Most rooms take one to two days and a full exterior usually takes three to five days, depending on weather. Prep, not painting, decides most of that.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. New York City labor, building rules, access and the state of your own walls move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
How long does it take to paint a house inside?
How many days it takes depends on size and prep. A single room takes one to two days. A one or two bedroom apartment usually takes several days. A whole house takes about a week or more.
By the national figures, the painting itself takes 4 to 5 hours for a bedroom, 5 to 7 for a living room and 2 to 3 for a bathroom. Plaster repair, drying time for patches and trim work come on top. In an apartment building, the hours the building allows contractors to work also set the pace.
How long does it take to paint the exterior?
A full exterior usually takes three to five days. The national figure for an average house is 4 to 5 days.
Trim only work on a brick house can be shorter. Rain adds days, and so does heavy scraping. A house near the water that needs a wash has to dry out before any paint goes on.
How long should I wait between coats?
Wait the time printed on the can, which for most water based wall paints is two to four hours between coats. Oil based and enamel paints need longer, often overnight.
Cool or humid air slows drying. A closed up apartment in July, with no air conditioning, is a slow place for paint to dry. Recoating too soon can pull the first coat.
How long before furniture can go back?
You can put furniture back in the room the next day, kept an inch or two off the walls. Wait longer to push anything against a painted surface.
Fresh paint is dry but soft. Hold off two weeks or so before hanging pictures with adhesive strips or setting things on painted shelves and sills.
How soon can I shower after the bathroom is painted?
Wait at least 24 hours before you shower in a newly painted bathroom, and longer if you can. Steam on paint that has not set leaves streaks and drip marks.
For the first weeks, run the fan or open the window and leave the door open afterward.
How long before I can wash or scrub new paint?
Wait until the paint has cured, which takes about two to four weeks for most water based paints. Before then it is dry but not hard.
If something marks the wall in the first month, dab it gently with a damp cloth. Do not scrub.
Can I stay in the house while it is painted?
Yes. Most people stay in their home while it is painted. We work room by room so you always have somewhere to sleep and a usable bathroom.
Open windows when weather allows. Low odor water based paints make this much easier than it once was. If the job disturbs old paint in a pre-1978 building, keep children and pregnant women out of the work area until the cleanup is done.
How long does interior paint last?
No published figure exists for how long interior paint lasts, because it depends on use. As a rule of thumb, bedroom and living room walls look good for many years, and hallways, kitchens, bathrooms and children's rooms need repainting sooner.
HomeGuide's general figure is to repaint every 5 to 10 years. In New York City rentals the law sets its own cycle: owners of multiple dwellings must repaint occupied apartments every three years.
How long does exterior paint last?
Exterior paint usually lasts 5 to 10 years, by the national figures, with a full range of 3 to 20 depending on the surface and exposure.
| Surface | Published life of exterior paint |
|---|---|
| Wood siding | 3 to 7 years |
| Vinyl siding | 5 to 10 years |
| Aluminum siding | 5 to 10 years |
| Stucco | 5 to 7 years |
| Brick, acrylic latex | 3 to 5 years |
Expect the short end on the water side of a house on City Island or in Throgs Neck, and on shaded walls that stay damp.
How often should I repaint the outside of the house?
How often you repaint depends on the surface, but every 5 to 10 years is the published average. Do not go by the calendar alone.
Walk around the house each spring. Look for peeling, bare wood, open caulk joints and chalky paint that rubs off on your hand. Repainting when those first show costs less than waiting until wood is exposed.
How long does it take to paint a single room?
One to two days for most rooms. The second day is for the second coat, trim and touch-ups after patches have dried.
For timing on your job, call or text (718) 866-3263.