How Much Does It Cost to Paint an Apartment in Chicago?
Apartment painting splits into two very different jobs depending on who is paying. A renter painting a unit they live in is buying a careful, low-disruption job with a return-to-neutral plan at the end. An owner painting between tenants is buying speed and a repeatable spec. The scope is similar; the price and the schedule are not.
These are typical Chicago-market ranges for 2026. They are for budgeting — an accurate number comes from a walkthrough. Here is how our estimates work.
Apartment painting cost by unit size
| Unit | Typical size | Occupied / full-service repaint | Empty unit, standard spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 400–600 sq ft | $1,400 – $2,900 | $300 – $700 |
| 1 bedroom | 650–900 sq ft | $2,000 – $4,400 | $300 – $800 |
| 2 bedroom | 900–1,400 sq ft | $2,600 – $6,200 | $400 – $1,000 |
| 3 bedroom | 1,400–1,900 sq ft | $3,500 – $7,900 | $600 – $1,200+ |
The gap between the two right-hand columns is the single most useful thing on this page. Same unit, same paint — the difference is furniture, resident schedule, color selection and the level of finish detail. If you can paint an apartment while it is empty, you will pay a fraction of what the same work costs occupied.
Across the Chicago market, occupied apartment interiors run roughly $2 to $5 per square foot of floor area; empty standard-spec turnover work runs $1.50 to $3.00.
Cost by scope
| Scope | Typical range per sq ft |
|---|---|
| Walls only | $1.50 – $3.00 |
| Walls + ceilings | $2.50 – $4.50 |
| Walls + ceilings + trim | $3.00 – $5.50 |
| Full repaint, including doors and closets | $3.50 – $6.00 |
Common add-ons: interior doors $60–$120 each · closet interiors $75–$200 · accent wall $80–$200 · minor drywall repair $50–$150 · wallpaper removal $1–$3 per sq ft · furniture moving and protection $50–$150 per room · high ceilings add 15–30%.
If you rent: what to settle before anyone opens a can
Get written permission. Most Chicago leases require the landlord’s written consent to paint, and many require a return to the original color at move-out.
Ask for the original color and sheen. If the building has a standard spec, ask for it — repainting back to a documented color is far cheaper than matching by eye later.
Confirm who pays. Longer-tenancy renewals are frequently a good moment to ask the owner to cover a repaint; it is cheaper for them than a turnover.
Photograph the walls first. Before-and-after photos settle deposit disputes faster than any argument.
Check the building’s contractor rules. Larger Chicago buildings require a certificate of insurance and elevator booking even for interior work in a single unit.
Painting back to neutral at move-out generally costs less than a deposit deduction for unapproved paint — and takes a day.
If you own the unit
If this is a rental you turn between tenants, you are not buying a paint job, you are buying a turn calendar. Per-unit pricing, 24 to 48 hour turnarounds and a standing color spec are covered in the apartment turnover painting guide. If you own a condo you live in, the building-access costs in the condo painting cost guide apply to you too.
What makes two apartment quotes differ
Preparation. Filling, sanding, caulking and priming is where both the money and the durability sit, and it is the easiest item to leave out of a low bid.
Ceilings included or not. A wall-only repaint against an aging ceiling shows the moment the furniture returns.
Paint grade. Builder grade $25–$40 a gallon, mid-range $45–$60, premium $65–$85. In a rental that gets cleaned often, a washable mid-range or premium finish pays for itself before the next tenant.
Number of colors. Every additional color is another cut-in, another setup, another cleanup.
A studio or one-bedroom is typically 1 to 2 working days occupied, 1 day empty. A two-bedroom runs 2 to 4 days occupied, 1 to 2 empty. We work room by room in occupied units so you always have a finished space to live in, using low-VOC products.
Frequently asked questions
Typically $2,000 to $4,400 for a full occupied repaint of walls, ceilings and trim, or $300 to $800 if the unit is empty and painted to a standard spec. Condition, ceiling height and how much furniture has to be worked around set where you land.
Substantially. An empty unit with one standard color removes furniture moving, daily reset, resident scheduling and color decisions — the same unit routinely costs a fraction of the occupied price.
Usually only with the landlord’s written permission, and many leases require returning the walls to the original color at move-out. Get the permission and the original color code in writing before starting.
No. We work room by room so there is always a finished space to use, and we use low-VOC paint so the unit is comfortable to sleep in the same night.
Walls-only work runs about $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot of floor area — roughly half the cost of a full repaint including ceilings, trim and doors.
Yes — single units, whole-building turnovers, hallways, lobbies and stairwells. See property management painting.
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