Is it cheaper to hire a painter by the hour or get a flat project price in Vancouver?

In Metro Vancouver, most professional painters charge between $45 and $75 per hour per painter, while project-based pricing is the more common approach for residential work. For homeowners, a flat project price is almost always the better deal and the safer choice. Here is why: hourly billing creates uncertainty — a two-bedroom repaint might take one crew 16 hours and another crew 24 hours, meaning your final bill could vary by $1,000 or more with no difference in quality. With project pricing, a typical bedroom repaint runs $400–$700, a full interior of a 1,500-square-foot condo costs $3,500–$6,000, and you know the total before work begins. Hourly rates do make sense for small, unpredictable jobs like patching and touching up a handful of spots ($350–$600 for a half-day minimum) or colour consultations. Some painters also charge hourly for extensive prep work on older homes where the scope is hard to estimate upfront — this is reasonable as long as they give you a time estimate and keep you updated. If a painter only offers hourly rates for a full repaint, that can be a red flag suggesting they lack the experience to estimate accurately. When comparing quotes, always ask what is included: number of coats, prep work, paint quality, and whether moving furniture is part of the deal. A slightly higher project price that includes thorough prep and premium paint is usually better value than a low hourly rate with shortcuts.

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