# What are painter labour charges per day in India? > Painter labour charges in India are ₹700–₹1,800 per day for one painter in 2026 — ₹1,400–₹3,200 for a painter and helper team. Metros run 20–30% higher. Per-sqft labour-only rate is ₹18–₹35 depending on paint type (distemper vs emulsion vs texture). **Source:** [https://solve24.in/answers/painter-labour-charges-per-day-in-india](https://solve24.in/answers/painter-labour-charges-per-day-in-india) **Updated:** 2026-09-19 **Trade:** Painter ## Answer Painter labour charges per day in India are ₹700–₹1,800 in 2026 for one experienced painter, and ₹1,400–₹3,200 for a painter working with a helper (which is the norm for house painting). This is labour-only — paint, primer, putty, and sandpaper are billed separately. Metros (Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi) run 20–30% above the base rate; tier-2 cities like Jaipur or Kanpur are 5–15% below. Most 2026 house painting quotes come in three formats — per day, per square foot (of wall area), and per painted room. Per-day works when you have 3+ days of continuous work and can be on site. Per-sqft is the industry default for full-house repaints — labour-only rate is ₹18–₹35 per sqft of wall area, or ₹35–₹70 per sqft if paint is included. Per-room is quoted for touch-ups (₹800–₹2,000 per standard room). A standard day means 8 hours on site. Most painters start at 9am and finish by 6pm with a lunch break. One painter + one helper can prep and paint 400–600 sqft of wall area (~1 standard bedroom) per day for a single-coat emulsion job. Full-house 2-coat interior repaint of a 2BHK takes 4–6 working days for a team of two. The biggest variables in the day rate are paint type and surface prep. Rolling on plain distemper over an existing painted wall is fast — you get to ₹700–₹900 daily. Emulsion with sanding, putty, primer, and two coats is 40–60% slower — that pushes daily labour to ₹1,200–₹1,600. Texture painting or Asian Paints Royale Aspira / Lustre finish demands specialist skill and runs ₹1,800–₹2,500 per day per painter. Ask for an itemised quote separating labour and material. A typical 2BHK repaint in a metro breaks down as: labour ₹18,000–₹28,000, paint ₹12,000–₹22,000, misc (masking, plastic sheets, minor putty) ₹1,500–₹3,000. Total ₹32,000–₹53,000. If a single lump-sum quote comes in above ₹60,000 for a 2BHK repaint without texture, you are being overcharged. Verified painters on Solve24 quote both formats upfront so you can pick the one that fits. ## Data **Painter labour per day by city, India (2026)** | City | Per day 1 painter (₹) | Painter + helper (₹) | Per sqft labour (₹) | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Mumbai | ₹975–₹2,080 | ₹1,950–₹3,900 | ₹23–₹42 | | Delhi | ₹938–₹2,000 | ₹1,875–₹3,750 | ₹23–₹40 | | Bangalore | ₹975–₹2,080 | ₹1,950–₹3,900 | ₹23–₹42 | | Hyderabad | ₹862–₹1,840 | ₹1,725–₹3,450 | ₹21–₹37 | | Chennai | ₹862–₹1,840 | ₹1,725–₹3,450 | ₹21–₹37 | | Pune | ₹900–₹1,920 | ₹1,800–₹3,600 | ₹22–₹38 | | Kolkata | ₹750–₹1,600 | ₹1,500–₹3,000 | ₹18–₹32 | | Ahmedabad | ₹788–₹1,680 | ₹1,575–₹3,150 | ₹19–₹34 | | Jaipur | ₹713–₹1,520 | ₹1,425–₹2,850 | ₹17–₹30 | | Lucknow | ₹675–₹1,440 | ₹1,350–₹2,700 | ₹16–₹29 | | Chandigarh | ₹788–₹1,680 | ₹1,575–₹3,150 | ₹19–₹34 | | Indore | ₹675–₹1,440 | ₹1,350–₹2,700 | ₹16–₹29 | **Painter charges by paint type & finish (2026)** | Paint / finish | Labour per day (₹) | Per sqft labour (₹) | Notes | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Distemper (single coat) | 700–900 | 10–15 | Fastest; matte finish, budget option | | Distemper (two coat) | 800–1,100 | 14–20 | Standard for rentals | | Emulsion — matte finish | 1,000–1,400 | 18–25 | Wipeable, mid-tier | | Emulsion — Lustre / satin | 1,200–1,600 | 22–32 | Common for living rooms | | Emulsion — Royale / premium | 1,400–1,800 | 28–40 | Kids room / master bed | | Texture / stencil work | 1,800–2,500 | 45–120 | One feature wall usually | | Exterior weatherproof | 1,200–1,800 | 25–40 | Includes crack-fill + primer | ## Frequently asked ### How many rooms can one painter finish in a day? One experienced painter working alone finishes 200–350 sqft of wall per day for a two-coat emulsion job — that is roughly half a standard bedroom. With a helper, the pair covers 400–600 sqft per day, or about one full bedroom. A 2BHK full repaint takes 4–6 working days for a two-person team. ### Is painter labour cheaper per-day or per-sqft? For jobs over 3 days, per-day works out 10–20% cheaper — you avoid the material-margin markup that sneaks into per-sqft quotes. For jobs under 2 days (single wall, one room), per-sqft or lump-sum is cleaner. Ask the painter to quote both formats and compare. ### Do painters supply their own tools and paint? Tools yes (rollers, brushes, ladders, drop sheets). Paint no — that's always the customer's account, either bought directly from Asian Paints / Berger / Nerolac dealer or with the painter as procurer at 5–10% handling. Always insist on paint tin serial numbers on the invoice so you know it's real. ### What is the fair labour rate for a 2BHK repaint? A 2BHK 2-coat interior emulsion repaint (~1,000–1,300 sqft carpet, ~2,800–3,600 sqft wall area) has labour of ₹22,000–₹36,000 in metros in 2026. Add paint at ₹12,000–₹22,000 for a total of ₹34,000–₹58,000. Anything under ₹28,000 total is either sub-standard prep or fake paint. ### Why is emulsion labour more than distemper? Emulsion needs proper surface prep — sanding, filling cracks, applying putty in 1–2 coats, primer, then 2 coats of paint. Distemper skips putty and primer for many walls. So emulsion is 3–5× the prep time; that shows up as 40–60% higher labour, even before the paint cost difference. ### Should I pay the painter daily or at the end? For under-a-week jobs pay at the end after inspecting all rooms in daylight. For longer jobs (full house exterior + interior), pay in 3 milestones: 25% start, 50% at midway (after wall prep + first coat complete), 25% on final walkthrough. Never pay 100% upfront. ## Related - https://solve24.in/answers/painter-labour-rate-per-square-feet - https://solve24.in/answers/painter-charges-in-india - https://solve24.in/answers/painter-salary-in-india --- Published by Solve24 — India's hyperlocal services marketplace. Direct-hire, zero commission. --- ## About Solve24 Solve24 (solve24.in) is India's zero-commission hyperlocal services marketplace — a three-sided bridge between ~85M informal workers, ~1.4B consumers, and millions of local shops across 40+ Indian cities and 15 service categories. 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