How Much Does It Cost To Paint An Apartment? (2023 Estimates)

How Much Does It Cost To Paint A Garage?

While it's difficult to give a conclusive answer on the painting costs for a specific painting job, it is possible to break down the individual costs you might account for based on the square footage you're working with.

It's also important to note that the prep work involved for a particular painting job will add to the overall costs for your paint job.

So, in this article, I'm going to break down some of the typical painting costs and project costs you might incur when painting your garage as a DIY project vs. the costs you might incur when hiring a professional painter.

Painting Costs To Paint A Garage If You Do It Yourself?

If you decide that you want to DIY your garage paint job, it'll probably end up costing less than hiring a professional painter.

However, there are still some painting costs you'll need to account for that you wouldn't need to worry about if you hired a professional painting contractor.

For instance, you'll likely need to purchase some painting supplies like drop cloths, painter's tape, paint brushes or paint rollers, paint trays, and painting safety equipment.

But, if you happen to have a few of those things on hand then that'll drive your project costs down.

So, with that in mind, I'm going to go through and make an itemized list of the average price of all these items below so you can get a sense of how much to budget for your painting project:

• Drop Cloths - $10
• Painter's Tape - $7
• Paint Roller Frame - $7
• Paint Roller Covers - $10
• Paint Tray - $6
• Paint Brushes (For Detailing) - $10
• Disposable Painter's Masks - $20 
• Disposable Painting Gloves - $8
• Safety Goggles - $12
• 1 Gallon of Behr Paint - $36
• 1 Gallon of Sherwin Williams Paint - $40
• 1 Gallon of Primer - $36

Chances are you won't need everything on this list if you have a few painting supplies handy, but you'll probably need more than one gallon of paint to do the job.

That said, my estimated total cost for painting your garage yourself is:

$200 - $400

That estimate is based on the assumption that you might need all of the supplies above in addition to 1-3 gallons of a paint/primer combo (to save you from buying a gallon of primer as well) to cover your entire 2 car garage.

However, it doesn't account for exterior paints that you might need to paint your garage door as well, so be sure to add another $40 or so to your total costs if that's something you're tackling as well.

Your final cost will ultimately depend on how big your garage is and any other project costs you might run into.

It also varies based on your overall paint costs. However, even with those costs included it will still likely save you a few hundred dollars to DIY paint your garage.

Painting is one of the few home improvement skills that is fairly easy to learn (though it is time-consuming) and can save you a lot of money in the long run as long as you can get the hang of it and don't end up needing to repaint everything.

Read More >> What Are The Best Interior Paint/Primer Combos?

Average Cost To Paint A Garage If You Hire a Professional Painter?

Next, let's go over some of the estimated painting costs of hiring a professional painter to paint your garage.

It's important to recognize that each painting contractor tends to price their work differently, and while some may offer a flat rate for a job like painting a garage, most of them will charge you based on the square footage involved in the project.

That's because this allows them to better estimate their overall labor costs associated with painting your garage.

But, for the sake of this article, I'm going to price out a project based on the national average size for a 2 car garage which is approximately 400 sq ft (typically a 20'x20' garage).

Keep in mind, if you're hiring someone to paint a significantly larger garage (like a 4 car garage for instance, or a garage that's much deeper than a standard garage) it'll drive your overall project costs up.

That said, the national average cost for painting a garage per square foot ranges from $1-$3.

So, hiring a professional painter to paint your garage - if it's an average size - will range from $400 to $1,200.

Read More >> How Do You Paint A Wall Like A Pro?

How To Estimate The Cost To Paint A Garage?

It's important to note here that there are other factors that can drive up the project costs of painting a garage whether you're taking the DIY approach or hiring a professional.

These are things to consider when deciding how you want to approach repainting your garage.

Prep Work

One of the main factors that can drive up project costs is the amount of prep work your garage requires before it's ready to paint.

If your garage is a bit worse for wear and needs a bunch of grime and mildew to get rid of, sanding and patching to do, places in need of caulk, or other repairs, it's going to cost that much more for a professional painter to come and finish the job right.

But, if you're going the DIY route, it's going to take you much more time to get it done, so it's important to evaluate that trade-off. 

Sometimes, if there's a lot of drywall repair necessary or other touch-ups that are a bit more complicated, it's worth it to hire a professional to do the job properly. This is especially true if you're looking to refinish the garage floor or do a full garage remodel, which might require a general contractor to give an estimate as well.

But, this might be worth the added costs if your overall goal is to add to the resale value of your entire house.

If, however, you're garage is new construction, and it's truly just in need of a fresh coat of paint, then taking the DIY approach is probably not too much of a hassle.

Surface Area Of The Walls

One more thing to think about is the exact dimensions of your walls which can add to the amount of interior painting required.

If your garage is standard height, this won't be as much of an issue, but if you have tall ceilings to work with, that's going to drive up the overall paint costs for your project.

Just make sure you know the exact dimensions of your garage walls before you make a decision about how to approach this paint job.

One of the best ways to do this is to whip out a tape measure and measure the width and height of your wall.

Then, you can plug the dimensions and estimated price of the paint you want into a calculator like this one to figure out how much it should cost for the paint alone.

Read More >> What Are The Best Folding Ladders For Painting?

How Can You Save Money When Painting A Garage?

If you end up going the DIY route there are a few things you can do to lower your painting costs and save money on your painting project.

Types of Paint

The type of paint you choose for your project can really make a huge difference in your overall project costs.

If you decide to use multiple types of paint or multiple colors, you're going to run into more painting costs than you would if you're only using one basic color.

But, luckily, painting a garage doesn't require super high-quality paint to get the job done.

Unlike the interior walls of your home, you're not going to be spending a great deal of time looking at the garage walls.

If you're looking to do this on a tight budget, I'd recommend choosing a cheaper paint that's on sale to save your money.

Also, latex paints are typically cheaper than oil-based paints, and if you're a beginner looking to DIY a single wall in your own home, I'd recommend staying away from oil-based paints as they're harder to clean up and harder to dispose of.

Read More >> What Are The Best Indoor Paint Sprayers?

Renting vs. Buying Supplies

Did you know you can actually rent certain painting supplies like paint sprayers and power washers rather than having to buy them?

Most Home Depot stores and Lowe's stores have a rental program where you can rent out certain painting and home improvement supplies. 

So if you know you'll only need those supplies for this particular project, that can be a much more cost-effective way to get the things you need.

Here's another thing that blew my mind when I learned it: some libraries rent out basic home improvement supplies!

Check with your local library to see if they have any tools like paint rollers and paint trays on hand that you can borrow. That'll save you lots of money on your painting project and you'll still be able to get the job done right.

Sales And Dented Cans

One more way to see if you can save money on paint is poking around Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to see if anyone is getting rid of paint cans for free or for cheap.

You can also ask someone at the hardware store if they have any dented cans they could offer you at a discount. As long as the paint inside is alright, it could save you a few bucks!

Go Heavy On Primer

My final tip to save you money when painting your garage is to add an extra coat of primer. 

If you happen to find some cheap primer or have some in your garage, lay it on extra thick and see if you can get away with just one fresh coat of paint.

This can save you money on paint and, again, since you don't spend much time staring at your garage walls, it doesn't matter if they're not absolutely perfect if you're looking to save money.

Read More >> What Are The Best Primers To Use On Fresh Drywall?

Final Thoughts On Garage Painting Costs

Now that we've broken down the individual costs for painting a g, these cost estimates garage, these should give you a good starting point.

While every painting project is different, knowing the range of costs before you start is always helpful so you can find all the areas of the budget that you can cut back on.

Whether you're going to DIY your garage, or plan to hire a professional, I wish you the best of luck on your painting project.

As always, happy painting!