Painting work: Costs & services
You can achieve a lot with paint: rooms appear brighter, cleaner, more modern, or cozier—without the need for major renovations. Nevertheless, painting is rarely a simple matter of "just rolling it on." If you want a professional result, you have to think about preparation, the substrate, covering, and materials. This is precisely why costs vary significantly in Switzerland: two rooms with the same floor space can vary greatly in price if the conditions are different.
In this guide, you will find realistic price ranges, the most important cost drivers, guidelines for windows, doors, and radiators, as well as clear decision-making assistance on when it is worthwhile to do it yourself—and when a painter will save you time, stress, and ultimately money.
How much does painting cost in Switzerland?
Painting companies often calculate costs based on square meters (wall/ceiling areas or facade areas). For smaller projects, flat rates per room are also used. Important to know: A small room can be surprisingly expensive because masking, covering, and preparatory work take almost as much time as in a larger room. In addition, the choice of paint, substrate, and number of coats determine how long a painter is actually busy.
Interior: Painting walls and ceilings
The following guidelines refer to standard living spaces (room height approx. 2.5–3 m) including materials, protective work, and standard white (e.g., RAL 9010). If dark base colors, special colors, or problematic substrates are involved, additional priming or a second coat of paint is often required, which increases the price.
Guidelines for interior use – walls and ceilings
- 1-room apartment up to 40 m²: from 930 CHF
- 2-room apartment up to 55 m²: from CHF 1,330
- 3-room apartment up to 70 m²: from CHF 1,830
- 4-room apartment up to 100 m²: from CHF 3,530
- Single-family home up to 160 m²: from CHF 4,630
- Single room up to 20 m²: from 530 CHF
These values are realistic for "normal" rooms without major damage or special work.
Exterior: Facade and wood
Exterior surfaces are exposed to greater stress: UV rays, rain, frost, and temperature fluctuations constantly affect them. This is why preparation, cleaning, and often scaffolding are necessary. In facade projects, the actual painting often only accounts for part of the work involved.
Typical price ranges for exterior work:
- Cleaning and painting the facade: approx. $25–35/m²
- Wooden roof soffit: often +20% surcharge
- Preparation (cleaning, minor repairs): approx. $700
- Mixing colors/special colors: approx. $100
- Scaffolding costs: several hundred to several thousand CHF, depending on the property
What factors are driving up paint prices?
Whether a quote is cheap or expensive rarely depends solely on the surface area. In practice, the following points determine how much work is actually involved.
High ceilings, stairwells, and tricky geometry
The higher or more complicated a room is, the more time a painter needs for protective measures and safe access. Stairwells, old building heights, or sloping ceilings are classic "time wasters."
Typical surcharges/costs:
- Standard room (2.40–2.60 m): Standard price
- High rooms / stairwell: +20–40%
- Mini scaffolding/work trestle: $200–350
Condition of the walls: holes, cracks, chipped plaster
The finish stands or falls with the preparation. If walls are damaged or uneven, they must be filled, sanded, and in some cases completely smoothed. This is one of the most common reasons for additional costs.
Guideline values:
Small holes/dowel holes: $5–10 per hole
Repairing cracks: $40–80
Smoothing the entire wall surface: $10–30/m²
Color selection and material: Standard white vs. special products
White is usually straightforward. Special colors or mineral-based systems can be more expensive and often require additional coats. It becomes particularly difficult when covering a very dark color.
Typical additional costs:
- Standard white: included
- Special/mineral paint: +$0–5/m²
- Significant color change (e.g., dark → light): +5–10%
Furniture, coverings, and difficult access
Many people underestimate how much work is involved in protecting and covering everything. The more furniture there is in the room, the longer it takes to prepare and tidy up. Narrow areas or rooms with lots of nooks and crannies also increase the amount of work involved.
Guideline values:
- Covering/moving furniture: According to time and effort required
- Difficult accessibility: +5–15%
Number of coats
Not every surface is finished after one coat. Depending on the opacity, substrate, and quality requirements, two coats are very common—and sometimes even three coats are necessary.
Guideline values:
- 1 coat: Standard
- 2 coats: +5–15%
- 3 coats: +10–20% (rare)
Regional price differences in Switzerland
Wages and operating costs are higher in urban areas. Painting work is often slightly cheaper in rural areas. Travel costs can also have a noticeable impact on smaller jobs.
Typical hourly rates:
Rural areas: 65–85 CHF/hour
Agglomeration: 85–95 CHF/h
Large cities: 90–110 CHF/hour
Special cases: smoking apartments, nicotine, moisture, or mold
Nicotine stains quickly reappear if there is no barrier. With mold, the rule is: first eliminate the cause and treat the infestation correctly—paint alone will not solve the problem.
Guideline values:
Barrier against nicotine: 10–15 CHF/m²
Mold treatment: $150–$300 per affected area
Odor neutralization: $70–$180 per room
Removing wallpaper and re-wallpapering
Wallpaper is often stubborn—especially if there are several layers. After removal, the wall often needs to be filled and smoothed before it can be repainted or re-papered.
Guideline values:
- Removing wallpaper: $10–20/m²
- Wallpapering (standard woodchip): $15–30/m²
- Special wallpaper: +10–15 CHF/m²
Preparation and final cleaning
Much of the work takes place before the first brushstroke: masking, covering, checking, sanding, and repairing. Reputable companies also include basic cleaning and final cleaning in their estimates.
Guideline values:
- Covering/masking: $0–$10/sq ft of floor space
- Final cleaning: 20-40 CHF per room
Detailed work: Painting windows, doors, and radiators
In addition to walls, painted surfaces often play a decisive role in the overall impression. Window frames and doors in particular quickly show signs of wear and tear. Radiators, on the other hand, often yellow and then look "old," even though they are still in good technical condition.
Painting window frames (1–3 sashes)
Windows are subject to heavy wear and tear—UV rays, moisture, and temperature changes attack paintwork. The price depends on size, number of sashes, and preparatory work (sanding, old layers).
Guideline values:
- Single-leaf interior & exterior: $180–230
- 2-winged inside & outside: $260–$340
- 3-winged inside & outside: $360–$430
- Window sill/window ledge: 15–25 CHF per running meter
Doors and frames
Doors are subject to heavy wear and tear in everyday use. A professional paint finish protects them and ensures a uniform appearance. Profiled frames or damaged areas increase the amount of work required.
Guideline values:
- Door + frame Standard: $200–250
- Profile frames/more complex: $220–$260
- Wooden baseboards: from $10–20 per linear meter
Painting radiators
Radiators can be greatly enhanced visually with heat-resistant paint. Lamellas and narrow gaps increase the amount of work involved. Spraying instead of painting often produces a particularly even finish, but costs more.
Guideline values:
Standard radiators: $60–100
Large/difficult to access: $100–150
Injections: +15–25%, depending on the object
Paint it yourself or hire a professional?
If you have time and only need to paint small areas, you can certainly do it yourself. However, as soon as the area becomes larger or the conditions are challenging, a professional is the safer choice.
What is suitable for DIY
DIY works well if the walls are intact, you are not planning any extreme color changes, and you mask off carefully.
Typical DIY jobs:
- a single wall (accent)
- Small rooms/areas up to approx. 10 m²
- minor repairs (scratches, individual holes)
Potential savings: often CHF 150–300, depending on the scope.
When it's better to hire a painter
A professional is useful (or necessary) if the surfaces are problematic, a lot of preparatory work is required, or safety issues (height, facade) are involved. You should also avoid experimenting with wallpaper or mold.
Recommended for professionals in:
- dark foreground color → light background color
- Cracks, uneven walls, damp spots
- Nicotine exposure or mold
- Stairwells, high rooms, facades
- Removing wallpaper/wallpapering
Typical costs: often CHF 500–1,500, depending on the room and the work involved.
Risk and costs: Why DIY can be more expensive
The most common mistakes occur during preparation: poor coverage, incorrect primer, too few coats, or unsuitable materials. The result is a patchy or streaky finish—and subsequent correction by a professional often costs more than a clean initial solution.
Typical DIY risks:
- Visible roll marks, streaks, or "clouds"
- incorrect color choice / incorrect system
- Stains due to lack of sealing primer
- Additional sanding and filling work afterwards
Conclusion: DIY may be suitable for small projects. For medium-sized and large jobs, hiring a professional is usually the better decision in the long term and often also the cheaper option.
Conclusion: Painting work has a quick impact—if the preparation and materials are right.
A fresh coat of paint is one of the quickest ways to enhance living spaces and protect surfaces in the long term. The cost depends less on the actual surface area than on the preparatory work, substrate, paint system, and accessibility. If you plan carefully, know realistic price ranges, and compare several quotes, you can avoid surprises—and achieve a result that will still look good even after many years.
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