Most painting price guides online are written for a national-average house. That house isn’t in Montgomery County. Homes around here are older, a lot of them have plaster walls, aluminum siding, stone, or stucco, and the outdoor painting season ends in October.
This guide covers what professional painting costs in 2026 across Montgomery County, plus Philadelphia and Berks counties. It explains what pushes a job to the low or high end, and how to compare quotes so you know you’re paying for the same job.
Quick answer: 2026 painting prices in the Philly suburbs
- One bedroom (walls, ceiling, trim): $800 to $1,400
- Full interior, 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft home: $7,000 to $14,000
- Full exterior, two-story colonial: $6,500 to $12,000
- Kitchen cabinets (sprayed finish): $4,500 to $9,000
These ranges assume proper prep, two coats of Benjamin Moore or comparable professional-grade paint, and a registered, insured crew. Condition, access, and scope decide where your house lands.
Why online averages don’t match quotes here
Lead-gen sites list a Philadelphia-area exterior average of about $2,500. Some cost calculators put a painted kitchen under $600. Those numbers mix small jobs, like a front door, trim only, or a single room, in with full projects. They rarely reflect what a full repaint costs with real prep and good paint.
They also miss what makes southeastern PA different:
- Older homes. The median home in Montgomery County was built around 1971. Anything built before 1978 may have lead paint, and federal rules require contractors to use lead-safe practices when they disturb it.
- Plaster walls. Pre-war homes across the region often have plaster that cracks and needs real repair before paint, not just a dab of spackle.
- Mixed exteriors. Stone, stucco, brick, aluminum siding, and wood trim each need their own prep and products, sometimes on the same house.
- A short exterior season. Most exterior work happens between May and mid-October, so good crews book up early.
Interior painting costs
| Project | Typical 2026 range | What’s usually included |
|---|---|---|
| Small bedroom or office (about 10×12) | $450 to $800 | Walls only, two coats |
| Bedroom, full refresh | $800 to $1,400 | Walls, ceiling, trim, and door |
| Living or family room | $1,200 to $2,500 | Walls, ceiling, trim; size and ceiling height set the range |
| Kitchen | $700 to $1,500 | Walls and ceiling; cabinets priced separately |
| Bathroom | $500 to $1,000 | Moisture-resistant finish |
| Two-story foyer or stairwell | $1,200 to $3,000 | Staging or scaffolding for the high walls |
| Whole interior, 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | $7,000 to $14,000 | Walls, ceilings, trim, and doors |
As a rule of thumb, a full interior repaint usually lands between $3.50 and $6 per square foot of floor area. Walls-only jobs come in lower. Homes with a lot of trim, big color changes, or plaster repair come in higher.
What moves an interior price
- Color changes. Going from dark to light, or the reverse, usually takes a primer coat or a third coat.
- Trim and doors. Six-panel doors, wainscoting, and crown molding are hand work. A house with a lot of millwork costs more than one with the same square footage and plain trim.
- Wall condition. Cracks, nail pops, water stains, and wallpaper removal all add prep time. Water stains need a stain-blocking primer or they bleed through.
- Ceiling height. Vaulted ceilings and two-story rooms need staging.
- Furniture and access. An empty house goes faster than a lived-in one.
Exterior painting costs
| House type | Typical 2026 range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rowhome or twin, front façade | $2,500 to $6,000 | Trim, door, and cornice; brick needs masonry paint |
| Ranch or split-level | $4,500 to $8,500 | Single story keeps access simple |
| Two-story colonial, 2,000 to 2,500 sq ft | $6,500 to $12,000 | The most common exterior job in the suburbs |
| Large or three-story home | $12,000 to $20,000+ | Lifts or staging for the upper floors |
| Trim only (vinyl-sided home) | $2,000 to $5,000 | Windows, fascia, soffits, doors, and shutters |
What moves an exterior price
- Prep. Washing, scraping, sanding, caulking, and priming bare wood. This is where cheap quotes cut corners, and it decides how long the paint lasts.
- Wood rot. Rotted sills, fascia, and trim are common on older homes here. They have to be replaced before painting, or the paint fails in the same spot. We handle carpentry and wood repair in-house, so you’re not waiting on a second contractor.
- Siding type. Aluminum siding has to be cleaned of chalky residue first. Stucco and masonry need breathable coatings. Cedar shakes take a lot of brush work.
- Height and access. Third-story gables, steep lots, and porch roofs mean ladders, lifts, or staging.
- Lead-safe work. On homes built before 1978, contractors who disturb paint must follow EPA lead-safe practices: containment, plastic sheeting, and specialized cleanup. That adds time, and it’s not optional.
When to schedule exterior painting
Exterior paint needs dry surfaces and temperatures above the product’s minimum, which is roughly 35°F to 50°F depending on the paint, while it’s applied and for hours afterward. In southeastern PA that usually means May through mid-October, plus some late-fall days when the weather holds.
If you want your exterior done in the spring, get estimates over the winter. That’s when crews fill their schedules.
Cabinet painting costs
- Kitchen, sprayed finish: $4,500 to $9,000 for a typical kitchen, or roughly $125 to $225 per door and drawer front.
- Bathroom vanity: $500 to $1,200.
- Built-ins and bookcases: priced by size and detail.
Replacing the cabinets in a mid-size kitchen usually costs several times more. A real cabinet job includes degreasing, scuff-sanding, a bonding primer, and two coats of a cabinet-grade enamel. Doors and drawer fronts come off and get sprayed. Plan on limited use of your kitchen for several days.
Watch out for quotes that roll paint over unprepped doors. That finish often starts peeling at the edges within a year, and fixing it means stripping it and starting over.
How to compare painting quotes in Pennsylvania
Two quotes that are $4,000 apart usually aren’t for the same job. Line them up on these points:
- Scope in writing. Which rooms and surfaces, whether ceilings, trim, and doors are included, and how many coats.
- The paint line, not just the brand. Benjamin Moore and other major brands sell several product lines at very different price points. The quote should name the line.
- Prep, spelled out. Scraping, patching, caulking, primer, and how wood rot will be priced if it turns up mid-job.
- A PA HIC registration number. Pennsylvania requires home improvement contractors to register with the Attorney General and put the number on their contracts and estimates. Ours is PA217947.
- A written contract with a three-day cancellation right. State law requires both for home improvement work over $500.
- A reasonable deposit. On jobs over $1,000, Pennsylvania caps the deposit at one-third of the price, not counting special-order materials.
- Proof of insurance. Ask for a certificate of liability insurance, and workers’ comp if the company has employees.
- Lead-safe certification for pre-1978 homes. The EPA requires it for paid work that disturbs paint in older homes. The EPA explains what to ask for.
- A written warranty. Know what it covers and for how long before you sign.
How to keep the cost down without cutting corners
- Do several rooms in one visit. Setup and cleanup cost the same whether it’s one room or five.
- Clear the room yourself. Move small furniture and take down art and curtains before the crew arrives.
- Stay close to your current colors. Similar colors often cover in two coats without a primer.
- Paint the interior in winter. You’ll have more choice of dates while everyone else waits for spring.
- Fix rot and leaks early. A small repair this year is cheaper than replacing a whole section of trim later.
- Spread out the payments. Fox & Fern offers 0% APR financing for up to 24 months for approved customers.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint one room in Philadelphia?
Most single rooms run $450 to $1,400, depending on size and whether the ceiling and trim are included. Large rooms, high ceilings, and heavy wall repair cost more.
How long does exterior paint last in southeastern PA?
With good prep and quality paint, often 7 to 10 years on wood siding and trim. South- and west-facing walls wear faster because they get the most sun. Poor prep can cut that in half.
Can you paint inside during the winter?
Yes. Interior painting works year-round, and winter is a good time for it. The house is closed up, and you won’t be competing with spring demand for a spot on the schedule.
Do I need to leave the house while you paint?
Not for most interior jobs. The work moves room by room, and modern low-odor paints make it easy to stay home. For cabinet painting, plan on limited kitchen use for several days.
Do you paint commercial buildings too?
Yes. We paint offices, retail spaces, and multi-unit buildings, scheduled around business hours. See our commercial renovations page, or repairs and maintenance for recurring service plans.
Get a real number for your house
Online ranges get you in the ballpark. A free on-site estimate gets you a written, line-item price. We’re based in Linfield and work across Montgomery County, plus Philadelphia and Berks counties.
Written by Dominic, owner of Fox & Fern, a family-owned property services company based in Linfield, PA. PA HIC #PA217947. See all of our painting services.