What it costs
How much does painting cost in Huntley and the Fox Valley?
Almost nobody in this trade publishes prices. We do. Here is our rate card, a calculator that runs on it, and an honest list of what we do not cover.
What should you expect to pay for painting in Huntley?
The reason usually given for not publishing prices is that every job is different, which is true, and also not a good enough reason to make you sit through a sales visit to learn a range. You can tell within a minute whether a project is in your budget. We would rather you find that out here. If our number is more than you want to spend, that is useful information for both of us.
Interior painting
A 10 by 10 room in two coats runs about $589. Ceilings, base trim, closets, windows, doors and door frames add to the cost of the project.
See the detailsWallpaper installation
Residential work is priced by the job. Wall priming changes the starting price.
See the detailsCommercial wallpaper
Commercial wallcovering keeps the square foot method and the daily minimum.
See the detailsWallpaper removal
Layers and damage underneath move the number. The job minimum is $800.
See the detailsMinimums
The minimums we can publish right now
Cabinets include a confirmed $500 materials base. Commercial wallpaper has a confirmed $610 daily minimum. Wallpaper removal has an $800 minimum. Residential wallpaper starts at $800 per job, or $1,200 when we prime the walls.
Interior painting and exterior painting do not have a published minimum here. We will add one only when there is a verified amount to publish.
If you have a genuinely tiny repair, tell us anyway. Sometimes we can attach it to a job already scheduled on your street.
Levers
What makes a painting project cost more or less?
Two rooms of the same size can price hundreds apart. Here is why.
Pushes the price up
- Ceilings and trim added to a wall-only scope.
- Heavy patching, old plaster, nail pops, cracks that need real repair.
- Dark to light color changes that need an extra coat.
- Two story stairwells, vaulted rooms and anything needing staging.
- Wallpaper layers, or paper that was installed over unprimed drywall.
Pulls the price down
- Walls only, one color, in decent shape.
- Rooms cleared out before we arrive.
- Bundling several rooms in one visit instead of one at a time.
- Staying close to the existing color.
- Scheduling in our slower stretch instead of peak season.
A real quote, a real complaint
Why would a quote to paint only the trim and doors come in at $22,000?
Because trim is the most labour heavy painting there is, and the number scales with how many pieces of trim a house has, not with its square footage.
A real review from our Google profile
Morgan Becker
Rated 2 of 5 stars, about January 2026
Dave was very nice and came out the same day we spoke to give an estimate. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives stop. We were quoted $22,000 to paint the trim, doors, and baseboards in a 2,500 sq ft home built in 1998. I honestly thought it was a joke. I was told, “I don’t know what you were expecting with the pricing.” I was expecting something reasonable — not a number that would require taking out a loan just to paint trim. For comparison, we hired another reputable painting company who did the same exact work for $3,000 total. Please do yourself a favor and get multiple quotes. This pricing is wildly out of touch!
She says another company did the same work for $3,000 total, against our $22,000 quote.
David's real public reply on Google
David Cook, owner
Hi Morgan, we appreciate the feedback- we are glad you found someone who was able to meet your budget. You could have let us know we were not a good fit when we tried to follow up with you as well. BUT!! Thanks for the review here, as this will help people understand pricing for projects of this type and size. We work to have as many pricing articles and comparisons about cost for painting homes on our Website and YouTube channel as possible, and you will help other people understand pricing better and our efforts to be upfront transparent and open about our pricing as possible. The price we gave you (all labor, primer and paint) was to cover your wood floors, tape off floors and stairs, mask the walls around each door frame (60), window frames (53), spindles (112 is what i wrote down), and stair treads. We would have cleaned all the oak basebards (I had 825 linear feet) , clean all the door frames, clean the doors, clean the window frames, of the dirt on these items to prevent primer and paint from sticking to them. Then we would have sanded all the door frames, doors, window frames, handrails (I had 48ft), spindles and base trim, to make sure the primer bonded to the stained oak. Next we would have then filled all the nail holes in all the trim above, aa well as caulked all the base trim against the wall, against the 1/4 round base trim, caulked the seams of each side of each door frame, and caulked the seams of each windowapply a bonding primer to all the oak. Once dry we would have then sanded that same primer smooth, as well as vaccumm all dust from sanding, to leave as little mess as posisble with our HEPA Sanding Vac Units. Then we would have applied the 1st coat of urathane trim paint to all the base trim, door frames, doors, window frames, handrails, and spindles -oh and i had painting the spindles a different color. We would then have sanded all of these areas again, before then applying a 2nd coat of paint to all these areas After that - finally-- pull all the paper and masking so we could use paint brushes/retaping the base trim and recut in the wall paint to the newly painted trim to make perfect lines from wall color/sheen to trim color/sheen. We know what it takes do the job right that will last for a lifetime- which is why we offer no peel guarantee, and lifetime touch ups. How someone was able to do all that for $3,000, I do not know, but again, glad your found someone. We wish you all the best, appreciate the opportunity the meet you, and again sorry we could not help with your house project.
What David counted in that house
- 60 door frames
- 53 window frames
- 112 spindles
- 825 linear feet of oak baseboard
- 48 feet of handrail
The steps he lists, per surface
- Clean so the primer will bond
- Sand
- Fill nail holes
- Caulk
- Bonding primer over the stained oak
- Sand the primer
- HEPA vacuum the dust
- Two coats of urethane trim paint, with a sand between them
- Pull the masking, re-tape and re-cut the wall colour back to the new trim line
A 2,500 square foot house with that much stained oak trim sits at the expensive end, and most houses do not have that much. We lost this job, and the customer got the work done elsewhere for far less. If you are comparing two trim quotes, ask both painters how many pieces they counted and whether they are priming the oak.
Read more of our reviews, good and badInstant estimate
Price your project right now
No form first. No phone call. Change any answer and watch the number move.
1. What are we pricing?
2. How many rooms?
Average room size
Ceiling height
Add-ons
3. Condition and prep
Coats
Color change
Interior painting estimate
$3,507to$4,364
Real range from our rate card. No form, no sales visit needed to see it.
- Walls1404 sq ft of wall at $1.85
- $2,597
- Ceilings504 sq ft at $0.85
- $428
- Trim, doors and baseboard1404 sq ft at $0.62
- $870
What is included
- Premium paint and all materials
- Furniture moved and floors covered every day
- Patching, caulking and spot priming
- Free touch-ups for one full year
- Lifetime workmanship warranty
These figures come from our published rates and get confirmed at your walkthrough. If the walls turn out to be in worse shape than expected, we tell you before we start, not after.
Comparing bids
Why is one painter's bid higher than another's?
A spread of several thousand dollars between two bids on the same house is normal, and the higher one is not automatically padded. Here is what actually sits behind a higher number, so you can tell the difference between paying more and being overcharged.
W2 employees and subcontractors
We use both W2 employees and subcontractors. We will tell you which is on your job if you ask.
CONFIRM WITH DAVID
David wants to reframe this. His options were solo operator versus a company carrying a project manager, admin and insurance, or the size of the crew doing the work. He said he is not sure. We need his call before we argue this point, and until then we state the fact and nothing more.
A dedicated project manager
We have a dedicated project manager. We are here for you for years to come.
Insurance and workers compensation
We carry liability and workers compensation insurance. Carrying real coverage costs money every month whether or not anyone is working. A contractor without it can bid lower, and you carry the risk instead.
Prep time
Prep is the least visible and most expensive part of a paint job. Two bids can describe the same rooms and assume completely different amounts of patching, sanding and caulking.
Two coats instead of one
A single coat can cover in the photos and fail sooner on a color change. It is one of the easiest places to make a bid look cheaper.
Better product
The gap between contractor-grade and premium paint is real money across a whole house, and it mostly buys you years, not looks.
A warranty that means something
We offer a lifetime warranty. We are here for you for years to come. Standing behind work for years is a liability the contractor prices in. A bid with no warranty has quietly removed that cost.
We have a dedicated project manager, carry liability and workers compensation insurance, and offer a lifetime warranty. We are here for you for years to come. None of this means the higher bid is the right one. It means that if two numbers are far apart, something in that list is different, and it is worth asking which.
The lower number
Why is another painter's bid lower, and when is that the right call?
Cheaper is not automatically worse. Sometimes a lower bid is a legitimately different scope, and sometimes it is the same scope with things quietly taken out. Both are worth knowing how to spot.
Legitimately lower
A smaller operation with lower overhead
No office, no vehicles sitting idle, no office staff. That is real savings that gets passed on, not a shortcut.
A tighter scope
Walls only, no ceilings, no trim, no doors. Compare what each bid actually includes before you compare the numbers.
Off-season scheduling
Work in the slower months costs a contractor less to take on.
You did the prep
Rooms cleared, furniture out, walls washed. That labor has to happen either way.
Lower because something was removed
One coat
One coat quoted as if it were two.
Prep reduced
Prep reduced to a quick sand, with patching treated as an extra once they are on site.
No written scope
No written scope, so what is included stays flexible until the invoice.
Items billed separately later
Items that get billed separately later, which is why the list above this section matters.
If a bid is meaningfully lower, ask which of these it is. A good contractor will tell you plainly, and so should we.
Always included
In our price, not an add-on
Some companies bill these separately. We do not.
- Moving and protecting furniture, floors covered, edges taped.
- Patching nail holes, dings and small cracks before we paint.
- Caulking gaps at trim so the lines actually look straight.
- Two coats where two coats are called for, not one thin pass.
- Cleanup at the end of every day, not just the last day.
- A walkthrough with you at the end, and a punch list if you find anything.
- Free touch-ups for one year, and a lifetime workmanship warranty.
Not included
What our price does not cover
Better you read it here than find out on a Tuesday.
- Paint and wallpaper material when you want to supply your own, that comes off the estimate rather than on.
- Drywall replacement, water damage repair and structural carpentry. We patch, we do not rebuild.
- Lead abatement on pre-1978 homes. Full abatement is a licensed specialty.
- Mold remediation. If we find it, we stop and tell you who to call.
- Permits or association approvals. We will give you what you need to submit.
- Furniture we are not allowed to move, pianos, aquariums and anything fragile you would rather handle yourself.
Cost over time
What does it cost to own a paint job, not just to buy one?
The bid is the smaller half of the question. What matters more is how many years you get before you are paying again.
The repaint clock is the real cost
A job that lasts longer and a job that needs repainting sooner cost very different amounts per year, even when the second one was cheaper on the day. That is the number worth comparing.
What shortens it
Skipped or wrong primer, one coat on a color change, painting over a dirty or glossy surface, and exterior work put on in weather that will not let it cure.
What extends it
Correct prep, the right product for the surface, and fixing what is behind the paint before covering it rather than after.
What we cover
Free touch-ups for the first year, and a lifetime workmanship warranty. If our workmanship is what failed, fixing it is not a new invoice.
The written estimate
How the number gets confirmed
From the calculator on this page to a signed scope, here is every step.
Step 1
You get a number before anyone visits
The calculator on this page uses our real rate card. Most people know within a few hundred dollars whether the project is worth going further on.
Step 2
We walk the job with you
We look at the actual walls, the trim, the ceilings and whatever is hiding behind the furniture. This is where a number gets confirmed or corrected.
Step 3
You get it in writing, itemized
Scope, surfaces, coats, products, what is included and what is not. One page you can compare against anyone else's bid line by line.
Step 4
The price does not change quietly
If something turns up mid-project that changes the scope, we stop and talk to you first. No surprise line items at the end.
A 50% deposit books the work. We accept cash, check and card. We do not offer financing.
Go deeper
Cost guides, written out in full
Cost & Pricing
What interior painting actually costs in Huntley and the Fox Valley
Interior painting starts at $1.10 per square foot of wall. A 10 by 10 room in two coats runs about $589. Ceilings, base trim, closets, windows, doors and door frames add to the cost of the project. Here is what can move the final rate toward $5.00 per square foot.
6 min read
Cost & Pricing
What wallpaper installation costs, and why installers are getting hard to find
Wallpaper installation runs about $1.75 per square foot. Here is why good installers are scarce and what a bad install looks like later.
6 min read
Cost & Pricing
What wallpaper removal costs, and what makes the number go up
Wallpaper removal starts from $1.25 per square foot. Layers, old adhesive, and drywall damage are what push it higher.
5 min read
Cost & Pricing
Cabinet refinishing versus new cabinets, what each one really costs
Refinishing is priced by door, drawer, face, handle and hinge count, plus a materials base. New cabinets are a different trade with a different cost structure entirely.
6 min read
Cost & Pricing
Why a cheap painting quote is usually cheap for a reason
A low bid can be the right call sometimes, but usually it means thin coats, skipped prep, or no insurance behind the work.
6 min read
Cost & Pricing
Why painting companies have a minimum job size
We have a minimum job size, but we do not publish an unverified dollar amount. Setup, travel, and cleanup still cost the same on a small job.
5 min read
Ready when you are
Get it in writing
Send us your rooms and we will walk it, confirm the number and put every line of it on paper.
Questions
Common questions about licensing, trim and warranty
Are you licensed in Illinois?
Illinois does not issue a painting contractor license, so nobody painting in this state has one. We are insured and registered with the state. If a painter tells you they are licensed in Illinois, ask them to show you the licence.
CONFIRM WITH DAVID
CONFIRM WITH DAVID: two things the state answer does not cover. Do any of the towns we work in require their own contractor registration? And are we EPA Lead RRP certified, which is generally required for paid work that disturbs paint in pre-1978 housing? Much of our market is older housing, so this is either a credential worth publishing or a gap worth closing.
Why is your price higher?
We have a dedicated project manager, carry liability and workers compensation insurance, and offer a lifetime warranty. We are here for you for years to come.
Who is in your house?
Our crew is named with photos on the team page. You see who is coming before they arrive, no surprises.
Why is painting trim more expensive than painting walls?
A wall is one large surface and trim is hundreds of small ones. Each piece needs its own cleaning, sanding, caulking and cutting in, so the labour per square foot is many times higher.
Do you prime stained oak trim before painting it?
Yes. We apply a bonding primer, then sand that primer smooth before the first coat. Source: David's public reply to a Google review, published on this page.
What is D'Franco's paint warranty?
David states a no peel guarantee and lifetime touch ups in his public reply to the review on this page, and 5 separate customers describe a warranty visit or free touch ups in their own reviews.
CONFIRM WITH DAVID
CONFIRM WITH DAVID: The written warranty and touch up terms still need his sign off before we state them as the warranty.
Ask us anything
Still have a question?
Send it over and we will answer it. We answer questions publicly on this site, because if you are wondering it, someone else is wondering the same thing and nobody has told them straight.