What is the cost of painting a house per sq. ft. in India?

Paint Colour

Jul 19, 2022

Know the cost of painting a house in India - Beautiful Homes

Are you in the process of getting your house painted? It can be a bit confusing, so here is a deconstruction of the entire process to help you make an informed decision

Usually, painting a house as an activity is only thought about by homeowners as a one-time activity at the start. Painting also usually gets done when families move to a new space, or are getting their interiors done before moving to a new place. This action doesn’t happen again until there is an aspect of home renovation involved. Painting your home (both inside and outside) is a very important part of the home maintenance process. Painting not only gives a fresh look and feel to the space, but also adds useful life to the structure of the walls and helps protect against moisture and general wear-and-tear. Not to mention, it also allows you to add a personal touch to things. Well-painted spaces brighten up your mood and add vitality to the overall vibe.

Painting cost per square foot of your house can be an expensive affair, especially if you are not aware and informed about the process and the costs involved. Wall painting at home is not only about the paints and the labor costs, the process involves several other costs. Wall painting at home may include paint, putty, primer, labor costs etc. Wall painting at home is a complex and layered process, and due to this most homeowners may make mistakes in the selection of paint, or the contractors to be chosen to get work done.

To that effect, we’d like to present a detailed guide on how to go about getting your house painted - what are the options, how to choose certain things and how much investment is generally involved. Read on!

Things to consider while painting a house

Whether you’re getting your exterior home painting done or interior
Is it a fresh paint or a repaint operation?
Which type of paint do you want to use?
Number of colors used
Cost of bases - primer cost and wall putty cost
Cost of labor
When are you getting your paint job done? Seasons matter.
Are you also trying to get your home water-proofed?
Square footage to be considered in the cost for painting

1. Cost of Painting a House per sq.ft. in India : Interior vs. Exterior

Which surface is being painted is an important question to answer before you get into the process of getting your space painted. Generally speaking, the cost of an exterior paint job is lesser than an interior paint job. However it may be more tedious and cumbersome to get exterior home painting done as there may be need of scaffolding or a ladder pulley system to get the labours in place to get a paint job done. Also, usually more coats of paints are required for the exterior as it is often more under the direct effect of weather changes. While doing an exterior paint job, you should also get an extensive sanding/leveling process done.

Interior vs exterior house painting per sq ft in India - Beautiful Homes

Interior painting cost per square foot:

₹12 to ₹ 35 (plus Labor charges)

Exterior painting cost per square foot:

₹13 onwards (plus Labor charges)

Consider the cost for fresh paint vs repainting of your home - Beautiful Homes

2. Cost of Painting a House per sq.ft. in India : Fresh Paint vs. Repaint

Here, what comes into play the most is the condition of the surface that is being painted. More often, it is walls that are being painted. A fresh coat may indeed be 1-2 coats of putty, primer and at least 2-3 coats of fresh paint. On the other hand, for a repaint you may need touch-up putty and a primer coupled with 1-2 coats of paint. For the higher (luxury) range of paints, we recommend wall punning as it enhances the look by covering up the undulated surfaces on the wall. Naturally, fresh painting costs more than getting a repaint for your house. Paint cost per liter and painting cost per square foot can be two very different things due to the many materials apart from paint being involved. Painting labor cost per square foot also adds to the expense here.

Fresh Painting cost per square foot:

₹20 to ₹38

Repainting cost per square foot:

₹12 to ₹28

3. Cost of Painting a House per sq.ft. in India : Paint Type

One of the most obvious factors that impact the cost and overall look-and feel is the type of paint being used for the job.

There is a very clear demarcation in the painting cost per square foot for paints of different types. Let’s find out more!

The cheapest ones are water-soluble distemper paints, but they also have a strong odor and are less durable.

The standard quality for painting now are emulsion paints. They can be both water and oil-based. They are durable. They are also washable. Some of these also may have anti-fungal or mildew qualities.In fact, emulsion paints also have a variety of different finishes like glossy, matte, pearl etc.

Enamel paints are applied to surfaces where a high amount of activity is expected. These paints are durable and easy to clean. They are also water and stain-resistant and are usually used for wooden or metal surfaces.

Lustre paints can be water or oil-based and provide a pearl-like smooth finish.
The most expensive option is called texture paint. It is mainly used for accent walls. These paints require a special base preparation and some tools. Additional painting labour cost per sq ft charges may also be involved in this case.

Cost of the type of wall paint for home painting - Beautiful Homes

Price for Distemper per square foot:

₹8 onwards

Price for Emulsion per square foot:

₹12 onwards

Price for Texture paint per square foot:

₹80 onwards

4. Cost of Painting a House per sq.ft. in India : Labor Costs

Cost of labor for painting may vary from one city to another nationwide and it is directly correlated with the cost of living in that area. Costs within a city may also vary on the same criterion, i.e. poshness of the locality. The type of choices made on materials and hence the level of skill required also determines the painting labour cost per sq ft in a lot of cases. Branding Painting Services may charge more but they also offer better finishes and individual and personalized contractors in most cases. Painter cost might also take years of experience into consideration. Experience handling various types of paint is also a factor in determining painter cost. Painter cost also may depend on travel arrangements or contractor volume, i.e number of painters involved for a certain paint job.

Obviously, the cost of labor is higher for exterior home painting and textured paints. The most important factor is to find out the right resources and materials, with the requisite skill-set to finish the job well. Opting for organized players instead of unskilled contractors is always a safer bet. Painting labor cost per square foot thus depends on a variety of factors and can change based on changes in any of those.

Cost of painting a house based on cost of putty & primer - Beautiful Homes

5. Cost of Painting a House per sq.ft. in India : Cost of Putty and Primer

Putty is a white, cement-based water-resistant material that is used to Putty is a white, cement-based water-resistant material that is used to level out imperfections and undulations on a surface. Generally, one kg of Putty costs around ₹50, and it provides 15 to 35 square feet of coverage.

Primer is a material that works as a base for the paint and enhances its look. It is applied before using putty for better paint adherence.

The cost of primer varies depending on the different types available in the market. A liter of primer costs somewhere between ₹140 and ₹200, and provides 210-270 square feet in coverage.

All of the prices mentioned above are subject to change based on a variety of factors like location, quality, square footage etc.. Please contact your local vendors/contractors or branded services to compare and take an informed decision.

Tips for house painting

Always buy good quality, branded paints. This is one place you don’t want to “save extra by buying cheaper”.
Ideally, while getting your house painted, choose dry days and warm days. Summers work best. The paint dries faster as the time taken for a paint layer to dry is directly related to the temperature. This also helps in forming a better grip with the underlying surface.
Treat the wall with a water-resistant product before painting. This prevents seepage and dampness. This works well both for interior and exterior paint works, and for first time paint and repaint jobs alike.
Do not ignore the grills on balconies and windows. Paint those to avoid corrosion in the future.
Ceilings can be a space to express your creativity while getting your paints done. You can brighten up ceilings with fancy colors and multi-level contrast hues.
While getting an interior paint job done, it is important to consider the amount of natural lights your room is getting. This helps in choosing the color and tone of the paint. Darker rooms do well with warmer tones, whereas brighter rooms look better with a cooler range of colors.
In the recent years there has been a huge shift from solvent based to water-based paints. It is also better to opt for odorless paints. Chemical-free and eco-friendly paints with safe levels of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) are on the rise - both in demand and hence in supply.
Consider personal allergies when it comes to paints. Living in a house with paints there that are toxic and contain chemicals that you’re allergic to, is not a good deal.

Beautiful exterior & interior house wall painting tips - Beautiful Homes

Hire professional Beautiful Homes Service for interiors & exterior painting & design - Beautiful Homes

Parting Wisdom

Here is a quick summary of how much it could cost you overall to get a house painting job done in India in 2021:

Cost of Interior Painting ₹12-₹35 per sq. ft. + Labor costs

Cost of Exterior Home Painting ₹13 per sq. ft. onwards + Labor costs

Cost of a Fresh Paint job ₹20-₹38 per sq.ft.

Cost of a repaint job ₹12-₹28 per sq.ft.

Cost of Distemper ₹8 per sq. ft. onwards

Cost of Emulsion ₹12 per sq.ft onwards

Cost of Texture Paint ₹80 per sq. ft. onwards

Cost Of Single Color Painting ₹20 per sq. ft. onwards

Cost of Putty / Wall Putty Price ₹50/kg. 1 kg provides 15-35 sq.f.t of coverage depending on thickness of coating

Price of Primer ₹140-₹200/litre. 1 liter provides coverage for 210-270 sq.ft.
Labor costs Depending on location (city)

Asian Paints Beautiful Home presents many paint options and colour varieties to give you the dream house you always wanted. With our team of experienced interior designers and professional painters we understand what you want and paint your walls making them as per your preferences.

You can visit our website to check various options offered and projects executed by us so far. If you wish, you can book your 3D consultation call to understand the project's process, interior design, and execution or walk into any of our stores across India. Our current stores are spread across Amritsar, Tumakuru, Raipur, Jaipur, New Delhi, Kochi, Karur, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and Nashik. In addition, we are in the process of opening up state-of-the-art stores across several cities.

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What is the cost of painting a house per sq. ft. in India?

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