Painting
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Painting looks deceptively simple. Open a tin, roll some colour on a wall, done — except that the rolling part is genuinely the easy bit. The work that decides whether the finish lasts five years or starts peeling after one is everything that happens before the brush touches the wall: filling, sanding, masking, priming, protecting floors, protecting furniture, and dealing with whatever the previous homeowner painted over that shouldn't have been. A reasonable estimate is that brushwork itself is about 30% of a painter's time; prep and protection are the other 70%. It's why professional results look so different from a weekend attempt even when the paint is identical.
Painting services in Sweden cover the full range. Interior (inomhusmålning) is the larger market: bedrooms, living rooms, ceilings, kitchens (with the dust-and-moisture-tolerant paints kitchens require), bathrooms (where specific moisture-certified paints are mandatory above certain exposure levels), doors and skirting. Exterior (utomhusmålning) is a smaller seasonal market — Swedish weather means you effectively have May through early September to paint outside, and anyone offering November exterior work without a very specific reason should be questioned. Wallpapering (tapetsering), feature walls, decorative techniques and colour consultation are offered as add-ons by most established painters.
Prep work is where the quality difference lives. A competent painter fills holes properly (not just surface-skimming), sands between coats, masks clean edges with quality tape, primes new plaster or stripped surfaces before the top coat, and uses two coats minimum on fresh work. Low-cost operators skip half of that and the wall looks fine for six months before the thin spots start to show.
Interior painting usually qualifies for the 50% RUT deduction when performed in a private residence, because it's classified as work in the home. Extensive renovation painting (new-build finishing, full-apartment painting tied to a larger renovation) sometimes falls under ROT at the 30% rate from 2026. Materials — paint, filler, masking tape, rollers — are customer-supplied or itemised separately, and neither deduction applies to them. The cleanest quotes list labour and materials on separate lines.
What does it cost?
Swedish painters charge 400–650 SEK per hour before RUT for interior work, with Stockholm painters sitting at 500–700 SEK excluding moms. A typical two-bedroom apartment full repaint (ceilings, walls, woodwork) runs 18,000–35,000 SEK including materials, of which the labour portion is RUT-eligible. On a per-square-metre basis, many painters quote 150–300 SEK per m² of wall area for interior repaints with customer-supplied paint; the range reflects prep condition, number of coats, and whether ceilings and woodwork are included. Exterior repainting (timber-clad houses) is priced per m² of façade and typically lands at 250–450 SEK/m² for the standard three-coat linseed or acrylic system, before scaffolding — which is a separate cost of 5,000–15,000 SEK depending on house height and access.
How to choose the right provider?
Always get a written quote specifying the number of coats and how the surfaces are prepared. "One coat" and "two coats with proper prep" are wildly different jobs priced deceptively close on spec sheets. Confirm whether the painter is a member of Måleriföretagen i Sverige (the trade body) and carries ansvarsförsäkring. Ask to see photos of recent work — not staged portfolio shots but before-and-after images from real jobs.
For bathrooms, the moisture classification (våtrumsmålning) required depends on exposure level; a professional knows when a full våtrum-certified painter is needed and when a standard interior painter will do, and they'll tell you unprompted. Colour selection feels trivial until you're committed — pay for a few test patches before the full job, because wall light, ceiling height and neighbouring colours change everything.
Frequently asked questions
How many days will painting a room take?
Including prep, a single bedroom with walls, ceiling and woodwork typically takes a pro 1.5–2 days across drying intervals. A whole two-bedroom apartment runs 4–7 days depending on condition.
Is painting RUT-deductible?
Interior painting in a private residence is usually RUT-eligible at 50% on the labour portion. Renovation-scale work can fall under ROT at 30%. A good painter will flag which applies on the quote.
Should I supply the paint or let the painter?
Either works. Letting the painter supply means they can guarantee the product (they know which paints work for which surface and climate) but the mark-up is modest. Supplying yourself trims that mark-up and lets you choose a specific brand.
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