How Much Do Painters Charge in Greater Cincinnati?

Professional, insured painters in Ohio generally charge $50–$80 per painter, per hour, or roughly $100–$160 an hour for the typical two-person crew. Specialty work such as cabinet spraying or fine enamel trim runs $70–$95 an hour. That rate covers wages, workers compensation and liability insurance, equipment and materials — not just labor. Bishop Elite Painting quotes residential work at a fixed project price rather than hourly, so your estimate is the amount you actually pay.

For interior work, expect $1.75–$2.50 per square foot for walls only and $2.75–$4.00 per square foot when ceilings and trim are included. Exterior repainting runs $2.70–$4.50 per square foot of living area depending on siding type and how much scraping and priming the existing finish needs. Commercial interiors are typically $1.25–$3.50 per square foot.

A standard 12×12 bedroom costs $350–$700 for walls only, or $700–$1,200 with the ceiling and trim included. Larger rooms, ten-foot ceilings, heavy trim, or a dramatic color change that needs an extra coat all push toward the upper end. A two-story entryway or stairwell is priced separately at $800–$1,800 because of the staging involved.

A full interior repaint of a 1,800–2,800 square foot home in Greater Cincinnati typically runs $3,000–$8,000+. A full exterior repaint runs $3,500–$10,000+, with a 2,500 square foot home usually landing between $6,800 and $10,500. The spread within each range comes down to surface condition and prep hours far more than to paint choice.

Exterior repainting a 2,500 square foot home in the Cincinnati area typically costs $6,800–$10,500. Vinyl or well-maintained fiber cement with minimal prep sits at the low end. Older wood siding needing scraping, spot-priming and trim carpentry sits at the high end, and can exceed the range if there is rot to replace. Interior painting of the same home usually falls between $5,000 and $8,000.

Commercial painting in Cincinnati generally runs $1.25–$3.50 per square foot for interiors. Open-plan office space sits at the bottom of that range, while retail, restaurant, medical and senior living spaces run higher because of night scheduling, low-VOC requirements and finish detail. Warehouse and industrial space is $1.00–$2.25 per square foot, and exterior building repaints are $2.50–$4.50 per square foot.

Apartment turnover painting is usually priced per unit rather than per square foot, because the units are so consistent. A one or two bedroom turnover including walls, ceilings, trim and doors typically runs $400–$900 per unit in Greater Cincinnati, with volume tiers bringing that down for property managers doing multiple units at once.

Almost always because they are not quoting the same work. One estimate may include pressure washing, scraping, spot-priming, caulking and two full coats; another may include a wash and one coat. Ask every bidder to write down the number of coats, the specific product line, what prep is included, and whether they carry liability insurance and workers compensation. Once those are matched, the prices usually converge.

No. Estimates from Bishop Elite Painting are free, and we provide them in writing with the scope itemized so you can see what each part of the job costs. We walk the entire property before quoting — an exterior price given without seeing all four sides of the house is a guess, not an estimate.