How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Bedroom?

On average, the cost of painting a 10 by 10-foot bedroom ranges from $300 to $500 depending on the materials, labor, and equipment to be used. As the ultimate sleeping sanctuary of the home, it would serve you best to have a fresh coat of paint on the walls that excite you to wake up in the morning and snuggle before going to bed. We understand how difficult it is to choose the perfect color. But, it is more difficult to transform your bedroom under a specified budget. We have rounded up questions you have to know on how to make the painting job within your budget. 

How Much Should a Painter Charge?

If you are working on a budget, it can be a bummer to ask a professional to do the painting job for you. Actually, it saves you the time and energy of redoing everything when things go wrong. On average, the labor of professional painters ranges from $2 to $6 per square foot of area. This will give you an idea of how much you have to cover apart from the paint material costs. If they are working on an hourly basis, their fees range from $20 to $40 per hour. It depends on your location. Living in areas with elevated costs of living can charge you more than $100 per hour of painting job. These prices are mostly for labor. This is why we highly recommend having the costs be broken down for the costs of the materials and equipment. This is a way of getting to know where your money is going and if it is worth the price. 

What are the Factors to Consider in Calculating the Cost?

In calculating the costs of painting the bedroom, these factors should be taken into consideration in order to make an accurate estimate. This will help you know if you are still within the budget or going beyond. As much as possible, we want to maximize our resources and save time in running to and from the store. Check out the list of factors below that constitutes the breakdown of the painting costs of the bedroom. 

Size of the Room

The average size of a bedroom is 10 by 10 feet where the painting costs are between $150 to $750. The size of the bedroom is important because it is a way of identifying the area to be covered and how much paint is needed. A gallon of paint can cover up to 400 square feet and each surface is required two to three coats of paint. If you are having a professional painter do the job, it is important to let them see the room and acquire the measurements of the bedroom. Since they are professionals, they know what and how to compute how much paint is needed. 

Type of Room

There are different spaces inside the house. Identifying the type of room to paint will help you determine how much to spend on the painting job. Since we are rooting to paint a bedroom, expect an expense ranging from $250 to $700 for a standard 10 by 10-foot bedroom. It takes at least two gallons of primer and paints to cover the entirety of the space. Darker walls usually require more than two coats of paint to ensure even coverage of all the surfaces. The overall costs are expected to increase if you are working on high ceilings or you prefer a different wall to accentuate the space. 

Paint Types and Finishes

There are a variety of paint types and finishes to choose from depending on your preference. Regular paint costs range between $25 to $110 per gallon. This consists of the primer and paint. The preferences for finishes are where the total costs are dependent. The higher the level of gloss, the more expensive the paint will be. Apart from the gloss, brand matters too. There are brands that cost higher than usual with higher quality pigment. Meanwhile, affordable paint also comes in handy if you are on a tight budget. 

Priming the Surfaces

More than the paint, primer is important too. They help in concealing bumps and blemishes. In addition, they also manage to help in making the coverage of the paint more evenly. Painting projects often start by priming the walls, especially if you are working on a darker one transforming into a lighter one. On average, the cost of primer ranges from $10 to $20 per can. It may sound to be just additional costs but primer allows the paint to last longer than usual. Some brands also offer a combination of paint and primer in one can. It saves money and time for working with multiple coats. 

How to Calculate the Costs in Painting a Room?

For a 10 by 10-foot bedroom, the average cost is between $150 to $750 for the painting job to be done. To work in knowing the overall cost, we have steps below on how to calculate the total costs. This way, you have a rather accurate number on how much you need to ready for the painting job altogether. If you prefer to paint the room all by yourself, cutting the labor costs is the best way to go. Check out these steps below. 

Measure the Perimeter of the Walls 

Working on a 10 by 10-foot bedroom, the best way to measure the area of the walls is by adding the lengths of all the walls together. 

Perimeter = 10 feet * 4 walls = 40 feet

Calculate the Area of the Walls

Taking up the perimeter, the next step is to multiply it by the height of the walls. The higher the wall, the more expensive the cost would be considering that there is more area to cover. 

Area = 40 foot * 8 feet (height) = 320 square feet

Subtract the Doors and Windows

To calculate the coverage area, you need to compute the area of the doors and windows and subtract it from the area of the walls. This will help you identify how much paint you need to cover the walls. 

Door = 6.5 feet * 3 feet = 19.5 square feet * (number of doors)

Windows = 4.5 feet * 3 feet = 13.5 square feet * (number of windows)

Coverage Area = 320 square feet – 19.5 square feet – 13.5(2) square feet 

=275.5 square feet

Add the Cost of Labor

If you do not want to work with a professional painter, skipping this part would work. If not, professional painters charge an average of $2 to $6 per square foot of coverage area. Thus, making the total cost of labor range from $551 to $1,653. 

Cost of Labor = 275.5 square feet * $2 = $551

Cost of Labor = 275.5 square feet * $6 = $1,653

Compute for How Much Paint is Needed

On average, it takes a gallon of paint to cover up to 400 square feet of the surface. 

(Coverage Area/400) * 2 coats = how much paint is needed

(275.5/400) * 2 coats = 1.375 gallons of paint

DIY Painting a Bedroom

If you are working under a tight budget, we highly recommend doing the painting job yourself. Paint and supplies range from $150 to $250 and it will save you a lot of bucks if you will cut the professional labor off the costs. If you have no idea how to begin the project, it would serve your bedroom best to free the space from debris. You would not want splashes and drips of paint all over your furniture. Prepare the walls by cleaning and taping the edges of the trims or moldings. Priming the walls is the third step to create an even coverage of the paint. This saves you the time on doing multiple coats if you are working on a darker color. The next step is to clean the edges of the trims. You can either use acetone or thinner depending on the type of paint to use.