How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Bathroom?

If you have been considering new paint in your bathroom the following information will help you to determine the amount of paint you need, and the probable cost of the job. Painting your own room will save you a lot of money in labor costs, but often inexperienced painters use more paint and do not do as good of a job as experienced painters do.

Cost Estimate of Painting the Vanity and Shelving

The vanity, shelving, and trim in the room increase the labor cost. These are harder to paint items that slow the progress of the painter and cause the job to take longer. Most painters will increase their per square foot charge by one to two dollars if you tell them they have to paint the vanity, shelving, and trim in the room.

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Cost Estimate of Painting a Quarter-bathroom

Most quarter baths do not have a sink and toilet. They usually have a vanity and sink where people can wash their hands, or they sometimes have a small shower in place. These bathrooms are designed for cleanup convenience in families that may do a lot of outside work, or have children that frequently get their hands dirty.

Paint accessories like Applicators, painter’s tape, and paint trays are not included in the estimate.

Cost Estimate of Painting a Half-bathroom

The half-bath is often a bathroom that is downstairs and mainly used for guest accommodations. These bathrooms do not include tubs or showers. They have a toilet and a vanity with a sink for handwashing purposes. They will have a mirror above the vanity, and shelving is an optional item in these spaces.

The average square footage in a half-bath is between 18 and 20 square feet. The largest half-baths encompass between 20 and 32 square feet of space. You must have a minimum of 32 square feet before you can install a shower into a bathroom, and any bathroom with more than 32 square feet in size normally has a shower in it.

The following paint cost estimates are based on the need for walls, ceilings, and trim to be painted so the hourly labor rates of the painters are higher. Paint accessories like Applicators, painter’s tape, and paint trays are not included in the estimate.

Cost Estimate of Painting a ¾ Bathroom

The ¾ bath is very popular in smaller homes. It has all of the amenities that you need in a bathroom, but it does not have large floor space.

These bathrooms are smaller than the full baths or master baths, but they have everything in them you need. Most of the time the shower and tub are one unit to save space, and the vanity is either very small, or you have a pedestal sink instead of a sink in the vanity.

The following paint cost estimates are based on the need for walls, ceilings, and trim to be painted so the hourly labor rates of the painters are higher. Paint accessories like Applicators, painter’s tape, and paint trays are not included in the estimate.

Cost Estimate of Painting a Master Bathroom

The master bath is a spacious luxury room. Often these bathrooms include both a shower and a tub, and they may contain double sinks in the vanity, closets for linens, closets for clothing, and a sitting area complete with a chair.

These bathrooms are found in larger homes and they have no less than 50 square feet of space.

The following paint cost estimates are based on the need for walls, ceilings, and trim to be painted so the hourly labor rates of the painters are higher. Paint accessories like Applicators, painter’s tape, and paint trays are not included in the estimate.

How Much Does The Primer Cost?

The typical cost of a one-gallon container of interior grade primer is between $20 to $80 a gallon.

Primer is generally thicker than paint because it is designed to hide imperfections, and stop paint bleed-through situations from happening. Because primer is thicker than paint you can expect primer to not cover as many square feet per container.

The traditional interior primer used on bathroom walls, ceilings, and trim will cover between 225 square feet and 275 square feet. Primer is normally a one-coat product. It can be applied using a brush or roller, but when you try to apply it with a paint sprayer you may have to thin the substance and make more than one coat for complete coverage.

How Much Does the Paint Cost?

On average interior paint that is acceptable for use in bathrooms will cost between $20 and $75 per gallon. One gallon of paint will normally cover between 300 and 400 square feet and can be applied using a roller, paintbrush, or paint sprayer. If you choose to use a paint sprayer you will use about 40% more paint because of overspray that occurs during application. 

A paint sprayer can apply paint very quickly, but it takes more coatings of paint to get complete coverage, and it takes a greater volume of paint.

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Labor Cost 

On the average labor scale, you will pay about $3.50 for every square foot. Painters are usually paid by the square foot because they paint so quickly that if they are paid by the hour, they do not make enough money to make the work financially profitable for them.

You may find labor rates to be a lot higher than $3.50 per square foot if you have a difficult painting area. Excessive trim in the room, hard-to-access areas, and other things that make the painting harder to accomplish cause the painter to charge more for each square foot that they paint.

How Much Does It Cost to Paint Unpainted Bathroom Walls and Ceiling?

If you are painting new materials that have never been painted before you will most likely not spend any more money on the job because most bathrooms use less than one gallon of paint for coverage. The raw materials like new sheetrock or unpainted boards soak up a larger amount of paint than previously painted materials do.

One of the main reasons why primer is applied to new surfaces is because the primer is cheaper than paint, and the new material will soak in the primer instead of soaking in the higher-priced paints. The primer coats the new material and gives you a base to start with so your colored paint will go on smoothly, adhere properly, and require fewer coats.

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How Much Does It Cost to Paint Over Existing Paint?

If you are about to paint a room that has been previously painted you may be able to do the work with less paint. If your walls and surfaces are flawless, smooth, and ready to be painted you may not need to use a primer before painting,

Primer covers stains, hides imperfections, smooths out surfaces, and prepares the are to accept the paint. There are paints that have primer included in the container. They are 2-on-1 paints. If you are painting a previously painted surface and the new color is the same shade or slightly darker than the previous color you can more than likely skip the primer application and apply just a good two-in-one primer and paint combination.

If the surface area of the room is dented, scratched, or uneven a first coat of a separate primer can cover these flaws and make the surface appear to be in better condition. If there are any stains or watermarks on the surfaces a separate primer applied at the beginning of the job will create a better surface because the primer will hide the stains and watermarks, preventing them from bleeding through.

If you are painting the walls with a color that is lighter than the previous color then you will likely need a primer coat to cover the darker color and prevent it from bleeding.

The cost of painting previously painted areas may be less if you do not need to add a separate primer. Most professional painters go ahead and use the separate primer because it simply creates a better finish that looks good and is more durable than paint alone.

FAQ’s

How Much Paint Do I Need to Paint a Bathroom?

The majority of bathrooms require less than one gallon of paint for complete coverage. You may need a greater amount of paint if you use very thin paint, or if you do an intricately detailed design.

What Type of Paint is Best for a Bathroom?

Satin and semi-gloss paints that are designed to be applied in high moisture situations are the best for the bathroom. The bathroom requires a large amount of cleaning because it is a highly used area of the home. In high-use areas, the satin and the semi-gloss paints can withstand the amount of washing you will need to do to the walls.

How Often Should You Paint Your Bathroom?

Most people paint their bathrooms every three to four years. The paint used in these rooms is designed to repel moisture and protect your home from mold and moisture damage. Within five years the paint may begin to lose its ability to provide you with the utmost protection.

Final Considerations

Before you rush out to buy the paint to paint your bathroom it is recommended that you make a list. Check over all of your paint brushes, roller covers, and equipment to make sure of what you have on hand, and what you will need to buy. Remember that oil-based paints will require you to buy paint thinner or paint remover substances to clean your brushes and equipment with.