Painting the inside of a house costs $3,500 to $10,000 on average in 2026, by national published figures. We do not publish a Honolulu price list. The price of your job comes from the wall area, the height, the amount of repair and the paint you choose, and we put it in writing after a free visit.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Hawaii labor, shipped-in materials and the condition of your own walls move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
How much does it cost to paint the interior of a house?
Nationally it costs $3,500 to $10,000 to paint the whole interior of a house, with a national average of $7,500. HomeGuide lists a low of $2,000 and a high of $15,000.
Honolulu homes do not all fit that picture. A condo in Makiki or Waikiki is smaller than the mainland house those figures assume, but it comes with elevator bookings, parking and house rules. An older single-wall house has board walls with grooves to brush out. A newer home in Kapolei has smooth drywall. Each one prices differently.
How much does it cost to paint a room?
A single room costs $300 to $1,000 on average, by the national figures, with a national average of $750. The published low is $150 and the high is $2,500. Many painters also have a minimum job price, listed at $250 to $500 or more.
| Room | National range |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | $150 to $400 |
| Bedroom | $350 to $850 |
| Primary bedroom | $650 to $1,400 |
| Living room | $600 to $2,000 |
| Dining room or hallway | $300 to $1,000 |
| Kitchen walls | $150 to $250 |
How much to paint a 1,500 or 2,000 square foot house inside?
For a 1,500 square foot home the national range is $4,500 to $6,000, and for a 2,000 square foot home it is $6,000 to $8,000. Those figures come from HomeGuide's interior painting page and go by floor area.
| Home size | National range |
|---|---|
| 800 sq ft | $2,400 to $3,200 |
| 1,000 sq ft | $3,000 to $4,000 |
| 1,200 sq ft | $3,600 to $4,800 |
| 1,500 sq ft | $4,500 to $6,000 |
| 2,000 sq ft | $6,000 to $8,000 |
| 2,500 sq ft | $7,500 to $10,000 |
Many Oahu homes and condos are under 1,200 square feet, so look at the smaller rows first. Floor area is only a rough guide. Two homes of the same size can have very different wall area, ceiling height and trim.
How much to paint a 3 bedroom, 2 bath house?
A 3-bedroom house costs $1,200 to $8,500 to paint inside, by the national figures. The range is wide because it runs from walls only in a small house to walls, ceilings, trim and doors in a large one.
You can also build it room by room from the published figures. Three bedrooms at $350 to $850 each is $1,050 to $2,550. Two bathrooms at $150 to $400 each is $300 to $800. A living room adds $600 to $2,000. That is $1,950 to $5,350 before the kitchen, halls, ceilings and trim. It is arithmetic on national numbers, not a quote.
How much do painters charge per square foot?
Painters charge $1 to $3 per square foot of surface painted, by the national figures. Measured by floor space, the same source gives $3 to $7 per square foot. Walls only are listed at $1.00 to $2.00 per square foot of wall.
Check which measure a quote uses. A price per square foot of floor and a price per square foot of wall are not the same thing, and mixing them up makes one quote look far cheaper than another.
Do painters charge by the room or by the square foot?
Both are used. Small jobs are often priced by the room, and whole homes by the square foot or as one total. HomeGuide also lists hourly labor at $20 to $50 on its interior page. What matters is that the quote lists the rooms, the surfaces and the number of coats, so you can compare it with another.
Does it cost more to paint ceilings as well as walls?
Yes. Ceilings cost extra: the national figure is $1 to $2 more per square foot when ceilings are added to walls. A single ceiling is listed at $150 to $300 in labor.
In older Honolulu homes, look at the ceiling before you plan. Open-beam ceilings and tongue-and-groove boards take more time than flat drywall, and the published figure for that kind of ceiling is higher, at $1.50 to $5.00 per square foot. Old fiberboard ceiling panels should not be sanded until you know what they are made of.
How much extra for trim, doors and baseboards?
Trim and baseboards cost $1 to $4 per linear foot, or $500 to $2,000 for a whole house, by the national figures. Interior doors are listed at $75 to $150 each. Baseboards in one bedroom are listed at $40 to $160.
Louvered doors and jalousie window frames, which are common in island homes, take longer than flat doors. The published figure for a louvered door is $80 to $160.
How much extra for high or vaulted ceilings and stairwells?
High or vaulted ceilings add 10% to 50% or more, by the one published figure, which applies to ceilings above 10 feet. No dollar amount is published. Stairwells are listed per linear foot by height: $16 at 8 to 13 feet, $20 at 13 to 17 feet, $24 at 17 to 19 feet and $30 above 19 feet. Tall work needs ladders, planks or staging, and that set-up time is what you pay for.
Does it cost more to go from a dark color to white?
It can, because a dark color often needs an extra coat or a primer before white will cover. No price for that is published. HomeGuide only says that a big color change may need more coats, which adds material and labor. We count the coats on site and put the number in the quote.
How much more if the walls need a lot of prep?
Walls that need a lot of prep cost more, and the published figure for sanding and patching is $1 to $3 per square foot. Texture adds $0.80 to $2.00 per square foot.
In Honolulu the usual prep items are mildew that must be washed and killed, salt film near the ocean, old glossy paint that needs sanding, cracks at the joints of single-wall boards, and termite damage in trim. We look for these on the first visit so they are in the quote and not a surprise later.
Does the price include moving furniture and covering floors?
With us, yes. We move and cover furniture and protect the floors, and we ask you only to put away small and fragile things. Not every painter works that way. HomeGuide lists moving furniture as an extra at $35 to $60 per hour, so ask each painter whether it is in the price.
Why are my painting quotes so far apart?
Painting quotes end up far apart because the painters are not pricing the same job. Compare these points line by line:
- How many coats, and whether primer is included.
- Walls only, or ceilings, trim, doors and closets too.
- How much patching, sanding and mildew treatment is included.
- The grade of paint.
- Who moves furniture and who cleans up.
- Whether the painter is licensed and insured. In Hawaii a painting job over $1,500 needs a licensed contractor.
Labor is 70% to 85% of an interior painting price, by the national figures. A much lower quote usually means fewer hours, and the hours saved are nearly always prep.
How do I know if a painting quote is fair?
A quote is fair when it is written, complete and close to other complete quotes for the same scope. Check that it names the rooms, surfaces, prep, primer, number of coats, paint line and sheen, the start date and the payment terms. Check the contractor's licence with the state. Then compare it with the national ranges on this page, keeping in mind that Oahu costs for labor and materials are not the mainland's.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (808) 201-4302.