How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Room in Chicago, IL? [2026 Data]

The cost of living in Chicago, IL, is higher than the national average, which means increased costs for services like interior painting. The cost to paint a room in Chicago, IL, ranges between $414 and $1,658, or $1,140 on average. Your price will vary based on room size, room type, paint type, and a few other cost factors.

Interior Painting Cost Factors 

The most important cost factors of painting a room in Chicago, IL, are room dimensions, paint type, baseboard and trim, and paint finish, though wall repairs and accent or textured walls can also affect costs.

Room Size

Professional interior paint jobs are priced at $2.50 to $5 per square foot. The larger the room, the higher the cost. If you know the square footage of your room, you can use these numbers to get a fairly accurate estimate for your paint job.

Room Height

Another cost factor to consider when painting a room is its ceiling height. If you have high or difficult-to-reach ceilings, you can expect to pay an additional fee for labor and materials. Painting a ceiling costs an extra $1 to $2 per square foot, depending on the ceiling type and the painter’s rates.

You’ll pay the most for cathedral ceilings that reach above 12 feet, while a 10-foot ceiling will only add $1 per square foot to paint, since they don’t require any scaffolding or special equipment.

Room Type

The price of your painting project depends on the type of room. Bathrooms are the smallest room in the house and the least expensive to paint, while painting living rooms is the most costly. Keep in mind that some larger rooms, like kitchens, can be inexpensive to paint because a large portion of the walls is covered by cabinets or backsplashes.

Baseboard and Trim

Want to refresh your trim and baseboard paint? Giving your home accents like trim, baseboards, crown molding, and windows a fresh coat of paint will cost $1 to $4 per linear foot.

Keep in mind that professional painters often charge extra for hard-to-reach accents—up to an additional $6 per linear foot. Particularly ornate trim painting costs can also be a bit higher if there are a lot of nooks and crannies your professional will have to cover.

Paint Type

On average, you’ll pay $30 to $85 per gallon, and each gallon of paint covers between 300 and 400 square feet. You can get a budget-friendly option from a big-box retailer for as little as $25 per gallon, or spend more than $120 per gallon on a designer brand or a rare pigment.

Overall, oil-based paints cost slightly more than latex-based paints (though latex is by far the most popular for indoor use, partially because it’s easier to make this kind of paint dry smoothly).

Paint Finish

On top of that, you’ll pay more for paint with a glossier finish. Paint durability and moisture resistance also increase as the finish gets glossier, so consider the area you’re painting and don’t shop solely on cost.

Accent or Textured Walls

Wall texture can transform the feeling of a room—whether it’s a combed texture, sand swirl, or orange peel. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, though some homeowners love it. Expect to spend a couple of dollars extra per square foot if you want to add or remove wall texture before the painting process:

•  The cost of texturing your walls is $0.80 to $2 per square foot.

•  The cost of skim coating drywall to remove texture is $1.50 to $3 per square foot.

Wall Repairs 

You may need to repair your walls before you can paint them, especially if you have water damage or cracked or peeling paint. The cost of drywall repair falls between $100 and $1,000.

Painting Pro Costs

Beyond the cost factors above, you’ll need to factor in a few other costs when budgeting to hire interior painters in Chicago, IL. These include labor rates, furniture moving, and fees for painting complex surfaces like cabinetry.

Labor

Investing in a trusted, experienced interior painter is always worth the cost. These pros come equipped with all the supplies needed to paint a room and will be able to work quickly, effectively, and with minimal mess in your space. Chicago, IL, interior painters generally charge between $50 and $75 per hour.

Furniture Moving

If you don’t want to pay additional fees or risk damage when painting a room with furniture in it, you’ll need to pay to have it moved in and out. In Chicago, IL, you can get help from professional movers to clear a room and set it up again after painting for $40 to $80 per hour, per mover.

Complex Surfaces 

Complex paint surfaces will add to your cost. While you can reduce this by removing some complexities (such as removing texture from walls), some surfaces, like cabinetry, will always be more expensive to paint. Painting ornate trim, cabinets, cathedral ceilings, and other textured or multifaceted surfaces can cost $4 to $8 per square foot.

Does Painting a Room Increase Home Value?

Painting your home’s interior can offer a great boost to your home value. You can expect this project to yield a return on investment (ROI) of up to 107%, particularly if you opt for more neutral colors with universal appeal. Considering how much interior paint increases home value, it’s no wonder that so many people opt for this home improvement task before selling their homes.

How Angi Gets Its Local Cost Data 

To help homeowners plan their next project, Angi provides readers with carefully researched cost data and upholds strict editorial standards. We start with national average project costs, which we collect by analyzing competitor information, retailer material costs, and input from professional contractors. We then apply local price index data to calculate location-specific estimates that reflect what homeowners typically pay in their local area. To do that, we use data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), including its Regional Price Parities (RPPs), which measure price differences across cities. This helps us account for differences in labor, materials, and overall cost of living, so estimates in higher- or lower-cost areas better reflect real-world local pricing.

Every estimate undergoes a thorough editorial review to verify accuracy, consistency, and alignment with observed market conditions.

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.