You're selling the house and need fresh paint throughout. Or you moved in and the previous owner's color choices are genuinely upsetting. Or you've got old trim that's peeling and starting to look bad. Interior and exterior painting are completely different jobs with different prep requirements.
The difference between a $1,500 paint job and a $4,000 one isn't just labor - it's prep. Good painters fill holes, sand, caulk gaps, tape meticulously, and often do two coats without being asked. Bad painters roll over dirty walls with one coat and the paint starts peeling in a year. Ask specifically about their prep process.
Interior rooms typically run $200-$400 per room, whole-house $2,000-$6,000 depending on size and condition. Exterior runs $2,500-$8,000. Get multiple quotes and ask to see past work, especially exterior projects. Red flag: anyone who quotes a single number for the whole house without measuring.