How Much Does It Cost to Paint a House in the Twin Cities?
Short answer: most Twin Cities homeowners spend $5,500–$9,500 to paint a 3-bedroom interior and $4,500–$15,000 for an exterior repaint, depending on size and prep. Below are the actual ranges we quote in 2026 — whole home, room by room, inside and out — plus the four things that decide where your project lands.
Cost to paint a whole house
Based on estimates issued across Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the surrounding suburbs in 2026. Two coats of Sherwin-Williams paint and standard prep assumed.
| Project | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| 2-bed condo / townhome (~900 sq ft) | $3,500 | $5,500 |
| 3-bed rambler (~1,800 sq ft) | $5,500 | $9,500 |
| 4-bed two-story (~2,800 sq ft) | $8,500 | $14,000 |
| Exterior — single-story rambler | $4,500 | $8,500 |
| Exterior — two-story with siding + trim | $7,500 | $15,000 |
| Exterior — stucco or fiber cement | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| Interior + exterior together | $11,000 | $22,000 |
All ranges include labor, Sherwin-Williams paint, masking, drop cloths, daily cleanup, and our 3-year written workmanship warranty.
Cost to paint a room
Single-room pricing with full prep and two finish coats. Painting several rooms at once lowers the per-room price because setup is shared.
| Room | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Bedroom, walls only (12×12) | $450 | $900 |
| Bedroom, walls + ceiling + trim | $900 | $1,800 |
| Living room with vaulted ceiling | $1,400 | $2,800 |
| Kitchen walls + ceiling (no cabinets) | $1,200 | $2,400 |
| Bathroom (moisture-rated finish) | $400 | $850 |
| Stairwell + upstairs hallway | $1,200 | $2,600 |
| Basement, finished (~800 sq ft) | $2,200 | $4,200 |
| Kitchen cabinets (30 doors, sprayed) | $3,800 | $6,500 |
The 4 things that move your quote
If two painters quoted your home and the numbers are far apart, it's almost always one of these.
Paintable surface, not floor area
We measure the wall and ceiling surface we actually coat. A vaulted great room with 16-foot walls has roughly double the surface of a standard-height room with the same footprint, so per-square-foot calculators you find online tend to run low on Minnesota two-stories.
Prep work — the biggest swing
Smooth, recently painted walls add almost nothing. Peeling exterior paint, plaster cracks, water stains, nail pops, chalky siding, or a dark-to-light color change can add 30–50% in labor. Prep is where cheap quotes get cheap.
Paint tier
Sherwin-Williams Cashmere runs about $65 a gallon for standard interiors; Emerald is about $95 and is what we use in kitchens, baths, and hallways. Exterior work uses Duration or Emerald Exterior. Moving between tiers shifts total cost roughly 8–12%.
Access and height
Second-story soffit, steep roof pitches, walkout basements, and tight lot lines all mean staging and ladder time. A two-story with a walkout typically adds a full day of setup versus a rambler of the same square footage.
Go deeper on your project
Paint calculator — how much paint do I need?
Enter your room size and get gallons needed, coverage per gallon, and dry times between coats.
Interior painting cost guide
Room-by-room interior pricing, prep levels, and paint tiers explained.
Exterior painting cost guide
Siding, stucco, soffit and trim pricing for Minnesota weather.
Drywall crack repair guide
What hairline cracks mean in a Minnesota home, and how they get fixed before paint.
Why our estimates are itemized, not lump-sum
Every Advanced Painting Services quote breaks out walls, ceilings, trim, doors, prep, and paint product on separate lines. You can see exactly what you are paying for, and you can adjust the scope — skip the ceilings, change paint tier — without waiting on a brand-new quote. Cody paints every job himself, so the person who wrote your number is the person holding the brush.
House painting cost FAQs
How much does it cost to paint a house in the Twin Cities?
Painting a whole house interior in Minneapolis–St. Paul typically runs $5,500–$9,500 for a 3-bedroom rambler and $8,500–$14,000 for a 4-bedroom two-story. Exterior repaints run $4,500–$8,500 for a single-story and $7,500–$15,000 for a two-story. Those are the ranges we actually quote in 2026, including two coats of Sherwin-Williams paint, full prep, and a 3-year written warranty.
How much does it cost to paint one room?
A standard 12×12 bedroom is $450–$900 for walls only and $900–$1,800 with ceiling, trim, and doors included. Bathrooms are $400–$850 because of the moisture-rated finish and cut-in work around fixtures. Vaulted living rooms are $1,400–$2,800.
Is it cheaper to paint the interior and exterior at the same time?
Yes, usually 8–12% less than two separate projects. Mobilization, masking, and setup get shared, and we can run exterior work on dry days and move inside when Minnesota weather turns. Bundled interior-plus-exterior projects generally land between $11,000 and $22,000.
Why is one painter's quote half the price of another's?
Almost always prep and coats. A rock-bottom quote usually means one coat of contractor-grade paint over minimal patching. Ask every painter to write down the number of coats, the exact paint product, what prep is included, and the warranty length — then the numbers become comparable.
Do painters charge by square foot or by the hour?
We estimate by hours of labor plus material and then give you one fixed, itemized price. Straight square-foot pricing overcharges simple jobs and underprices complicated ones, which is how homeowners end up with change orders halfway through.
When is the cheapest time to paint a house in Minnesota?
Interior pricing is steady year-round, but availability is far better November through March — lead times drop from 4–6 weeks in peak season to 1–2 weeks in winter. Exterior work in Minnesota needs surface temperatures above about 50°F, so it runs roughly May through early October.
Does the estimate include paint?
Yes. Every price on this page includes Sherwin-Williams paint, primer where needed, drop cloths, masking, daily cleanup, and the 3-year workmanship warranty. There is no separate materials invoice.
Get your exact number, not a range
Send 5 photos of your space and we'll send back a written, itemized estimate within 24 hours. Owner-operated. Fully insured. 3-year warranty.