Painters in New York: 2026 Prices, Lead-Safe Rules and Vetted Pros

What painters charge in New York

Our prices start from national cost guides and apply the New York City construction cost factor of 1.31 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Labor is most of a paint job, so local wages drive the total more than the paint does.

Estimates for 2026, including labor and standard parts. New York prices use the metro's construction cost factor of 1.31 (US average = 1.00) from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Area Cost Factors. Your quote depends on access, materials and the condition of the home.

Angi's New York data is in the same territory. It puts interior painting at $2 to $6 per square foot and the average room at $1,239, with most rooms between $450 and $1,802 (Angi). It also notes higher labor in dense prewar buildings, and says surface prep such as patching, sanding and priming adds $0.50 to $0.75 per square foot in older NYC homes. Taking down old wallpaper first costs about $3 per square foot (Angi).

Quotes climb toward the top of the range when:

• Plaster walls are cracked or bulging and need skim coating before paint
• Ceilings are 9 feet or taller, or there is crown molding, picture rail and paneled doors to cut in
• The building was built before 1978 and the crew has to set up lead-safe containment and cleanup
• A co-op or condo limits work hours, so the job takes more days
• The exterior needs ladders or a lift over a sidewalk or a tight side yard

Use the calculator below, or the full painting calculator, for a price based on your square footage, condition and ZIP code. Our painting cost guide covers national prices and paint finishes.

Interior painting in New York homes and apartments

At New York prices, the table works out to $460 to $1,100 for a bedroom, $850 to $1,850 for a primary bedroom and $785 to $2,600 for a living room. A bathroom costs $195 to $525. Painting kitchen cabinets runs $1,200 to $5,000, because every door and drawer front is removed, cleaned, sanded, primed and finished.

HomeGuide's national figures explain where the money goes. Labor is 70% to 85% of a room's price, and walls alone cost about $1 to $2 per square foot of surface before ceilings and trim are added. An accent wall runs $80 to $200 nationally (HomeGuide).

Prewar apartments add their own prep, which is why Angi flags higher labor in those buildings. Plaster walls with many old coats, radiators and painted-shut window sashes all take time. Ask each painter how they will handle cracks and old layers, because prep is where bids differ most. If cabinets are part of a bigger kitchen job, our New York kitchen guide covers the remodel side.

In a co-op or condo, check the building's rules before you book. Your building may limit work hours or ask for the contractor's insurance certificate, so get its alteration or contractor rules from the managing agent in writing.

Exterior painting and the New York climate

Exterior paint in the metro has to handle cold winters, humid summers and rain in every month. Central Park averages 49.52 inches of precipitation a year, and no month averages less than 3.19 inches (National Weather Service). Plan on weather days in the schedule whenever you paint.

Temperature sets the season. Sherwin-Williams says some of its exterior latex lines can be applied as low as 35°F, while traditional latex paints need temperatures above 60°F to cure properly. It adds that the temperature should stay in range and above the dew point for at least 48 hours after painting. Its warning about fall fits New York well: paint applied on a 50°F afternoon can fail when the night drops below 35°F and dew settles on the wet film (Sherwin-Williams).

Source: NWS normals for 1991 to 2020. Outside Manhattan, check your own local forecast for the full drying window. Late May through early October is the practical window for most exteriors here. HomeGuide adds that an exterior job takes about 4 to 5 days and that south- and southwest-facing walls wear out first.

How often to repaint

HomeGuide puts the national average at every 5 to 10 years. Wood siding needs it most often, every 3 to 7 years. Aluminum lasts 5 to 10, and cement fiberboard 10 to 15. Brick costs $2.50 to $5 per square foot to paint nationally, wood $1.50 to $5 and vinyl $1.50 to $4.50, before the New York factor (HomeGuide).

Lead paint rules in New York and New Jersey

The metro's housing is old. By the Census Bureau's 2024 count, 77.9% of homes in New York City were built before 1980, including 79.2% in Brooklyn and 81.7% in Queens. In Nassau County the share is 84.1%, in Westchester 74.3% and in Bergen County 71.9% (Census Reporter, ACS 2024). Lead paint was banned for homes in 1978, so most painting jobs here touch paint that may contain it.

Federal rule: EPA RRP (everywhere in the metro)

Anyone paid to disturb paint in a pre-1978 home must work for an EPA-certified firm, with a certified renovator on the job. The firm gives you the Renovate Right pamphlet before starting, contains the work area, and may not burn paint off with a torch or use power sanders without HEPA dust collection. Jobs disturbing 6 square feet or less per room inside, or 20 square feet or less outside, are exempt (EPA). You can look up firms with the EPA lead-safe firm locator.

NYC Local Law 1 (stricter, in many apartments)

New York City's Local Law 1 covers buildings built before 1960, and buildings from 1960 to 1978 where the owner knows there is lead paint, in units where a child under 6 lives or spends 10 or more hours a week. According to HPD's 2026 guidance (HPD):

1. Lead-safe work practices apply to any work disturbing 2 square feet or more of paint in a room, a much lower trigger than the federal 6 square feet.
2. Dry scraping is not allowed. Floors are covered in plastic, work areas are sealed off, and the crew cleans daily with HEPA vacuums and wet mops.
3. Disturbing more than 100 square feet of paint in a room, or removing 2 or more painted windows, requires a contractor certified by EPA in abatement as well as renovation.
4. After the work, an EPA-certified inspector or risk assessor who is independent of the owner and the painter takes dust samples to confirm the area is clean.
5. Owners must keep the records for 10 years, and tenants can report unsafe work to 311.

Since December 1, 2021, the city counts paint as lead-based at 0.5 milligrams per square centimeter, half the old threshold. Landlords turning over a pre-1960 apartment should plan for this work before new tenants move in.

New Jersey rental inspections

New Jersey requires towns to inspect many rental units built before 1978 for lead paint hazards. The first round was due by July 22, 2024, and inspections repeat every three years or at tenant turnover unless the owner has a valid lead-safe certificate, which lasts two years (NJ DCA). Landlords in Newark, Jersey City and other towns should time repainting so the unit is ready to pass.

Lead-safe work costs more because of the containment, cleanup and testing. HomeGuide puts full lead paint removal at $6 to $17 per square foot nationally. Ask for the lead-safe steps as their own line on each estimate so you can compare bids.

Paint VOC limits in New York and New Jersey

Both states cap the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in house paint. New York's rule, 6 NYCRR Part 205, applies to selling and applying paint anywhere in the state, so a contractor may not use a product over the limit even if it was bought elsewhere (6 NYCRR 205.3). New Jersey adopted matching limits for its main paint categories in 2025, and they became operative on August 18, 2026 (NJDEP).

New Jersey also added a wood coatings category for varnishes and similar finishes, capped at 275 grams per liter. Ask the painter to list the exact product lines on the estimate, so you can check the VOC figure on the label or data sheet.

Do you need a permit?

No building permit is needed to paint a home in any part of the metro.

• New York City: the Department of Buildings lists painting as work that needs no permit, but it still has to be done by a contractor licensed by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (NYC DOB). Painting brick or concrete is also permit-free under the DOB's minor work rule.
• Long Island and Westchester: state rules let towns exempt painting and similar finish work from permits (19 NYCRR 1203.3).
• New Jersey: interior and exterior painting is ordinary maintenance under the Uniform Construction Code, with no permit or inspection. Lead abatement is not (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.7).

In the city's 157 historic districts, repainting a door or trim the same color needs no review by the Landmarks Preservation Commission (NYC Business). For a new exterior color or for painting masonry on a landmarked house, call LPC before the crew starts. If the job includes facade or cornice repairs, our New York roofing guide explains when roof and deck work needs a permit.

Areas we cover

GOLDGCP painters take interior and exterior jobs across the metro:

• Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens
• The Bronx and Staten Island
• Long Island
• Westchester
• Newark and Jersey City
• The rest of Northern New Jersey

Type in your ZIP code to see painting prices for your area and get matched with painters nearby.