No online number can price your repaint, because two houses with the same square footage can need very different amounts of work. A painter's price comes from a short list of things you can see and measure. Once you know them, you can read any quote and tell whether it covers the job you want. After that, the real number comes from a painter who has seen your rooms. That quote should be free.
This guide covers what goes into the price and how to get quotes you can compare.
What the paint itself adds up to
Start with the materials, since they are easy to measure. Take a 10' × 12' bedroom with 8' ceilings. The four walls come to about 350 sq ft (about 33 m²), before you subtract the door and window. Paint makers recommend at least two coats for full hide and colour, so you are covering about 700 sq ft (about 65 m²). Paint makers' data sheets list coverage of about 350–450 sq ft per gallon (about 33–42 m² per 3.79 L can). So the walls take about two cans.
The rest of a quote pays for the hours to prepare and paint the room well. That is why the things below move the price more than the paint does.
What drives the price
1. What gets painted. Walls, ceilings, trim, baseboards, doors and closets are often priced as separate items. "Paint the living room" can mean just the walls, or it can mean every surface. Decide which you want before you ask for quotes.
2. The condition of the surfaces. Paint makers say clean, sound walls are critical to a good result. Nail holes, cracks, patched drywall, water marks and peeling paint all add prep time before the first coat. Stains and bare patches may also need primer.
3. How big the colour change is. Repainting a colour close to the current one is the simplest job. Going from a deep colour to a light one, or the other way, is harder. Paint makers list dramatic colour changes as a reason to prime, or they suggest a high-hide primer. Some paints are sold as self-priming. Either way, a big colour change can add a coat or a primer step.
4. Height and access. Stairwells, two-storey foyers, vaulted ceilings and tight spaces take more time and equipment than a standard 8' room.
5. How many colours. One colour throughout is faster than a feature wall in each room, a different ceiling colour, or two-tone trim. Custom murals and sophisticated finishes are a separate kind of work, and they are priced that way.
6. Product line and sheen. Premium lines cost more per can but may hide better. The sheen also matters: flat, matte, eggshell, satin or semi-gloss. Higher sheens handle washing and humidity better, but they show flaws in the wall more.
7. How full the rooms are. Furniture, wall hangings and electronics have to be moved and covered. An occupied home takes more setup and cleanup than an empty one.
How to get quotes you can compare
Different quotes are only comparable if they price the same scope. Before anyone comes over, write down:
- Which rooms, and which surfaces in each: walls, ceiling, trim, doors
- How many colours, and whether any are big changes from the current ones
- Any repairs you know about, such as cracks, water marks or old patches
- Who moves the furniture and takes down the art
- The product line and sheen, or ask the painter to state what they plan to use
For the questions to ask each painter, use the checklist in Checking a house painter before you hire.
If one quote is much lower than the rest, compare it line by line. Most of the time, a big gap means a surface, a coat or a prep step is missing from the cheaper quote.
When you may not need a painter
A single room in good shape, in a colour close to the current one, is often a fair weekend project. To weigh it up for your home, see Hiring a painter or painting it yourself.
Getting a real number for your home
Natik Painting is a family-owned residential painter established in 1978, led today by Tony and Natalie, serving Mississauga, Toronto and the GTA. It paints interiors and exteriors. It has won 11 HomeStars awards: three Best of the Best, including 2024, and eight Best of. It also holds the HomeStars Verified Background Check (a check of the business, run by HomeStars). Anupam, of Mississauga, ON, wrote: "By the time they were finished, we understood why they are so highly rated and are worth every star." (HomeStars review, as shown on natikpainting.ca.)
Bring your written scope to your free quote. Call 416.409.4476, email sales@natikpainting.ca, or visit natikpainting.ca.
Sources
- Benjamin Moore, How To Paint Interior Walls (cleaning and prep, priming, "at least two coats" of top coat, dry time between coats): https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/interiors/painting-walls
- Benjamin Moore, Primers (primer recommended for dramatic colour changes, stains and bare surfaces): https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/featured-products/interior-exterior-primers
- Benjamin Moore, Regal Select Interior Paint, Eggshell product page (spreading rate 37–42 m² per 3.79 L): https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-ca/product/regal-select-waterborne-interior-paint-eggshell-3-79-l/F549
- Sherwin-Williams, Duration Home Interior Latex Satin, product data sheet 101.68A (coverage 350–400 sq ft per gallon): https://www.paintdocs.com/docs/webPDF.jsp?SITEID=STORECAT&prodno=650096589&doctype=PDS&lang=E
- Benjamin Moore, How to Choose a Paint Finish (sheen durability and washability): https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/how-to-advice/painting-101/choosing-paint-finish
- Natik Painting company facts: https://natikpainting.ca (read 2026-09-30)