Interior painting quotes vary more than almost any other home service, largely because "paint the room" can mean very different amounts of prep work depending on who's doing it.
What should be included
- Prep work — patching holes, sanding rough spots, and taping trim. This is where the real labor time goes, and it's the first thing skipped on a rushed job.
- Primer, especially over dark colors, patched drywall, or stains. A quote that skips primer on a color change is setting up for a blotchy second coat.
- Number of coats — two coats is standard for a real color change; one coat is a shortcut that usually shows.
- Trim and doors — confirm whether these are included in the price or quoted separately, since they're often left out of the headline number.
- Paint brand and quality tier — a mid-grade paint and a builder-grade paint can cost noticeably different amounts per gallon, and that difference should show up somewhere in the quote.
What to ask if it's not clear
Ask how many coats are included, whether primer is separate, and whether furniture-moving and cleanup are part of the price or add-ons. A quote that's dramatically lower than others is usually lower on one of these, not on the painter's hourly rate.