Painting is the highest-impact, lowest-cost renovation there is — but quotes for the same room can vary by 3×. Here's how the cost actually breaks down, so you can decide whether to DIY or hire out.
What drives the price
- Wall area, not floor area. Pros price on paintable surface: (perimeter × ceiling height) minus doors and windows. A typical 12′×12′ (3.6m×3.6m) bedroom has roughly 370–400 sq ft (35–37 m²) of wall.
- Prep work. Filling, sanding, taping and priming is 50–70% of a professional painter's time — and the entire difference between a good job and a bad one.
- Paint quality. Budget paint often needs three coats where premium covers in two. Cheaper per can is not always cheaper per wall.
- Ceilings, trim and doors. Each adds meaningfully to a quote — always ask what's included.
DIY: what you'll really spend
For an average bedroom expect two coats to take 8–12 hours including prep, plus paint, primer, rollers, brushes, tape and drop cloths. DIY typically costs a quarter to a third of a professional quote — the trade is your weekend and the quality of your cutting-in.
Hiring a pro: what a fair quote looks like
A fair quote itemises prep, number of coats, paint brand and line, and whether trim and ceiling are included. Get the wall area on the quote — if a painter won't break out the measurement, get another quote. Rates vary hugely by country and city, which is exactly why you should price from your room's real measurements, not a national average.
Get your number in seconds, not estimates from averages
The My Home Genius app scans your room with your phone (LiDAR on supported iPhones) and measures the walls, floor and ceiling automatically — then shows DIY vs. professional cost ranges tuned to your area. You can even photograph the room and preview a new wall colour before you buy a single can.
Rules of thumb before you decide
- If the walls just need a colour change: strong DIY candidate.
- Water stains, cracking plaster, or peeling: fix the cause first — paint hides nothing for long.
- Stairwells and double-height walls: the ladder work is where pros earn their fee.