House Painters

Did you know that applying a fresh coat of paint to the interior and exterior of your house can increase the value of your home? It’s estimated that getting a new paint job can draw in an average of $4,000 increase in your home’s value, which is a massive return on investment for this home improvement project.

Getting expert house painters to repaint your home is a great idea, especially if you’re looking to put your property on the market soon. Painting is one of the most affordable improvements you can do to increase your house’s curb appeal and attract potential buyers.

Other than making your home beautiful, a professional paint job adds protection to your home against the elements, and pests, and helps maintain its structural integrity. But of course, even with a high ROI, painting your home requires some investment, so it would help you know how much a house painting project will cost you before hiring a professional painter.

House Painters Costs: Rate Per Hour

Typically, a house painter will charge anywhere between $40 to $60 per hour. Most homeowners will shell out $50 per hour for a painter to fix a few dry walls, apply primer and paint a house. If there are no repairs needed, a painting contractor may charge as low as $38 per hour for a simple paint job. If there are repairs that need to be done with the drywall and siding, you can expect to pay as much as $84 an hour.

House Painter Costs: New vs Existing Home

In general, the cost to paint a newly constructed home is cheaper than an existing property as it will take the contractor less prep work to complete an interior and/or exterior paint job. For an already existing house, house painters would have to prep the area (e.g. laying plastic sheets on the floors, clearing out furniture, taping edges of windows, doors, walls, etc.) before they can even start working. In addition, the clean-up process also takes time as your belongings should be moved back and the painting contractor should ensure that there is no mess left behind.

For a newly constructed home (2,500 sq.ft.), expect to spend around $7,000 to $9,500 for an interior paint job, while painting its exterior costs $5,000 to $11,000. For an existing home of the same size, an interior paint job can set you back anywhere from $7,500 to $10,000, while it costs $5,800 to $11,700 for exterior painting services.

House Painters Costs: Per Room

As mentioned above, painting your home is worth your investment, and when it comes to interior painting, you can expect an ROI of 107%. Since rooms differ in size, it follows that the cost of painting each room in your home will vary and will also depend on the rate of the house painters. To give you an idea, here are the average costs per room.

How do house painters charge?

There are four ways that house painters will charge you: per square feet, per house, per day or room. The rates based on the size of the surface that needs to be painted can go anywhere from $1.50 to $4 per square foot, if you’re paying by the hour, some painters will charge for as low as $25 up to $100. For charges on a per-day basis, a house painter can charge starting at $200 to $800, while an interior paint job per room can cost from $990 to $1,320.

What are the factors that affect the cost to paint a house?

Generally, the cost of painting a house is affected by three factors, which are labor costs, the price of paint and materials. Your location will also matter as this will affect the labor costs.

When house painters provide their estimates, the highest amount is labor. This cost covers the time spent that the contractor prepares the area to be painted as this is where they will spend the most time in. Clean-up is also usually included in a quotation, where painting contractors will take care of clearing the site and disposing of the materials used during the project.

The next biggest item is the paint, where you can expect to be charged anywhere from $20 to $70 per gallon. The price of paint depends on the sheen (a measure of the reflected light from a paint finish) and paint grade. Special features of the paint (e.g. warranties, mold-resistant, no-smell, eco-friendly, etc.) also affect the price.

Compared to going DIY, hiring professional house painters looks like a more expensive choice up front. But again, the quality and longevity of the paint will make your investment worth it. With an average of $1,000 cost to paint per room, you may be thinking if there are some ways to trim this price. Here are a couple of tips to help lower the cost of house painting.

1. Compare bids – Never close a deal with a house painter without getting bids from multiple contractors. Make sure to talk to at least three companies so you can compare their prices and the scope it covers.

2. Do some prep work – It is possible to negotiate with the contractor to reduce the cost of labor if you’re willing to do some of the prep work yourself, such as: moving the furniture/clearing the work area, removing door knobs and electric outlets, and reinstalling them, etc.

3. Don’t wait too long – Especially for exterior paint, if you don’t want a project to cost you too much, make sure to have it repainted before obvious signs of wear and tear appear. Don’t wait for the paint to start to peel off as this will take the house painters longer hours to prepare, which adds to the cost.

4. Forego the “non-essentials” – If you’re on a tight budget, you can consider trimming the scope of the job that is not so important (e.g. repainting closet interiors, ceilings, etc.) to reduce costs.

5. Put everything in black and white – Finally, make sure that you have everything in writing. The contract should include what the painting contractor would do and the estimated time to complete each aspect of the job. Doing this will help avoid “surprises” along the way.

Painting may seem such a doable task and could make you double think of hiring an expert contractor to complete the job. However, if you don’t have the skills and expertise you may just be wasting paint, money, and time.

Working with professional house painters assures you that you’re working with someone who has years of experience and skills to deliver quality work. With so many types of paints to choose from, an expert painter will know which paint is best used for your particular needs. Also, if you’re undecided on which colors to use, a professional contractor will be more than willing to offer suggestions based on your lifestyle and preferences.

Look for license and insurance – In most states, painting contractors are required by the law to be licensed, especially when a project costs a certain amount. And even without this requirement, it’s best that you choose house painters that have a license and are insured. This will give you protection from any liabilities.

See online reviews – One good way to gauge how a painting contractor works is by checking online reviews. See what other people say about the company and use your best judgment when hiring the contractor based on these reviews.

Ask for references – Professional painting contractors will be more than willing to provide you with their best references upon your request. Contact these references and ask them about the quality of services that the house painters provided and if they’re happy to use the company again for future work.

Get estimates – Reliable house painters will never provide estimates over the phone without doing a site inspection first. Don’t be afraid to ask for quotations as most contractors will provide this for free. Also, ask what the estimates cover – if it includes prep work and the clean-up. Doing this will let you know the costs upfront so you won’t be surprised with the bill when the project is completed.

Check for satisfaction guarantee – Choosing a company that offers the best satisfaction guarantee will ensure that they will get the job done right the first time and will save you money and frustration in the long run which is important when working with home services.