How Long Does It Take To Paint A Room? Find Out
By: Maham Iqbal
Tags: Painting, Home Decor, Housepaintingservices

How long does it take to paint a room? We hear you ask. Well, it takes about four to six hours to paint a room. That’s about the closest estimate we can give you without getting into the specifics.

To help you plan your upcoming painting project, we’ll walk you through the top factors that influence how long it takes you to paint your walls — whether you live in a two-bedroom apartment or three-bedroom house.

Let’s get started right away.

How long will it take me to paint a room?

The precise time it takes to paint a room will depend on several factors, including the size of your room, the colour of paint you’re using, and more. Let’s discuss these in more detail.

How big is your room?

It might seem obvious, but it bears repeating: the bigger the room, the longer it will take to paint. Larger rooms have more surface area — it’s that simple.

The average floor size of a home in Australia is 186 metres squared. Bedrooms range anywhere from 2.8 by 2.5 metres to 4 by 4 metres and beyond. Painting these normal-sized rooms should take about five hours — not including prep time. If you work with professional painters, cut that estimate in half.

Are you painting the whole room?

The next factor to consider is how much of the room you are painting. Are you painting all four walls, the ceiling, and the trims, or just a feature wall? Remember, the less surface area you are painting, the faster you can finish the job.

What colour are you using?

Not all paint colours are created equally, and painting time will vary according to the colour you choose. The colour you are painting over is also important. If, for example, you want to cover up a dark wall with a light colour, you’ll have to spend more time prepping your surface with primer.

How many coats will you need?

If you are just touching up a room’s existing paint job, you’ll only need one coat. If you’re painting the entire wall, you’ll need two or more. The first coat will take the longest, around an hour. Painting the second coat should take about 45 minutes or so and will ensure the finished colour shows up vibrant and any surface imperfections are covered up.

Keep in mind that you’ll need to allocate enough time between coats to allow the paint to dry completely. How long you’ll need to wait depends on the type of paint you’re using:

If using water-based (latex) paint, wait two to four hours between coats

If using oil-based paint, wait a full 24 hours between coats

If you apply the second coat too soon, the first coat may pull as you use your roller. This could end in unsightly streaks, peeling, and uneven colour.

Time-consuming painting steps you haven’t thought of

paint a room

You have the answer to your question, “How long does it take to paint a room?” Now, it’s time to remind you of a few further steps that you haven’t yet considered.

Preparing your room and surface

Interior painting takes significant preparation. First, you’ll need to move all of your furniture out of the room. If that’s not possible, move large items to the centre of the room and cover with drop sheets. You’ll also need to remove any wall art and place sheets, newspaper, or another covering on the floor to protect it from paint spills.

Then, you’ll need to clean, dry, and repair your surface. Depending on the condition of your existing paint job, this can take a couple of hours plus up to 24 hours drying time.

Painting trims, skirting boards, and other fiddly bits

Painting big blank walls is one thing. Painting corners, ornate architrave, skirting boards, doors, windowsills, and other trims is another. These fiddly tasks can be extremely time-consuming.

Cleaning up the mess

Like prep work, cleaning should be considered when calculating the total time to paint a room. The clean-up will involve removing protective sheets, washing and storing paintbrushes and rollers, and rearranging the room. For a DIY painter, this could take an hour or two. If you decide to hire painters instead, this will be taken care of for you.

Painting takes too long — I want to hire professionals instead

Painting can be a time-consuming task. If you’d prefer to spend your weekend relaxing, give us a call or fill out the form on this page for a fast and accurate quote.