Paint, cabinets or new floors before Thanksgiving? What each costs in a 2,000 sq ft Houston home
In a 2,000 sq ft one-story Houston home, painting just the rooms guests see (living, dining, kitchen walls and hallway) runs about $1,600–$2,500, painting kitchen cabinet doors and drawers $2,000–$3,800, every interior wall $4,200–$5,900, and 1,000 sq ft of new LVP flooring $4,400–$8,400. Paint gives the most visible change per dollar; floors cost the most but last the longest.
The four projects, side by side
All prices are for the same home: 2,000 sq ft, one story, built around 1990, walls in fair condition, Houston labor and materials with 8.25% sales tax on materials. Paint jobs include two coats, standard prep and cleanup.
| Project | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Guest rooms: living, dining, kitchen walls, hallway | $1,600–$2,500 |
| Kitchen cabinets: 21 doors, 11 drawers | $2,000–$3,800 |
| Cabinets with boxes and frames | $2,700–$5,700 |
| Exterior paint, mostly brick | $2,400–$4,200 |
| Interior walls, whole home | $4,200–$5,900 |
| LVP, 1,000 sq ft, floor ready | $4,400–$8,400 |
| LVP, 1,000 sq ft, carpet removed | $4,900–$9,300 |
| Full interior: walls, ceilings, trim, doors | $7,800–$12,500 |
Where the money goes is mostly labor. On the whole-home wall repaint, labor is roughly $3,400–$5,000 and paint and supplies the rest. On the mostly-brick exterior, labor is about $1,900–$3,700. Flooring is the opposite: the planks themselves are a large share of the bill, which is why a sale price on LVP never tells you the total (more in our LVP installation cost guide).
What about $2,500?
A budget around $2,500 covers one of these, not both:
- The rooms guests actually see. Living room, dining room, kitchen walls and the hallway come to about $1,600–$2,500 together. A living room alone is about $600–$1,000.
- Cabinet doors and drawers in a medium kitchen, at the low end of $2,000–$3,800. Painting only the doors and drawer fronts is cheaper than doing the boxes too, but the boxes then keep their old color, so it works best when the new color is close to the old one.
- The outside of a mostly brick home, at the low end of $2,400–$4,200. Curb appeal counts when guests arrive, and November is usually still good painting weather in Houston (see fall exterior painting in Houston).
What about $5,000?
- Every interior wall in the home: $4,200–$5,900. This is the biggest visible change for the money if the walls are scuffed or dated.
- Cabinets, boxes included: $2,700–$5,700, plus a few small rooms of wall paint if the cabinets land at the low end.
- New floors in the main living area: about 600 sq ft of LVP at $4.40–$8.40 per sq ft installed is roughly $2,650–$5,050 before removing old flooring.
What about $10,000?
- Full interior repaint (walls, ceilings, trim and doors): $7,800–$12,500. Ceilings, trim and doors nearly double the walls-only price.
- Walls plus floors: whole-home wall paint ($4,200–$5,900) and 1,000 sq ft of LVP ($4,400–$8,400) can fit near $10,000 only when both land toward the low end. Paint first, floors second, so drips and ladders never touch the new floor.
What moves the price most
- Scope. Walls only versus ceilings, trim and doors is the biggest single swing.
- A big color change. Going from dark to light, or light to a deep color, usually needs an extra coat or primer: plan on about 10–20% more for interior walls.
- Wall and floor condition. Patching, peeling paint or an uneven slab add time. Our ranges assume fair walls and a sound floor.
- Year built. In homes built before 1978, painters who disturb paint must follow EPA lead-safe rules, which adds prep time (EPA).
- Your home's real size and layout. A 1,600 sq ft home or a two-story home prices differently. Enter your address and Homestimo uses your home's county record instead of our example.
Before you book
With guests coming, ask each contractor for a written start date and how many working days the job takes, and make sure the quote lists the scope you are comparing (which rooms, coats, ceilings or not, who moves furniture). If you already have a quote, Quote Check compares it with a fair local range, and our guide to rushed holiday quotes covers the red flags.
Free. We measure your home from public county records; no name or phone number needed.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint the inside of a 2,000 sq ft house in Houston?
About $4,200–$5,900 for walls only, and $7,800–$12,500 if ceilings, trim and doors are included (one story, fair condition, two coats, paint included; Homestimo 2026 planning range).
Is it cheaper to paint or replace kitchen cabinets?
Painting is far cheaper: about $2,000–$3,800 for the doors and drawers of a medium Houston kitchen, or $2,700–$5,700 with the boxes and frames. New hinges and pulls are extra.
Should I paint or put in new floors first?
Paint first. Painters use ladders and drop cloths and can drip; doing the floors last keeps the new floor clean.
What gives the biggest visual change for the money before the holidays?
Paint. Repainting just the rooms guests see costs about $1,600–$2,500 in a typical 2,000 sq ft Houston home, far less than new flooring.
Planning ranges for a 2,000 sq ft one-story Houston home (built about 1990, fair wall condition), from the Homestimo estimate engine, October 2026; LVP per-sq-ft prices from our Houston LVP guide. Labor shares are estimates. Not contractor quotes or an on-site inspection; your home's size, condition and finishes change the price.