There are a lot of factors that go into figuring out the cost to paint your house. The size of the painting, the length of time it will take, and what type of paint you choose all affect the total cost. To calculate how much it will cost to get your house painted, you’ll need to know these factors:
How Many Square Feet of Your House do You Want to Paint?
Most people can’t afford to paint their entire house, but the square feet you have, the higher your cost. It is a good idea to figure out what area of your house needs painting and how much you want it painted before considering a price.
For example, if you only need one room painted and want three coats of paint for that room, that would be pretty different from needing all four rooms in your home painted with two coats each.
This is because the labor costs will differ and any additional supplies needed, such as primer or sealant, based on whether you include these items in the total cost. Most professionals charge an average of $30 per hour for interior work, including time spent on multiple coats and cleanup.
How Much Paint Do You Need?
You can determine the amount of paint needed by measuring the room. A common mistake people make when calculating how much primer or paint they need for their project is not calculating enough. It’s essential to measure each section’s width and height to determine how many gallons it will require.
This helps prevent taping off more than necessary, which can make your job take longer than expected. It can also add unnecessary costs to your final bill, since you will require more materials if it did not do your calculations initially.
Once you’ve measured out the square footage of your room, multiply that number by 1% (or 0.01) to determine the number of gallons needed for one coat. Then multiply that by 2% (or 0.02) for two coats, and so on if necessary.
How Long Will It Take?
It’s essential to know how long your project will take, primarily if you work with professionals who can work more quickly than expected. Some projects may only require 1-2 coats, while others could require 4 or 5 depending on the type of paint used, what kind of surface is being painted, and so forth.
For example, dark colors tend to need at least three coats because they absorb more light which means they end up darker after drying over lighter colors, which only need two coats.
It’s also important to know that priming walls are often required to achieve the best results when painting over them. This is another factor that can make your project take longer than expected if you haven’t considered it before, looking at costs of labor and supplies.
What Type of Paint Do You Want?
One thing to keep in mind with choosing the most affordable option is what type of paint you’re using.
Types of Paints
There are three types:
- Oil-based (also called alkyd)
- Latex (water-based)
- Epoxy (two-part)
Oil-based paints tend to be thicker and more durable, but they also emit more fumes, require good ventilation during application and can take days to dry.
Latex paints are usually what most residential paint jobs are done with—they’re the least expensive, the easiest to apply and dry quickly.
Epoxy is a more durable option, but it can also be more challenging to work with when applying because it’s thicker than other types of paints. It also requires two coats, while latex only needs one coat. However, you may find that epoxy costs less than latex per gallon due to its creation process.
If you need help figuring out how many gallons to buy for your job or want a quote, we can help! You can call our customer service number at 831-269-2837, and someone from our staff will be more than happy to assist you.