When you’re considering hiring a painter, a quote should include the following items:

• Overall price

• Price for each area (e.g., living room, master bedroom) or item (e.g., trim, doors)

• Cost of labor

• Cost of materials

• Description of prep

• Description of repairs to be made

• Description and details of paint application (number of coats, brand and type of paint, etc.)

You may need to provide your own paint, depending on the agreement you make with the painter. Some painters prefer that you buy the paint and they supply the labor. However, some professional painters get a better price on paint and can pass that savings along to you even after accounting for labor costs.

The average cost to paint a ceiling ranges from $3 to $8.50 per square foot, which is about $1 to $2.50 more per square foot than the cost to paint the walls. Rooms with high ceilings require working from a ladder or scaffolding and often include trim or detail work, which adds to the final price.

Professional painters charge $20 to $50 per hour, on average. Hourly rate cost factors include the complexity of the paint job, the type of paint, the height of the walls and ceiling, and the type of prep and repairs needed. For example, removing wallpaper costs an additional $3 per square foot because it can be very time consuming and labor intensive. Your location will also impact the hour rate.

To estimate the cost to paint interior walls, multiply the square footage by the average price range to paint interior walls, which is $2 to $6 per square foot. For example, a 12-by-12-foot room with 8-foot tall walls is 384 square feet, meaning that the cost to paint the room will range from $768 to $2,304. Painting the ceiling and any trim will add to the overall cost, as will any repairs.