New York City’s housing stock presents painters with conditions found nowhere else in the country. More than 650,000 residential units were built before 1960, and under Local Law 31, all of those buildings required XRF lead-paint testing by August 2025, creating heightened demand for EPA-certified contractors across the five boroughs. Manhattan painters charge an average of $6.79 per square foot for interior work, compared to $5.71 in Brooklyn, a gap that reflects both access costs in high-rise buildings and the density of union labor in the city’s core.
New York homeowners tend to prioritize painters who understand building-specific logistics: coordinating with co-op boards, navigating freight elevators, and working within tight noise windows in residential towers. Because so much of the city’s housing was built before modern drywall became standard, skim coating and plaster repair are frequently bundled with paint jobs rather than treated as separate trades.
Soho Painters
Founded: 2018
Address: 252 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
Phone: (917) 284-8864
Website: https://sohopainters.com
Services: Interior painting, apartment painting, exterior painting, commercial painting, office painting, wallpaper installation
Products Used: Benjamin Moore
Founded with a focus on apartment painting across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, Soho Painters built its reputation on transparent pricing and direct communication with clients rather than subcontractor handoffs. The company holds EPA Lead Safe Certification and has completed more than 350 projects since opening. Their apartment-specific experience, including coordinating building access and protecting common hallways, makes them a frequent choice for co-op and condo owners undertaking full-unit repaints.
Pristine Painters NYC
Founded: 2004
Address: 6712 Yellowstone Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375
Phone: (347) 618-7787
Website: https://pristinepaintersnyc.com
Services: Residential interior painting, apartment painting, commercial interior painting, plastering, skim coating, media room painting
Products Used: Benjamin Moore, PPG, Sherwin-Williams
Started in 2004 by Jose Ortez, Pristine Painters has grown into one of the more established residential contractors serving New York, Brooklyn, and Queens, completing over 210 jobs annually. The company does not use subcontractors, which allows for consistent quality control across every project. Their two-year warranty on completed work is among the longer coverage periods offered by NYC painting firms.
Concord Painting Inc.
Founded: 1951
Address: 600 Third Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 382-1100
Website: https://concordpainting.com
Services: Interior painting, exterior painting, facade restoration, skim coating, wallcovering installation, spray application, caulking, masonry work, brick re-pointing, intumescent fireproof coatings, lead abatement, scaffolding and rigging
Products Used: Not specified
One of New York City’s longest-running commercial painting firms, Concord Painting has operated continuously since 1951 as a family-owned business. Their portfolio includes landmark projects such as the Empire State Building and Coney Island’s Cyclone Roller Coaster, which reflect a specialization in large-scale exterior and restoration work that most residential contractors do not pursue. Their Long Island City shop and Midtown Manhattan office allow them to stage equipment and materials for complex urban projects without the logistical delays common to out-of-borough contractors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does interior painting cost in New York City?
A: Interior painting in NYC typically ranges from $5.25 to $10.62 per square foot, depending on the neighborhood, wall condition, ceiling height, and prep work required. A studio or one-bedroom apartment generally runs between $2,500 and $5,000, while a two-bedroom can reach $3,500 to $7,000 or more. Manhattan rates average higher than outer-borough rates due to access and labor costs.
Q: Do NYC painters need lead-safe certification for older buildings?
A: Yes. For any renovation or painting work in buildings constructed before 1978, the EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule requires contractors to be lead-safe certified. In New York City specifically, Local Law 31 mandated lead-paint XRF testing in pre-1960 buildings by August 2025, and contractors disturbing more than 100 square feet of lead paint must also hold New York State LBP Activities Certification.
Q: How long does it take to paint a typical NYC apartment?
A: A standard one-bedroom apartment in good condition typically takes two to three days for a professional crew. Apartments requiring skim coating, plaster repairs, or multiple coats on dark or damaged walls can run four to five days. Co-op board scheduling requirements and freight elevator access windows can also add a day to the total timeline in larger buildings.
New York City’s building regulations and dense housing stock create a painting market where certifications, logistics experience, and access to skilled tradespeople matter as much as brush technique. The firms that have lasted longest here, whether family businesses operating since the postwar era or newer companies built around apartment-specific work, have stayed competitive by treating each building’s physical constraints as part of the job scope rather than an afterthought.