Three contractors, three quotations, and a Rs 40,000 spread between the highest and lowest. This happens on almost every painting job in India, and it is rarely because one of them is cheating.
They are quoting different work. Here is how to read what you are actually being charged for.
What You Are Actually Paying For
A painting quotation bundles at least five separate costs: labour, paint, primer, putty and access. Sometimes it also quietly includes crack repair and cleaning.
When one quote says Rs 18 per sq ft and another says Rs 38, the first is almost certainly labour with basic material, and the second is labour with premium material, putty and scaffolding. Both can be honest.
2026 Rate Card: Labour Only vs Labour Plus Material
| Scope | Interior (per sq ft) | Exterior (per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|
| Labour only, repaint over sound surface | Rs 6-10 | Rs 8-14 |
| Labour only, with putty and prep | Rs 10-16 | Rs 12-20 |
| Labour + economy material | Rs 14-20 | Rs 18-26 |
| Labour + mid-range material | Rs 20-28 | Rs 24-34 |
| Labour + premium material, full system | Rs 28-38 | Rs 32-45 |
Scaffolding on multi-storey exteriors is usually separate, at Rs 8 to Rs 15 per sq ft.
City-Wise Painting Rates
| City | Labour only, exterior | Labour + mid-range material |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | Rs 12-18 | Rs 30-42 |
| Delhi NCR | Rs 11-16 | Rs 28-38 |
| Bengaluru | Rs 11-17 | Rs 28-40 |
| Pune | Rs 10-15 | Rs 26-36 |
| Hyderabad | Rs 9-14 | Rs 25-34 |
| Indore / Bhopal | Rs 8-13 | Rs 22-32 |
| Nagpur / Raipur | Rs 8-12 | Rs 22-30 |
| Jaipur | Rs 9-13 | Rs 24-32 |
Tier-2 city rates have risen noticeably over the last two years. The gap with metros is narrower than it was.
Interior vs Exterior Cost Difference
Exterior work costs 20 to 30 percent more for the same area. Three reasons.
Height, which means scaffolding, slower work and higher risk. Surface preparation, which is far more involved outside. And material, since exterior paint costs more per litre than interior emulsion of equivalent grade.
There is also weather. An exterior job that gets rained out mid-coat costs the contractor real money, and that risk is priced in.
Sample Estimate for a 2000 Sq Ft Home
Double-storey, roughly 2,800 sq ft of external wall, normal condition, mid-range premium paint.
| Item | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior paint, 2 coats | ~34 L | Rs 12,000-14,000 |
| Exterior primer | ~18 L | Rs 3,600-5,000 |
| Exterior putty (partial) | ~60 kg | Rs 1,800-2,700 |
| Crack filling and sundries | — | Rs 2,000-4,000 |
| Labour | 2,800 sq ft | Rs 28,000-42,000 |
| Scaffolding | 2,800 sq ft | Rs 22,000-35,000 |
| Total | Rs 69,000-1,02,000 |
If someone quotes Rs 45,000 for this scope, ask specifically which of those seven lines they have removed.
Where Contractors Quietly Add Margin
Not accusations, just the common ones to check.
- Coat count. Two coats is quoted, one thinned coat gets applied. Nearly impossible to detect once dry.
- Thinning ratio. Paint thinned well beyond the specified 10 to 15 percent stretches material and reduces film thickness.
- Primer substitution. Premium finish coat, cheapest available primer underneath.
- Area measurement. Openings not deducted, or deducted only partially.
- Putty on the whole wall when only 30 percent of it needed levelling.
The straightforward defence: buy the material yourself and pay labour separately. You lose the contractor’s dealer discount but you know exactly what went on your wall.
How to Read a Painting Quotation
A quotation worth accepting states the area in square feet and how it was measured, the product name and pack size for paint, primer and putty, the number of coats, whether scaffolding is included, and what surface preparation is covered.
If a quote is one line saying “House painting — Rs 65,000”, you cannot compare it to anything. Ask for the breakup before comparing.
Should You Buy the Material Yourself?
This comes up on nearly every job, and the answer depends on how much you care about control versus convenience.
Buying material yourself means you know exactly which product went on the wall, in what quantity, with which batch number. You can verify coat count by tracking how much paint actually got used. If 34 litres was quoted and 22 litres was consumed, you have your answer about coat count.
The trade-off is that you lose the contractor’s dealer discount, typically 15 to 25 percent, and you take on the risk of ordering the wrong quantity. You also become responsible for storage and for arranging additional material if it runs short mid-job.
A practical middle path: let the contractor specify the quantity and product, but you place the order and pay the dealer directly. You get the transparency, and the contractor still carries the estimating risk.
Whichever way you go, ask for the empty buckets to be left on site until the job is signed off. It is the simplest audit there is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the painting rate per square feet in India?
House painting costs Rs 18 to Rs 45 per square foot in 2026 including material. Labour alone runs Rs 6 to Rs 16 per square foot depending on city, scope and whether the surface needs putty and preparation work.
How much does it cost to paint a 2000 sq ft house?
A 2,000 sq ft home with roughly 2,800 sq ft of exterior wall typically costs Rs 69,000 to Rs 1,02,000 for a full exterior repaint with mid-range premium material, including labour and scaffolding.
Is labour or material more expensive in painting?
Labour usually costs more than material on exterior work, often 55 to 65 percent of the total once scaffolding is included. This is why choosing cheap paint saves less than most people expect.
What should be included in a painting quotation?
Measured area with method, product names and pack sizes for paint, primer and putty, number of coats, surface preparation scope, scaffolding, and cleaning. A single lump-sum figure cannot be meaningfully compared.
How much extra does exterior painting cost compared to interior?
Exterior painting costs about 20 to 30 percent more per square foot than interior work, driven by scaffolding, heavier surface preparation and the higher cost of exterior-grade paint.
