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?
Paintcoats prices turnover painting at about $1 per square foot — typically $300–$750 per unit depending on size and condition, with the exact fixed number agreed at the walk. Unit size, drywall repair volume, whether ceilings are included and whether you’re changing color are what actually move the number.
That is our pricing basis; your exact number is fixed at the walk. 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 published regional benchmark
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?
Painting is priced at about $1 per square foot — typically $300 to $750 per unit depending on size and condition, with the exact fixed number agreed at the walk. 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.