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Guide · Cost
What Apartment Turnover Painting Costs in 2026
Real per-unit rates by market, per-square-foot benchmarks, what add-ons cost, and the six things that actually move the number — so you can read a bid instead of just comparing totals.
The answer
How much does apartment turnover painting cost per unit?
Turnover painting in the Southeast typically runs $800 for a 1BR/1BA and around $1,000 for a 2BR/1BA where the painter supplies materials. By area, multifamily turn work generally falls between $1.50 and $3.00 per square foot. Unit size, drywall repair volume, whether ceilings are included and whether you’re changing color are what actually move the number.
Those are market rates, not a quote. The spread between the cheapest and most expensive bid on the same unit is routinely 2–3×, and understanding why is worth more than the headline number.
Rates by market
What turnover painting costs across US markets
Per-unit turnover painting ranges from roughly $215 for a studio in low-cost Southern California markets to $1,795 for a 2BR in Portland. Regional labor cost is the biggest variable, followed by whether the painter or the property supplies materials.
This is practitioner-reported pricing, not published rate cards — property managers and painting contractors describing what they actually pay and charge.
| Market | Studio | 1BR | 2BR | 3BR | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeast Florida | — | $800 | $1,000 | — | Painter supplies materials |
| New York | $900 | $1,100 | $1,300 | $1,500 | Excl. ceilings; paint included |
| Portland, OR | $795 | $1,250 | $1,795 | — | +$650 pet odor, +$795 color change |
| Seattle | $800–1,300 | ← | ← | — | Heavy damage → $2,500 |
| Massachusetts | — | ~$500 | ~$700 | — | One coat; property supplies paint |
| Kansas City | — | $280–500 | $550–800 | ~$1,100 | By sq ft: 750 / 1,000 / 1,230 |
| S. California | $215 | — | — | $390 | Excl. ceilings; material included |
| Texas | $0.20/sq ft | ← | ← | ← | Property supplies paint |
Per-square-foot benchmarks:
| Rate | What it represents |
|---|---|
| $0.20/sq ft | Property supplies all materials (Texas) |
| $0.37/sq ft | Commonly cited baseline |
| $0.53/sq ft | Bottom of market — labor, prep, cleanup and materials included |
| $1.50–$3.00/sq ft | Typical multifamily turn range |
| $2–$6/sq ft | General interior painting (non-multifamily) |
The gap between $0.53 and $3.00 per square foot isn’t margin. It’s scope.
Total turn cost
Painting is most of what a turn costs
The average apartment turnover costs $3,872 per unit, and painting typically accounts for 60–70% of it. Lost rent is another 35–50%, which is why days matter as much as dollars.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average turnover cost per unit | $3,872 | Zego 2026 Resident Experience Management Report |
| Turnover cost YoY change | +17.5% | NAA Income/Expense IQ |
| Vacancy and rent loss per unit | $1,323 | NAA — fourth consecutive annual increase |
| Painting share of turn cost | 60–70% | Nexus Property Management |
| Lost rent share of turn cost | 35–50% | Industry |
| Full turnover range | $1,000–$5,000/unit | Industry |
| Large communities (100+ units) | $2,500–$5,000/unit | Industry |
The point: if painting is two-thirds of the cost and the critical path on the schedule, it’s also where the biggest improvements are available — in both directions.
What moves the number
Six things that change a per-unit price
Unit size and layout
Not just square footage. A 900 sq ft unit with four separate rooms takes longer than a 900 sq ft open plan, because cutting-in scales with corners and doors rather than area.
Drywall repair volume
The largest swing factor. A unit with forty anchor holes and two doorknob blowouts is a different job from one lived in carefully for eight months. This is why per-square-foot pricing misleads — it ignores condition entirely.
Texture type
Smooth walls need more prep; knockdown needs more skill to match. Both cost more than a light orange peel.
Ceilings in or out
Frequently the difference between two bids that look otherwise identical. Always confirm which.
Color change
Extra coats, usually a primer, and it scales with unit size. Commonly quoted as a separate line item.
Occupied vs vacant
Occupied work is slower — sectioned, scheduled around residents, furniture moved. It should be priced differently, not at the vacant rate.
Add-ons
What the common add-ons cost
Pet odor sealing and color changes are the two most common add-ons. Published practitioner rates run $650 for pet odor sealing and $795 for a full color change in Portland — a high-cost market — with lower figures in the Southeast.
| Add-on | Why it costs extra |
|---|---|
| Full color change | Additional coats plus primer; scales with unit size |
| Pet odor sealing | Sealing primer required across affected surfaces before finish coats |
| Smoke / nicotine remediation | Stain-blocking primer throughout, often ceilings too |
| Water damage priming | Stain-blocking primer or the water line ghosts back through |
| Heavy drywall repair | Board replacement rather than patching |
| Popcorn ceiling removal | Separate scope; pre-1980 ceilings may need asbestos testing first |
| Cabinet refinishing | Different prep, different product, different timeline |
Any of these appearing on an invoice that weren’t on the quote is a process failure, not a pricing question.
Reading a bid
Why three bids on the same unit differ by 3×
Because they’re describing different work. At the bottom of the market, the only way to make the day profitable is to leave steps out — and those steps aren’t usually listed in the exclusions.
What gets left out at low bid rates:
| Step | What skipping it costs you |
|---|---|
| Switch plate removal | Sprayed-over plates; visible at every outlet |
| Sanding patches | Every repair reads as a repair after painting |
| Cutting in at the ceiling | Roller-only edges; uneven line |
| Coating closets | Touched up only; obvious on inspection |
| Masking appliances | Splatter your team cleans off |
| Cleanup | Your maintenance staff finishing the job |
On the economics: contractors working at the bottom of this market operate on volume — several units a day, minimal detailing, and bottom-tier contractor paint lines at $11–15 a gallon. It’s a viable business model. It just isn’t the same product.
A per-unit price that changes after the walk isn’t a per-unit price. Ask what happens when a unit is worse than expected — before you sign.
Budgeting
How to budget turns for the year
Multiply your annual turn count by your per-unit-type rate, then add 10–15% for add-ons — color changes, pet odor and smoke remediation appear in a predictable proportion of turns even if you can’t predict which ones.
A working method:
- Turn count — annual turnover rate × unit count. US multifamily commonly runs 45–50%.
- Unit mix — apply your per-unit rate by type rather than a blended average.
- Add-on allowance — 10–15% of the painting subtotal.
- Vacancy cost — days-to-turn × daily rent × turn count. This is usually larger than the painting line and it’s the one most budgets omit.
- Compare against the total. If painting is well under 60% of your all-in turn cost, either something else is inflated or your painting scope is thinner than it should be.
Jacksonville
What this looks like in Jacksonville
At Jacksonville’s average rent of roughly $1,300–$1,550 a month, every vacant day costs $43–$52. Cutting four days off a turn recovers $175–$210 per unit — across 100 turns a year, $17,500–$21,000.
Local context:
- Jacksonville added roughly 33,500 multifamily units since 2020, about 26% inventory growth
- Vacancy sits near 11% — highest among major Florida metros
- Concessions remain common, particularly at Class B
- Southeast Florida per-unit rates ($800 / $1,000) are the closest regional benchmark; Jacksonville typically runs modestly below on labor
In a market where four communities within a mile are all offering a month free, the one that shows a finished unit on Tuesday wins the lease the others lose on Friday.
Questions
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint a 2 bedroom apartment?
Roughly $1,000 in the Southeast where the painter supplies materials, varying with condition, ceilings and color change. Nationally the range runs from about $390 in the cheapest markets to $1,795 in Portland.
Is per-unit or per-square-foot pricing better?
Per unit type, for turnover work. Square footage ignores condition, and condition is the largest swing factor in how long a unit takes.
Why are bids so different for the same unit?
Scope. Low bids leave out switch plate removal, patch sanding, ceiling cut-in, closets and cleanup. Compare specifications, not totals.
What’s a reasonable price per square foot?
Multifamily turn work generally runs $1.50–$3.00. Below about $0.53 including materials, something is being left out.
How much should I budget annually?
Turn count × per-unit rate, plus 10–15% for add-ons, plus vacancy cost. The vacancy line is usually larger than the painting line.
Does painting really account for most of a turn’s cost?
Typically 60–70%, and it’s usually the critical path — nothing else finishes until the walls do.
How much do color changes cost?
Extra coats plus primer, scaling with unit size. A published Portland rate is +$795; Southeast figures run lower.
What about pet odor?
Requires a sealing primer before finish coats. A published Portland rate is +$650. Painting over it without sealing doesn’t work — the odor returns.
Are turnover costs rising?
Yes. NAA’s Income/Expense IQ benchmarks recorded a 17.5% year-over-year increase, with vacancy and rent loss reaching $1,323 per unit — a fourth consecutive annual rise.
Should I choose the cheapest bid?
Only if it describes the same work. The difference between $0.53 and $3.00 a square foot is scope, not margin — and the steps that get dropped are usually the ones your team ends up completing.
Get a per-unit price for your property
Market rates are a starting point. Your number depends on your buildings.
Serving Duval, Clay, St. Johns and Nassau counties.