Interior painting costs depend on your project and location. Check with a local pro for your specific job.
The cost to paint the interior of a house in St. Louis, Missouri, increases with home size and wall height, ranging from $2 to $6 per square foot.
Prep needs, including $0.50 to $0.75 per square foot surface repairs in older brick homes, can raise project costs.
Unique features like archways or tall ceilings often require specialized labor, adding $5 to $7 per square foot for hard-to-reach areas.
As a Midwest city with a mix of historic brick homes and newer suburban builds, homeowners in St. Louis should budget carefully for an interior painting project. The cost to paint the interior of a house in St. Louis averages $1,752, with most projects ranging from $914 to $2,590. Older homes in neighborhoods like Lafayette Square or Soulard may require extra prep work, while room size, ceiling height, and paint quality all influence the final price.
Understanding interior painting cost factors in St. Louis, Missouri, helps you see where your budget goes, from home size and how much paint you need to paint type, ceiling height, surface prep, and unique architectural details.
Across the country, the average cost to paint the interior of a house is $2.75 per square foot. If you include walls, trim, and ceilings, the cost per square foot is $4.70. To get the most accurate quote, have your square footage ready when speaking with a pro. For reference, an average room is 10-by-12 feet.
If you’re embarking on a whole-house interior painting project, check out the cost to paint a home interior by square footage, ranging from $2 to $6 per square foot:
| Square Footage | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| 500 | $2,000–$4,000 |
| 800 | $3,200–$6,400 |
| 1,000 | $4,000–$8,000 |
| 1,200 | $4,800–$9,600 |
| 2,300 | $9,200–$18,400 |
| 2,500 | $10,000–$20,000 |
| 3,000 | $12,000–$24,000 |
While browsing the paint aisle or speaking with your pro, you’ll probably notice that paint costs $15 to $40 per gallon, depending on the brand and paint finish. If you have your heart set on a specific brand or type of paint, it can quickly raise the price. Long-lasting, high-gloss, and stain-blocking or mold-resistant paint will cost more and can push up your material costs.
The average home needs six gallons of paint per coat, excluding primer, so keep that in mind before filling up your cart.
| Paint Type | Average Cost per Gallon |
|---|---|
| Primers | $14 |
| Flat paint | $17 |
| Semi-gloss interior paint | $22 |
| High-gloss enamel paint | $45 |
| VOC-free paint | $48 |
Oil-based paints contain higher volatile organic compounds (VOCs) than latex paints. To limit your exposure to VOCs while painting indoors, keep the area well-ventilated, wear respiratory protection, and avoid the painted area for at least 72 hours once finished.
Painting costs vary for different surfaces. Whether you're planning to refresh your walls, revive your ceilings, or give your trim a new lease on life, knowing the average expenses per surface type can help you budget effectively. In addition to walls and ceilings, you may also choose to paint baseboards and trim or paint an accent wall.
Adding an accent wall increases your budget by 20% to 30% to cover the cost of additional paint and materials. Choosing to add an accent wall will also require additional taping and drying time, so the cost to paint an accent wall will sit higher than a wall that matches the others in your home.
| Surface | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Baseboard and trim | $2–$4 per linear foot |
| Hard-to-reach areas | $5–$7 per sq. ft. |
| Smooth ceiling | $1–$3 per sq. ft. |
| Walls | $1–$3 per sq. ft. |
| Accent walls | $2–$6 per sq. ft. |
There are a few extra considerations to keep in mind when budgeting for interior painting, most of which focus on the existing features in your home.
If the interior of your home features unique architectural designs, such as archways or columns, painting these will affect the cost. Due to the complexity of the areas, the increase in cost is labor-focused, as it takes greater attention to detail to make them shine.
Another important thing to consider is your ceiling height. Walls under standard 8-foot ceilings will be the most affordable to paint, and they fall on the lower end of the cost to paint a ceiling range. Taller walls, especially those under cathedral ceilings, will often require scaffolding and additional safety equipment to paint. These can drive up your labor costs even beyond what the additional coverage will add.
If a wall requires sanding and patching, the cost for wall prep is between $0.50 and $0.75 per square foot. This prep work is vital for a smooth finish on your wall, so a pro can apply paint flawlessly.
Some paint contractors bundle the prep work into their hourly or per-square-foot charges. If a room requires drywall fixes before the paint can glide on, drywall repair costs can add an average of $600 to your budget, depending on the severity.
You may need to use a primer before painting your walls, especially if you’re painting over a dark shade with a light one. Paint primer helps the paint adhere more effectively, resulting in longer-lasting paint jobs and reducing how often you need to paint your home. Primer costs $10 per quart and covers 100 square feet with a single coat. Depending on your walls, you might need multiple coats of primer.
Adding textured walls to create a richer look can hide paint flaws and add some depth to your space, but prepare to increase your painting budget by up to 50% for this premium technique. Textured walls can require twice as much paint as smooth walls. Before hiring a professional painter, ensure that they offer this specialized service.
Removing wallpaper costs $3 per square foot. In a 12-by-12-foot room, expect to pay $535 to tear down wallpaper.
Expect to pay between $1 and $2 per square foot to de-pop a popcorn ceiling. Once your professional removes your popcorn ceiling, extra costs for texture, painting, or other refinishing options will add to the final total. Contact a popcorn ceiling removal pro near you for assistance.
Hiring painting pros in St. Louis means factoring in labor rates, common add-ons like trim or ceiling work, and the best time of year to paint, all of which influence your overall project budget.
Professional painters include the cost of labor in the total estimate, which often accounts for 75% to 95% of the total cost. Professional interior painters in St. Louis, Missouri, charge competitive hourly or per-square-foot rates that reflect the city’s mix of historic homes and newer construction, which can influence how much prep work is required. While there’s no substitute for a professional paint job, you can cut down on labor costs by patching and prepping your walls so they’re ready for painting when the pros arrive.
While you’re budgeting for an interior refresh, you might want to consider the following add-on services to maximize the impact and increase home value even further.
Cost to replace light fixtures: $150 to $1,000
Cost to install crown molding: $600 to $2,100
Cost to refinish wood flooring: $1,100 to $2,700
Cost to replace interior doors: $360 to $1,200
Cost to replace windows: $3,400 to $11,700
Cost to replace kitchen cabinets: $2,000 to $11,000
Determining the best time to paint in St. Louis comes down to avoiding the city’s humid summers and cold winters. Mild spring and fall conditions help paint cure properly, reducing the need for extra coats, touch-ups, or extended labor time—factors that can increase overall project costs.
In the St. Louis market, a fresh interior paint job offers an appealing return on investment (ROI) for homeowners planning to sell or upgrade. Local data shows interior painting delivers approximately a 107% ROI.When you update wall surfaces, trim, and ceilings, you improve safety, refresh efficiency, boost functionality by creating a clean palette, and support universal design through neutral tones tailored for resale. These aesthetic and practical benefits make painting one of the most cost-effective improvements you can make before putting your home on the market.
Home is the most important place on earth, which is why Angi has helped more than 150 million homeowners transform their houses into homes they adore. To help homeowners with their next project, Angi provides readers with the most accurate cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We survey real Angi customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.
Want to help us improve our cost data? Send us a recent project quote to [email protected]. Quotes and personal information will not be shared publicly.
I had a great experience with James and his colleague today! They were very kind, professional, and clean. The room they painted looks great - I am very pleased. I would use them again!
This is just a section of what was done in my home. The Work was executed in a timely manner in addition to the great crew of guys painting my home!
Generational Tradesman LLCPainting was timely, professional and high quaility.
Healing ColorsThey did a wonderful job!! Very happy with the paint job :) professional and timely
Riverside PaintersGetting our full interior painted before our furniture arrived was a priority and Hayes painting came through for us. They arrived on time, did a quality job, and finished early. Also cleaned up each area from sanding, etc. Highly recommend!
I highly recommend Brian and TNC Painting and Renovations! We contacted him through Angiâ s list. He did an excellent job on drywall and plaster repair for our 100-year-old home. He is a reliable and skilled professional that I would trust with any job. Also, I am a very indecisive and...
TNC Painting & Remodeling LLCI hired them to paint my duplex and my own house. Very professional and great ideas on what paint to use. Highly recommend
Pluma painting is a fantastic company to work with. Julio and team are very detailed and helped with areas of drywall that needed fixing vs just glossing over them. I highly recommend this Julio and team!
Plumas Painting LLCVery professional and the paint looked great. Couldnâ t be happier, thank you!
Riverside PaintersNelson came out to our house and provided me a free estimate to paint my livingroom and diningroom. We agreed on a price and his team arrived on time as scheduled. They prepared the area for painting and provided drop cloth covering for my furniture and they also taped off all lighting...
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