In this post I want to answer the question: how much does it cost to paint a bedroom yourself?
I’m going to run you through all of the prep work, tools and equipment you need to paint the interior walls and ceiling of your bedroom, plus give you a real world average price for each. At the end we’ll arrive at a total cost in the hope it helps you figure out if it’s worth going down the DIY path.
In my work as an interior designer I encourage clients to let the experts do their thing, which is why we use the same professional painters time and time again. But, if you’re feeling crafty and want to give it a crack on your own, at least you’ll know the overall costs going into it.
Images in this post are via Dulux.
Cost to Paint a Bedroom Yourself: Size of Your Room
To successfully guide you on how much it costs to paint a bedroom yourself, we need to use an example bedroom size.
For this interior painting project example I’m going to go off a pretty average bedroom size of 13ft x 13ft, or 4m x 4m. This size is by no means a grand master bedroom, but it’s not a studio bedroom either. It’s the average room size I tend to see a lot of my design clients living with.
For the height of the walls, we’re going to go off a pretty standard ceiling height of 8.8ft or 2.7m. Allow for the cost of paint to increase if the size of your home means you have high ceilings.
If the bedroom you’re painting is larger, it’s not going to dramatically increase the overall cost. It’s just going to mean some extra spend on paint and things like primer. We can address this as we go into it further though.
Before We Address Paint Costs, Let’s Talk Time
One of the things people often don’t factor in when they’re thinking about painting themselves is how much time it’s going to take. The supply and labor costs are one thing, but you also do need to take the dollar value of your time into account.
If you work off an hourly rate, for example, and are taking time away from work to cover your bedroom with a fresh coat of paint, this too should factor into whether you want to go down the DIY route or use a painting contractor.
To go to the hardware store to shop for the necessary materials, to empty the bedroom of furniture and decor, to carry out the prep, then paint two coats of paint on the walls, you’re looking at a minimum of two days.
And remember it’s not just two coats of paint on the walls, it’s the ceiling too. For this example I’m not including doors and skirting boards, or window frames. These sorts of home improvement projects are marathons, not sprints, so ensure you have a good amount of time set aside.
What Effects the Costs of Painting Your Bedroom?
We’ve almost arrived at the part where we calculate interior painting costs for a bedroom of 13ft x 13ft, or 4m x 4m. Obviously the final cost isn’t going to be exact because your room may be larger or smaller, which means the amount of paint itself will increase or decrease.
The paint type you choose will also affect pricing and the end result, because some brands are more budget, while others are higher quality. The same goes for the other quality of materials you purchase. Not every brush and roller is the same, and cheaper is often not the best approach to take.
If you’re painting an accent wall in the bedroom, this too will mean two different paint colours, which raises prices. And for this pricing example, we’re also running with the assumption that you don’t have massive issues like water damage to contend with.
Add on additional costs if your walls may have issues like this.
Want too see some calming bedroom colours for your walls? This post has you covered.
Average Cost of Supplies to Paint Your Bedroom
OK, here we go. Below I’ll list out all of the supplies you’ll need to paint a bedroom (or any room in the interior of your home) along with some rough costings.
This isn’t an exact science but it is the best way to figure out if it’s something you want to take on yourself, if you’d rather get professional help, or maybe not bother with at all.
Here’s a list of the things you’ll need and what they might cost:
- Dust mask (to protect): $12
- Safety glasses (to protect): $10
- Filler (to patch holes in walls): $40
- Paint scraper (for patching): $6
- Cloths to wipe walls of dust and dirt: $10
- Hand sander with paper (to smooth walls): $8
- Sugar soap wipes (to clean walls): $5
- Drop cloths (to cover/protect the floor): $90
- Paint roller with extension pole: $10
- Paint tray and disposable liners: $10
- Paint brush set (with multiple paint heads): $30
- Ladder (to paint ceiling/cornices): $40
- Paint stirrer (stir the paint before pouring): $4
- Painter’s tape (to tape around door and window frames etc): $8
- Primer, sealer and undercoat (goes on before paint): $75
- Wall paint (approx 5 litres for the size bedroom in question): $290
- Ceiling paint (approx 2 litres for the size bedroom in question): $60
Total Cost to Paint a Bedroom Yourself: $708 (approximate)
Other Variables Regarding Cost of the Paint
The calculations above, as we know, are rough averages. You can absolutely find cheaper pricing depending on where you shop and the type of paint you opt for. I used a quality paint like Dulux interior paints for my example as they have a good reputation.
I assumed we’d need two coats of paint for the walls and just one coat for the ceiling. If your room has a dark colour now and you’re going lighter, you may need more coats (if you’re going from black paint to white, for example).
We knew the size of the room was 4m x 4m (13ft x 13ft), and I went with the assumption there was one door and just one window. Again, if your surface area is different and there are more windows, you might not need as much paint.
Bunnings have a great online paint calculator you can use to determine how much paint you’ll need.
Need help choosing a paint colour for your bedroom? Get some expert tips are here.
Should You Just Hire a Painter?
As I said at the start of this post, everyone is different. I’m by no means a DIY-er. As a designer, I’m all about understanding that professionals will do the best job and have years, sometimes decades, of experience. So I’m all for calling in the pros. But that might not be the best choice for you.
In terms of costs for a single room like a bedroom, a painter would consider this one of their smaller projects and will likely fit you in around a larger job. The good news is that most do free estimates.
Expect to pay at least double the costs than if you did it yourself, potentially more depending on the square foot of floor space they’re working in, the type of room and its potential issues, plus wall height.
That said, a professional painter can talk to you about paint quality, can help choose different colours, and can use a high-quality paint to ensure the entire room looks amazing and without fault.
How much does it cost to paint a bedroom yourself? Now you have the answer! Laying out all the items you’ll need really is one of the easiest ways to calculate the amount you’ll spend. Drop me a comment below if you have any questions or need to clarify something.
