Interior Paint Charges and Costs

-Occasionally, a homeowner will ask me what the charge is for an interior paint job. The answer, like so many things in the home remodeling business is, "it depends". Here are some factors to consider:

-First, paint and painting contractors are not fungible. They are not a commodity. In other words, the quality varies widely. How? A sloppy painter will get paint on your hinges and your hardware. An unexperienced painter won't know how to deal with rotted wood that needs repair. A careless painter will not show up on time or will delay your job or get the colors wrong.

-So, interior paint charges and costs reflect the quality of the painter and the paint used. My recommendation would be to get at least three quotes from painting contractors that have been referred to you by friends. Then, don't automatically go with the lowest. Consider how much headache you're willing to tolerate.

-Other issues that are reflected in interior paint charges and costs include whether or not the painter will pick up the paint for you from the paint store. Will the painter get more paint if you run out or will you have to do it? How well will the painter clean up after himself? I find that usually, but not always, you get what you pay for when it comes to interior paint charges and costs.

-Interior paint charges and costs will be higher for painting contractors who have a large and regular crew of painters. Also, the interior paint charges and costs will be higher if there is a lot of "prep" work to be done: filling holes and cracks with caulk, sanding down rough spots, etc. See my section on "Finding Contractors" for tips on locating good paint contractors whose true ability will be accurately reflected in their interior paint charges and costs.

-Remember, when it comes to costs and charges for interior paint, you may overpay for mediocre painting, but you will almost never underpay for high quality painting.

Common misspellings: interor paint, interior pant, interior piant, intereor painting