How Much Does Interior Painting Cost in NYC? (2026 Prices)

Painting is priced by the surface, not the hour: how many walls, how tall the ceiling, how much prep the walls need before the first coat, and whether furniture has to be moved and covered. Every figure below is labor — we prep, prime and roll two coats of low-VOC paint with furniture covered; paint and materials are quoted separately or supplied by you.

Prices are pulled from the same catalog the estimate calculator on the painting page uses, so what you read here is what you would see there.

Interior painting prices in NYC: from $225 for room and apartment painting

Across the jobs in this guide, labor runs $225 – $11,000 — the low end is a single small job, the high end the largest scope in the tables (a whole apartment or a multi-room project where the guide covers one). Every figure is from the current price catalog (calc-2026-09-01), floored at the $150 work minimum; the exact quote is confirmed from your photos before booking, and NYC sales tax is added separately where applicable.

Room and apartment painting

Job	Size / scope	Typical NYC price (labor)
Bedroom / small room (up to ~120 sq ft floor)	Walls only — sound walls, similar color	$450 – $645
Bedroom / small room (up to ~120 sq ft floor)	Walls + ceiling — minor patching, 2 coats	$595 – $850
Bedroom / small room (up to ~120 sq ft floor)	Walls + ceiling + trim — heavy patching or color change	$805 – $1,150
Living room / large room (150–250 sq ft floor)	Walls only — sound walls, similar color	$525 – $785
Living room / large room (150–250 sq ft floor)	Walls + ceiling — minor patching, 2 coats	$730 – $1,090
Living room / large room (150–250 sq ft floor)	Walls + ceiling + trim — heavy patching or color change	$1,015 – $1,500
Hallway, entry or staircase	Hallway walls only (standard 8–9 ft ceiling)	$325 – $525
Hallway, entry or staircase	Walls + ceiling — minor patching	$475 – $750
Hallway, entry or staircase	Staircase or 10 ft+ ceiling — ladder / scaffold work	$750 – $1,250
Whole apartment (multiple rooms)	Studio / 1BR — walls only	$1,600 – $2,600
Whole apartment (multiple rooms)	1BR — walls + ceilings	$2,600 – $4,200
Whole apartment (multiple rooms)	2BR — walls + ceilings + baseboards + doors	$4,300 – $7,500
Whole apartment (multiple rooms)	3BR+ — full scope (walls, ceilings, trim and doors)	$6,500 – $11,000
Ceilings only	One room ceiling — flat, no stains	$300 – $450
Ceilings only	2–3 room ceilings	$525 – $790
Ceilings only	Ceilings + stain blocking (old water marks)	$660 – $975
Touch-ups / one wall repainted	One wall, matching the existing color	$225 – $345
Touch-ups / one wall repainted	One wall + patching (holes, anchors, dings)	$300 – $430
Touch-ups / one wall repainted	Several patch areas across rooms	$410 – $600

Accent walls

Job	Size / scope	Typical NYC price (labor)
Solid color feature wall	Standard wall (up to ~12 ft wide, 8–9 ft ceiling)	$275 – $520
Solid color feature wall	Large wall (12–18 ft) or minor patching first	$335 – $550
Solid color feature wall	10 ft+ ceiling or heavy patching / skim coat	$490 – $760
Two-tone / color block	Standard wall, one clean tape line	$275 – $455
Two-tone / color block	Large wall or two tape lines	$425 – $670
Two-tone / color block	Tall wall / wraps a corner or trim	$610 – $945
Stripes or chevron	Wide stripes, standard wall	$395 – $610
Stripes or chevron	Narrow stripes or large wall	$580 – $880
Stripes or chevron	Tall wall or many stripes / two colors + base	$820 – $1,185
Custom geometric pattern	Simple shapes, standard wall	$520 – $790
Custom geometric pattern	Multi-shape layout or 3 colors	$760 – $1,155
Custom geometric pattern	Complex pattern, tall wall, or outlets/shelves in the design	$1,095 – $1,700
Deep or bold color over a light wall	Standard wall — tinted primer + 2 coats	$275 – $455
Deep or bold color over a light wall	Large wall or 3 coats for full coverage	$425 – $670
Deep or bold color over a light wall	Tall wall / heavy coverage + patching	$610 – $975
Multiple accent walls	2 walls, solid color	$395 – $640
Multiple accent walls	2 walls with pattern, or 3 walls solid	$640 – $1,035
Multiple accent walls	3+ walls with pattern / whole-room feature scheme	$1,035 – $1,700

Trim, doors and baseboards

Job	Size / scope	Typical NYC price (labor)
Baseboards (and shoe / quarter round)	One room (up to ~40 linear ft)	$255 – $420
Baseboards (and shoe / quarter round)	2–3 rooms (~40–120 linear ft)	$475 – $790
Baseboards (and shoe / quarter round)	Whole apartment (120+ linear ft)	$840 – $1,385
Doors + door casings	1–2 doors + casings	$225 – $395
Doors + door casings	3–5 doors + casings	$450 – $740
Doors + door casings	6+ doors + casings	$790 – $1,290
Window casings & sills	1–2 windows	$225 – $365
Window casings & sills	3–5 windows	$395 – $660
Window casings & sills	6+ windows / bay window	$690 – $1,145
Crown molding	One room (up to ~40 linear ft)	$310 – $505
Crown molding	2–3 rooms (~40–120 linear ft)	$585 – $970
Crown molding	120+ linear ft or 10 ft+ ceilings (ladder work)	$790 – $1,385
Wainscoting / chair rail / paneling	One wall / short run	$285 – $475
Wainscoting / chair rail / paneling	One full room	$585 – $995
Wainscoting / chair rail / paneling	Multiple rooms or a hallway run	$1,045 – $1,770
All trim in the room(s)	One room — baseboard, door + window casing	$475 – $790
All trim in the room(s)	2–3 rooms	$895 – $1,485
All trim in the room(s)	Whole apartment	$1,580 – $2,600

What drives the price

• Wall condition: patched holes, cracks and old glossy paint all add prep before the first coat.
• Ceiling height: pre-war 10–12 ft rooms mean ladders, cut-in time and more paint.
• Color change: dark-to-light or light-to-dark needs an extra coat or a tinted primer.
• Trim, doors and closets: quoted as their own line, not folded into the wall price.
• Access: walk-up floors, elevator reservations and COI paperwork for co-ops and condos.

What's included

• Surface prep: filling nail holes, light sanding, spot priming
• Two coats of low-VOC paint on the agreed surfaces
• Furniture moved to the center and covered, floors protected
• Clean-up and a walk-through before we leave

What's quoted separately

• Paint, primer and materials (supplied by you or quoted separately)
• Skim coating and wallpaper removal; heavy patching is included only in the tiers that say so
• Ceilings and trim when not in the agreed scope — they have their own tables above

When it's not a handyman job

• Full lead-paint abatement in pre-1978 buildings is a licensed abatement contractor's job — we flag it from photos rather than paint over it.

How the assessment visit and the work minimum are priced

Photo and text estimates are free — send photos and you get a real range. If the job needs eyes on site first, the assessment visit is $99 and is credited toward the work if you hire us. Actual work starts at the $150 minimum. Repair ASAP LLC is a NYC DCWP-licensed home improvement contractor (License No. 2137199-DCWP) and carries general liability insurance with COI support for co-ops and condos.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to paint a room in NYC?

A standard bedroom with two coats is usually one visit; a full apartment runs over several days depending on prep and how many rooms can be cleared at once.

Do I need to buy the paint?

You can supply it, or we quote paint and primer separately after you pick colors. Labor prices above do not include materials.

Do you paint ceilings and trim?

Yes — ceilings, trim, doors and baseboards are quoted as their own lines, which is why they have separate tables above.

Can you fix holes and cracks before painting?

Nail holes and light cracks are part of prep. Larger drywall damage is a separate drywall repair, quoted from photos before painting starts.

How much does interior painting cost in NYC?

Across the jobs in this guide, labor runs $225 – $11,000 in New York City. Photo and text estimates are free; an on-site assessment visit is $99, credited toward the job. Work starts at the $150 minimum and is quoted before anything begins. NYC sales tax is added separately where applicable.