |
Good Experience
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| Posted by: MC in Lawrenceville, GA. | Purchased: July, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 12 | Painter: Jerry |
We had the whole house painted, including several fixes to dry wall, different color paints in different rooms, change of color, wall paper removal in one room, etc.
Great contractor...he is dong more work for us now. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
All things considered in Painting...
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| Posted by: Domenick in Cape Coral, FL. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: | Painter: Color Finishes LLC. |
| I agree with "a user somewhere in Ga." I am a professional painter self employed 15yrs. I can honestly say that you get what you pay for! Despite the current economy, there are two elements that are causing or contributing to the wide range in price, #1 the above mentioned "Aliens" who are not paying taxes..., #2 the unlicensed/uninsured painter ridding under the radar that are virtually just giving the work away in regards to cutthroat price, and are nowhere to be found when their substandard efforts fail. There is a difference in a quality job done well, and it's worth the little extra cost to have lasting results and peace of mind knowing it was done right the first time. |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
Painting estimate
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| Posted by: Ralphie in Charlotte, NC. | Purchased: October, 2009 |
| A painter quoted me $7000 to paint the interior of a 1500 sq ft 3 BR 2 BA home, including a vaulted living room popcorn ceiling (no other ceiling work), and about a dozen kitchen cabinets which would have to be sanded, primed, and coated with 2 coats of oil paint. The price is for one coat on the walls, and two coats on all the trim. Cost of paint is included in the bid. Any comments? |
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| Amount: $0.00 |
Ralphie in Charlotte
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| Posted by: Ferguson Property Services in lake lure, NC. | Purchased: 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 1500 sq ft | Painter: ? |
| I own a small contracting business in Lake Lure, NC. You need to have the contactor break down the cost between the painting of the home and the cabinets. Next inquire if the cabinets are going to be removed or done in place. Depending on the needed prep of the home you shouldn't be paying more than $2300.00(high end) for the home. There is a lot of variables with the cabinets, are you changing from stain to paint?, is the wood damaged?, how many cabinets are there? I would suggest asking how many hours they are expecting to expend on the cabinets. You should expect to pay aprox. $40.00 per hour for proper refurbishing of the cabinets. Good luck |
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| Amount: $2,500.00 |
pricing
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| Posted by: johnford in soo, MI. | Purchased: February, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 9 | Painter: me |
| Sprayed all ceilings twice in one day used 10 gallons on ceilings(graco airless/air assist). primed out whole house with sprayer(quick just to kill old colors)used 5 gallons. 5 closets all sprayed. 9 doors semi-gloss white 2 coats. all trim/casing semi-gloss white, 2 coats whole house. caulked all trim whole house, patchwork on walls. brick fireplace re-done. 3 bedrooms, bathroom, hallway, living room, dining room, entrance way/down to basement. Different colors in all rooms except the living room/hallway. Completed within 5 days. Looks like a completely different/much nicer home now. |
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| Amount: $1,100.00 |
Painting
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| Posted by: JBrad in Fort Wayne, IN. | Purchased: October, 2008 |
| Number of Rooms: 2 | Painter: |
| We had our large kitchen and the wood siding on the front of our home painted last fall. The price was $1,200 and the painter did an excellent job. |
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| Posted by: Missy in Little Rock, AR. | Purchased: November, 2009 |
| Number of Rooms: 0 | Painter: Little Rock Arkansas |
| Hiring Painters who do not pay taxes or insurance should be a crime. What will happen if one is injured at your home??? Hope you purchase your own liability and work comp. Know someone this happened to the painter died on job. An 8,000 square foot home will cost around 60,000.00 Interior and Exterior highly quality Benjamin Moore Paint. This is with only kitchen cabinets painted. The rest are prefinished. This a professional quote. |
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Post About Your Experience With Painting an Interior |
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