Painter pricing in New York City
What painters charge in New York City (typically $35-$90/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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New York City painter pricing
What painters should charge in New York City
NYC painters work in a market dominated by Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn high-end residential, rental-turnover volume, and Local Law 11 facade work. EPA RRP certification is mandatory for any work in pre-1978 housing. Co-op board approval and certificates of insurance are required for most apartment buildings. Pre-war plaster walls need specialist skim-coat work before any paint. Manhattan rates run 30-50% above outer boroughs.
Hourly rate
$35-$90
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$25-$53
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common painter jobs in New York City
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in USD.
Single room interior repaint (3x4m)
What's included
Includes 2 coats, walls + ceiling, prep, masking. Excludes major plaster repair.
Interior repaint per square metre
What's included
Wall area only, 2 coats, standard quality paint. Doors and trim usually quoted separately.
Exterior repaint per square metre
What's included
Includes prep, undercoat, 2 coats. Scaffold or cherry-picker hire extra for double-storey.
Ceiling paint per square metre
What's included
Includes 2 coats, cutting in. Stipple or coffered ceilings cost more.
Door (full prep and paint, both sides)
What's included
Includes sanding, priming, 2 finish coats. Premium enamel adds cost.
Skirting and architrave (per linear m)
What's included
Includes prep, fill, 2 coats. Tight angles and detailed mouldings cost more.
Full 3-bed house interior
What's included
All walls, ceilings, trim. 5-7 day job for a 2-painter team. Premium finishes add 30-50%.
Full single-storey house exterior
What's included
Includes prep, primer, 2 top coats. Render repairs and wood replacement priced separately.
Roof paint (sheet metal, per sqm)
What's included
Includes prep, primer, top coat. Tile roofs need specialist coating systems.
New York City quote factors
What to factor into your New York City painter quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a painter in New York City. Humid continental. Cold snowy winters (December-March, often below freezing), hot humid summers (July-August often above 90°F), coastal exposure on Manhattan/Brooklyn/Queens waterfronts. Hurricane Sandy flood-zone retrofits ongoing. Pipes freeze in winter, AC load peaks in July.
Manhattan vs outer boroughs
Manhattan (UES, UWS, Tribeca, SoHo, West Village, Midtown) runs $7-$15/sqft for interior, $10-$25/sqft for exterior. Brooklyn premium (Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill) $5-$12/sqft interior. Queens, Bronx, Staten Island $4-$8/sqft interior. Quote tier explicitly.
EPA RRP certification required
Federal EPA RRP rule and NYC Local Law 1 require certified renovator on staff for any work in pre-1978 housing that disturbs 6+ sqft of painted surface. Quote RRP-compliant workflow ($500-$2,500 add-on per job) and print certification number on every quote. Uncertified work in pre-war buildings carries $37,500 per-day penalties.
Co-op board insurance requirements
Most NYC co-op and condo buildings require painters to carry $1M-$2M general liability and workers' comp before allowing work. Quote certificates of insurance ($500-$1,500 per certificate cycle) and board-required hold-harmless agreements as overhead. Manhattan luxury buildings often require $5M+ coverage.
Pre-war plaster skim-coat
Pre-war buildings (1900-1940) have plaster walls with surface failures (cracks, settlement, paint buildup) that need skim-coat repair before painting. Quote skim-coat at $3-$8/sqft as a separate line on every pre-war job. Skipping skim-coat is the #1 callback driver in pre-war painting.
Rental-turnover volume tier
NYC has ~2M rental units. Landlords need rental-turnover painting (1-day to 3-day turn) between tenants. Quote per-apartment ($600-$2,500 for a 1-bed turnover, $1,500-$5,000 for 2-bed) at landlord portfolio rates. Volume work; build relationships with property managers for recurring revenue.
Local Law 11 exterior painting
Buildings 6+ stories must inspect facades every 5 years (Local Law 11 / FISP). Exterior painting often follows facade repair. Quote per-facade-section ($25,000-$200,000+ depending on size), scaffold ($5,000-$50,000), sidewalk shed, and DOB permits as separate lines. Recurring revenue every 5 years per building.
Sample quote
A real New York City painter quote you can copy
3-bedroom interior repaint, walls + ceilings + trim, premium finish. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Prep (sand, fill, prime patches) across 180sqm wall area
Wall paint (2 coats, Dulux Wash & Wear Low Sheen, customer choice colours x3)
Ceiling paint (2 coats, white flat, 95sqm)
Skirting and architrave (240 linear m, 2 coats enamel)
Doors (8 doors, both sides, prep + 2 coats enamel)
Masking, drop sheets, daily site clean
FAQ
New York City painter pricing questions, answered
Common questions about painter pricing in New York City, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Interior 2-coat: $5-$12/sqft for Brooklyn premium (Heights, Park Slope, Cobble Hill, DUMBO), $7-$15/sqft for Manhattan, $4-$8/sqft for Queens/Bronx/Staten Island. Exterior $10-$25/sqft depending on substrate, scaffold, and height. State '2 coats minimum' on every quote.
Yes, for any work in pre-1978 housing where you disturb 6+ sqft of painted surface. Federal EPA RRP rule and NYC Local Law 1. Certified renovator on staff is mandatory; certify before bidding pre-war work. Uncertified work carries $37,500 per-day penalties.
Most require $1M-$2M general liability and workers' comp. Manhattan luxury buildings often require $5M+ coverage. Quote certificates of insurance ($500-$1,500 per certificate cycle) and board-required hold-harmless agreements as overhead. State coverage levels on the quote.
Yes, on every pre-war (1900-1940) job. Plaster walls have surface failures (cracks, settlement, paint buildup) that need skim-coat repair before painting. Quote skim-coat at $3-$8/sqft as a separate line. Skipping skim-coat is the #1 callback driver in pre-war painting.
Yes, NYC has ~2M rental units. Landlords need 1-day to 3-day turnover painting between tenants. Quote per-apartment ($600-$2,500 for 1-bed, $1,500-$5,000 for 2-bed) at landlord portfolio rates. Volume work; build relationships with 5-10 property managers.
Hourly rates are $35 to $80 in the US, £22-55 in the UK, A$50-100 in Australia, R150-450 in South Africa, and C$35-85 in Canada. Most painters prefer to quote per square metre or per room because it is more transparent and avoids scope-creep disputes.
The big variables are coat count, paint grade, and how much prep is included. A 'cheap' quote is usually one coat of builder's-grade paint over no prep. A premium quote is two coats of washable paint over proper prep. Compare what is in the line items, not just the total.
A 3-bedroom interior with a 2-painter team is 5-7 working days for walls, ceilings, and trim. Furniture-out is faster (4-5 days); furniture-in adds 1-2 days for masking and movement.
Usually no. Painters buy paint at trade pricing 15-30% below retail and pass some of that on. Bringing your own paint also voids most coverage warranties. The exception is if you want a specific designer brand the painter cannot source.
A 4L tin covers around 30-40sqm in one coat for smooth walls, less for textured or porous surfaces. Always buy enough for 2 coats plus 10% for touch-ups. Your painter should quote the total litres needed on the quote.
Keep going
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