Cost Per Square Foot for Interior House Painting

A number of factors figure when costing out an interior house painting by the square foot. As an observation, some painters do offer square foot prices while others only offer this to property management firms and construction companies, as far as bidding homeowner projects is concerned.

Square foot costs typically apply to wall areas, and occasionally ceiling areas. Not carpentry items such as doors. With lineal foot prices for trim - the trim is usually seperated out. Prices for textured surfaces are among the greatest, like for brick and densely textured stucco, although these are fairly rare interior surfaces.

What is most accessibly figured, in terms of square foot pricing, is based on the total number of coats of applied paint. If there is one, two, three or more coats. This figure does tend to drop with each successive coat since preparation and setup becomes less of a factor; the walls are already patched and sanded smooth, with the masking in-place (unless the tape must be pulled prior to a 3 or more, coat application - and then reapplied before completion - since waiting on pulling the masking will no longer result a sharp line being made between the baseboard-to-wall surface, for example finishes having sheens that tend to bridge) and also for this sake, with ladders already at the standby.

A single coat of rolled flat generally starts at around $0.50 per foot. Some economical painting outfits claim to do, for as low as $0.40 but this assumes factors such as lower grade paint being applied on relatively low, open walls, and possibly having the owner supplying the paint. This range easily approaches $0.65 to $0.70 per foot. Keeping in mind that prices for paint alone range from roughly $0.13 per foot to $0.31 which factors liquids alone, in addition to the cost of supplies like roller naps, masking and surface protection/plastic, and patch material. Areas like baths and kitchens, that often deem a higher grade finish - considering the time and effort for trim and basically a cut-up configuration of the area - can mean paying $1.05 to $1.40 a foot, sometimes more. Confined areas like closets, depending on brushwork for trim such as for around any shelving cleats, are normally over $0.70 a foot but having these all done at once, and with their contents emptied, and, painting the ceilings with the same paint as the walls can mean lower prices.

Traditionally, square foot prices either exclude preparation or account for just a minimal amount of prep, so account for this in the quote. With paints of higher gloss requiring more intensive preparation in terms of patch and sand, for smoothing, depending on the amount of wall exposure, and with a less flexible process of applying (sometimes applied 'wall by wall') - sheens will incur the greatest price per foot. They may also require the painting on of an additional coat for sealing beforehand, the popular choice of PVA for example on new drywall.

If sq. ft prices are given, its important that you have any itemized costs accounted for. Not only the brand, but the grade of paint, and the number of coats (with a possible maximum) and the method of application; by spray (particularly if high-grade finishes are sought) or if hand-brushed or rolled-on. Does the price arrived at, by footage rate(s) cover any guarantee of coverage, and if built-in costs like taxes and insurance are included. Too, the amounts for any extra job orders and price breaks for combined areas.