# What it costs to paint a home inside: published prices, what drives them and VAT

> Per-m² figures from three Portuguese quote platforms, with date and method, what pushes the price up and when VAT on painting is 6% or 23%.

- Page: https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/interior-painting-cost
- Language: English
- Updated: 2026-11-03

## Summary

- There is no official price for painting a home: public figures come from quote platforms, and each works them out differently.
- Fixando gives a median of €8/m², Zaask an average of about €7/m² and Habitissimo an average of €17.50/m², without saying clearly whether paint and VAT are included.
- Real area, preparation, damp, ceilings, a change of colour, access and furniture change the price most.
- 6% VAT (item 2.27) applies only to works contracts on homes lived in before and after the work, with an invoice that follows the tax authority's rules.

You want the inside of your home painted and have no idea what it will cost. This guide shows the per-square-metre figures that three Portuguese quote platforms publish, explains why they differ so much, sets out what pushes the price up or down, and explains when VAT (IVA) can be 6% and when it is 23%. We have no price table of our own: every number below comes from another source, named and dated.

*Updated 3 November 2026. General information, not a substitute for an assessment by a professional or for tax advice.*

## Key points

- **There is no official price** for painting a home. Public figures come from platforms that collect quotes, and each one works them out differently.
- The three sources we read give, per m²: **€8** (Fixando median), **about €7** (Zaask average) and **€17.50** (Habitissimo average). None says clearly whether paint and VAT are included.
- The final price depends mostly on the **real area to paint**, the **state of the walls** (cracks, damp, mould), **ceilings**, a **change of colour**, access and furniture.
- **6% VAT** applies only if the job is a repair, renovation or maintenance contract on a home that is **lived in before and after the work**, and the invoice follows the rules. Otherwise the rate is **23%**.
- An **empty home being sold or let** is, as a rule, outside the 6% rate.

## What the quote platforms say

We read the price pages of three platforms on 3 November 2026. The numbers are theirs, not ours.

| Source | Figure per m² | Basis stated by the source | Date on the page |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixando, "Quanto custam Pintura de Interiores?" | median €8 (range €8 to €9) | medians of quotes submitted by professionals, which are "not the amounts paid" | updated 28/10/2026 |
| Zaask, "Quanto custa uma pintura de interiores?" | €4 to €16, average about €7 | quotes given on the platform, "based on the national average" | no date |
| Habitissimo, "Qual é o preço por m² para pintura interior?" | €10 to €25, average €17.50 | quote requests from users and professionals | updated 10/06/2026 |

Fixando also gives a **median per job of €550** (range €68 to €1,800). Habitissimo gives the example of a **12 m² bedroom for about €250**, without saying whether 12 m² is floor or wall area. Zaask lists other jobs separately: **ceilings at €8 to €14/m²** and **plastering walls at €9 to €16/m²**.

**Why such a gap?** The pages do not explain their maths. The likely difference is what each figure covers: labour only, paint, preparation. Habitissimo even has figures on one page that do not agree. Treat them as a rough scale, not a price.

## A worked example

To see what area does to the price, take a 4 m × 3 m bedroom with a 2.6 m ceiling height, one window and one door. Using the formula in our [paint calculator](https://paredecerta.pt/en#calc):

- walls: 2 × (4 + 3) × 2.6 = 36.4 m², minus the window (1.44 m²) and the door (1.6 m²) = **33.4 m²**;
- ceiling: 4 × 3 = **12 m²**;
- total: **about 45 m²**.

At Fixando's median (€8/m²) that is about €360. At Habitissimo's average (€17.50/m²) it is about €790. The sum only shows how far apart the sources are. It is not a quote, and none of them says whether VAT is included.

For the litres you will need, see [how much paint do I need](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/how-much-paint-do-i-need).

## What pushes the price up or down

**Real area.** A proper quote measures walls and ceilings, not just the floor area of the home. High ceilings, many doors or awkward corners change the sum.

**Wall preparation.** Filling cracks, scraping loose paint, sanding and priming take time. This is where quotes differ most. If paint is flaking, first read [why paint fails](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/peeling-paint-stains).

**Damp, mould and salts.** Painting over them does not fix them. The cause has to be dealt with first, which may need a different kind of work and a different trade. See [the types of damp in walls](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/damp-walls-three-types), [mould on walls](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/mould-on-walls) and [salt on walls](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/salt-on-walls-efflorescence). Habitissimo lists damp treatment as a separate job.

**Ceilings.** Ceilings are slower to paint and have their own price line in Zaask's table.

**Colour.** Going from a dark colour to white, or the other way round, may need more coats. The right paint and finish for each room are in [which paint for each room](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/which-paint-for-each-room).

**Access and furniture.** Tall stairwells, buildings without a lift, rooms full of furniture to move and cover: all of it counts.

**Doors, skirting and frames.** Usually priced per item. Zaask gives €60 to €150 per door.

**Who supplies the paint.** If the painter buys it, ask for the brand, product and quantity in the quote.

## VAT: when it is 6% and when it is 23%

On the mainland, VAT rates are 6% (reduced), 13% (intermediate) and 23% (standard), under article 18 of the Código do IVA (the Portuguese VAT Code). For painting a home, the rule that matters is **item 2.27 of List I** (verba 2.27 da Lista I) annexed to the VAT Code. It applies the reduced rate to contracts for "improvement, remodelling, renovation, restoration, repair or maintenance of buildings or separate units used for housing".

The conditions, from the wording of the item and the tax authority's (AT) Ofício-Circulado n.º 30135 of 26 September 2012:

1. **It must be a works contract** (empreitada) on a property **used for housing** and not licensed for another use.
2. **The home must be lived in when the work starts** and stay in use as a home afterwards. The AT excludes properties that are **empty before or after the work**, for example because they are **for sale or to let**. There is one exception: if the home was occupied and a new tenancy starts straight after the work, with no empty period.
3. **The owner or the tenant** may be the one hiring. A condominium can benefit too, if the building is residential.
4. **Cleaning is excluded** from the reduced rate.
5. **Materials (paint, for example):** if they are worth **up to 20%** of the total job, everything is at 6%. If they are worth more, labour stays at 6% and materials go to 23%, **provided the invoice shows them separately**. If the invoice has a single total price, **everything is at 23%**.
6. **The invoice** must state "Taxa reduzida ao abrigo da verba 2.27 da Lista I anexa ao CIVA", the client and the property or unit where the work was done.

If you hear **item 2.32** mentioned for building work: in the List I now in force, item 2.32 covers tickets to shows, exhibitions and zoos. It has nothing to do with painting.

**Painters who charge no VAT.** A tradesperson under the small-business exemption in article 53 of the VAT Code does not charge VAT. According to the AT (Newsletter, January 2026), it applies to those whose turnover did not exceed €15,000 in the previous year. When comparing prices, check whether VAT is included, and at what rate.

To compare quotes line by line, see [how to request and compare painting quotes](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/compare-painting-quotes). If you are painting to sell or let, also read [painting before renting or selling](https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/painting-before-renting-or-selling).

## What we could not confirm

- **An official or independent price** per m² for interior painting in Portugal. We found no public table from an official body. The CYPE price generator for Portugal did not open on the pages we tried.
- **Whether the platform figures include paint and VAT.** None of the three says so clearly.
- **Prices by home size** (T1, T2, T3, that is one, two or three bedrooms). None of the sources we read publishes these with a method.
- **How the AT treats painting billed by the hour** with no fixed price. We saw references to the question but did not read an AT binding ruling that settles it.
- **VAT rates in the Azores and Madeira.** Article 18 leaves them to the regions, and we did not read the regional laws.

## Sources (read on 3 November 2026)

- Fixando, [Quanto custam Pintura de Interiores?](https://www.fixando.pt/pintura-de-interiores/preco), 2026 price table, last updated 28/10/2026 (median per m², per job, per hour and per day; method note).
- Zaask, [Quanto custa uma pintura de interiores?](https://www.zaask.pt/quanto-custa/pintura-de-interiores), no date on the page (price per m², ceilings, plastering, doors; basis of the figures).
- Habitissimo, [Qual é o preço por m² para pintura interior?](https://www.habitissimo.pt/orcamentos/pintura-de-interior), updated 10/06/2026 (average and range per m², job examples, method).
- Habitissimo, [Tabela de preços de pintura por m2 em casas](https://www.habitissimo.pt/orcamentos/pintar-casa), updated 10/06/2026 (12 m² bedroom, ceiling).
- Portal das Finanças, [Código do IVA, Listas anexas](https://info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/informacao_fiscal/codigos_tributarios/civa_rep/Pages/c-iva-listas.aspx), List I (items 2.23, 2.27, 2.32 and 2.42).
- Portal das Finanças, [Código do IVA, artigo 18.º](https://info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/informacao_fiscal/codigos_tributarios/civa_rep/Pages/iva18.aspx) (rates).
- Autoridade Tributária, Ofício-Circulado n.º 30135, 26 September 2012, "Verba 2.27 da Lista I anexa ao CIVA" (points 1 to 10), read in the [copy published by AICCOPN](https://ruis.aiccopn.pt/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2021/11/oc_30135_2012.pdf).
- AICCOPN, [IVA à taxa reduzida (6%) na construção](https://www.aiccopn.pt/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260525-IVA-2-IVA-a-6-na-Construcao.pdf), 25 May 2026 (item 2.27 and invoice requirements).
- Autoridade Tributária, [Newsletter no. 39, January 2026](https://info.portaldasfinancas.gov.pt/pt/at/Divulgacao/publicacoes_internas/Newsletter_AT/Documents/Newsletter-39-janeiro-2026.pdf) (article 53 small-business exemption).

## FAQ

### How much does painting cost per m²?

There is no official figure. Fixando gives a median of €8/m² (updated 28/10/2026), Zaask about €7/m² and Habitissimo €17.50/m² (10/06/2026).

### Is painting a home charged at 6% VAT?

It can be, under item 2.27 of List I of the VAT Code, if it is a works contract on a home lived in before and after the work and the invoice states the item, the client and the property.

### What if the home is empty for sale or to let?

Under the tax authority's Ofício-Circulado 30135/2012, homes empty before or after the work fall outside item 2.27. Exception: an occupied home with a new tenancy straight after the work.

### Is the paint also at 6%?

Only if materials are no more than 20% of the total. Above that, materials pay 23% if the invoice shows them separately; with a single total price, everything pays 23%.

---
Source: https://paredecerta.pt/en/guides/interior-painting-cost. Independent information, not legal or tax advice.