Paint Labor Cost Calculator
2-4 gallons
400 sf × 2 coats; coverage 250-400 sf/gallon (Interior wall paint).
Typical crew rate for this trade: $35-$58/hr (modeled from BLS median wage × published burden/markup band). How we model costs.
Reference material price: BEHR PRO i100 Interior Eggshell (1 gal), $24.98/gallon (typical retail, sampled 2026-08-15; local prices vary). How we model costs.
- Coverage is a range by design: 250-400 sf/gallon (manufacturer PDS range; porosity, texture, and method move it).
- 2 coats assumed; openings are not deducted (pro P10-style measurement, conservative). Color changes and porous surfaces land you at the low end of coverage.
- Whole-unit round-up: partial cans/bags aren't sold.
Want quotes from local pros for this project? We’re gauging demand for a pro-matching service. No contractor network exists yet: this is a get-notified list, not a quote request.
Why This One Is Different
Ever wonder why the hourly rate a painting contractor quotes you is so much higher than what painters are said to earn? This calculator shows you exactly why, one step at a time. A painter's published median hourly wage (BLS OEWS, straight-time gross pay only) is not what you get billed, and that gap is the whole story here. Before the wage reaches a quoted rate it passes through statutory burden (FICA, unemployment insurance, workers' comp), landing around 1.2-1.4x for an open shop, then a business markup for overhead and profit, arriving at a modeled $35-$58/hr charged rate (the published wage this chain starts from is $23.39/hr). Collapsing that chain into one flat "painter rate" hides which lever moved your number, since a contractor in a high-comp state carries a different burden than one next door at the same base wage. This calculator keeps every link visible, with the full decomposition documented on our methodology page.
Where the Numbers Come From
- That wage figure is the bottom rung of the cost ladder, not a chargeable rate: the BLS OEWS median painter wage of $23.39/hr (SOC 47-2141, May 2024 vintage) is straight-time gross pay only, with no overtime, bonuses, or benefits. Source: BLS OEWS FAQ / methodology (via construction-estimating canon: 'BLS OEWS semantics')
- What you actually pay a crew climbs well past the wage: burden (statutory FICA/FUTA/SUTA plus workers' comp and benefits) typically lands around 1.2-1.4x wage for an open shop, and a further markup to a 1.5-2.5x charged-rate band covers overhead and profit, per NAHB gross-margin data (20.7% builders, 29.9% remodelers). Source: labor.ts burden_markup_band + cost-data.json vintage note; NAHB Cost of Doing Business (via construction-estimating canon)
- Run the full chain on that published wage and you land in a real, quotable range: $23.39/hr × a 1.5-2.5x charged-rate band rounds to a modeled $35-$58/hr crew rate, the range this calculator displays, never collapsed to one point number. Source: worked example, labor.ts chargedRate() formula
- The paint price this calculator references for context is a real, dated retail sample, not an average: a sampled interior eggshell gallon (BEHR PRO i100, $24.98, Seattle-area retail, sampled 2026-08-15) sits inside the 250-400 sf/gal PDS coverage range this calculator's material side draws from. Source: hand-sampled materials basket, cost-data.json
More Questions
Does this include paint and materials, or just labor?
This page models labor cost specifically; it references a sampled interior paint price for context, but material quantity is sized separately by the coverage engine (250-400 sf/gal, coats included).
Related Calculators
Formulas, waste factors, and cost models on this page follow the sourced conventions on our methodology page. Estimates only; verify with your supplier and local code. Quantities are US customary units and materials are US nominal sizes, so a 2x4 measures 1.5 by 3.5 inches and a cubic yard is 27 cubic feet. Outside the US the arithmetic still holds but the stock sizes differ, and converting the result does not convert the assumption.