How much does it cost to paint an interior door?

Interior doors take a lot of abuse. Over time, it is easy for them to become scuffed, scratched, chipped, or gouged, meaning that they may need a fresh coat of paint. The cost to paint an interior door varies depending on how many doors you paint, whether they open to the outdoors, and the condition of the door.

For a typical 30-inch, 6-panel door with moderate wear, the average cost for two coats of interior latex paint is around $100.

Type of paint

Use nearly any kind of latex-based interior paint on inside doors. Choosing the best paint lies in the finish.

All latex paints range in sheens from flat (matte) to high gloss. The higher the gloss, the higher the resin and lower the pigment. The higher resin makes the paint easier to clean and helps it reflect light better.

Most doors are painted with semi-gloss to high-gloss paint, but some homeowners may also consider satin or medium-gloss paint. Because doors are handled a lot, higher-gloss paint makes them easier to clean and remove fingerprints from.

Higher-gloss paints, due to their lower pigment levels, require more coats to cover, particularly if you are going from a light color to a dark or vice versa.

Type of door

Interior doors come in a range of materials and styles. The material of your interior door will not impact the paint job, but the style might. 

Doors that have panels take more time to paint, while doors with glass insets take more prep work. Therefore, the type of door you have impacts your final costs.

Prep work

No matter the condition of the door, it will require at least some degree of preparation before painting. The prep work is usually part of the cost of painting the door, so doors that are in poor condition cost more to paint than those in good condition.

Prep work starts by cleaning the door. Marks, fingerprints, and grease all impact how well the door accepts paint. So, it is common to wash the door thoroughly before painting. 

Next, if there are deep scratches or gouges in the door, such as from dog nails, fill them with a compound. Once the compound dries, sand it down to match the height of the rest of the door.

If the paint on the door is old, has multiple layers, or is chipping or flaking, sand the entire door to remove the excess and old paint. A belt or orbital sander works best in this situation.

If you suspect the door was painted prior to 1978, it may contain lead paint. Do not sand these doors. They can either be encapsulated with special paint to seal the lead or scraped with a gel that can trap the old paint and prevent it from becoming lead dust. Lead paint abatement, or removal, costs between $8 and $10 a square foot. 

Finally, tape off all spaces adjacent to the area being painted. This protects the nearby areas and creates clean lines and edges.

Painting process

Painting a door is similar to painting any other interior surface. Use a brush to reach crevices, such as interior panel insets, and thinner, contoured areas like wood frames around a French door. Use rollers to fill in larger sections of the door and create an even coat.

If necessary, give the door a coat of primer, which needs to dry completely, and then a coat of paint. In some instances, two coats of paint, with a thorough drying between, may be necessary. This is usually the case when using high-gloss paint and moving between different colors or shades.

If using two or more coats, your painter will likely lightly sand between coats after they dry. This removes any small bubbles or surface imperfections and creates a better finish for the final coat.

Labor

Most painters charge a flat fee per door, depending on the door type and number of coats. If you have multiple doors painted, they generally quote a lower-per-door cost than if you have a single door painted.

In most instances, labor costs around $50 to $75 per door, depending on the condition and how many coats of paint. For a 30-inch, 6-panel door with moderate damage and two coats of paint, the labor portion is roughly $75 to $80.

Enhancement and improvement costs

High-gloss paint

Many doors are painted with either a semi-gloss or satin paint. However, you may want to consider using high-gloss for some doors. High-gloss paints have a rich finish and brighten a room by reflecting light. They are also easier to clean. Using high-gloss paint means using at least two coats of paint, however, so this costs slightly more to paint than a satin finish - $100 for a flat door versus $75.

Additional considerations and costs

• If you paint an interior/exterior door, do not use the same paint for the outside of the door as you would other interior doors. Use exterior paint so that it holds up to the elements.
• Your doors can either match or contrast your interiors. Sometimes brightly painted walls look best with brightly painted doors, but a clean white door against a bright wall also makes a statement.
• If you change the color of the door, it is also important to paint the door frame the same color. This makes a better transition to the walls.
• Doors that are extremely damaged or in very poor condition can increase the costs of the project substantially. In some cases, they cost almost double.
• Avoid painting your doors black in confined areas because this can make the room look chaotic.
• If your door is in an awkward area, consider painting the door and trim the same color as the walls to help it blend in.

Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet

¹ Roller covers: Material placed over a roller frame, used to absorb paint and apply it to a large flat surface