The short answerFor cabinets and furniture, buy an HVLP sprayer, from $50 for a handheld to $250 and up for a turbine unit. For fences, exterior walls and whole-house interiors, buy an entry airless sprayer at $250 to $450. For one or two rooms, a roller is faster.
What to buy
Furniture and small projects
Handheld electric HVLP sprayer
Good for chairs, shutters, a dresser or a short run of fence. Thick latex needs thinning, and the small cup means a lot of refills.
$50 to $130
See options on Amazon →Fences, exteriors and many rooms
Entry airless sprayer, up to about 3,000 PSI
Pulls unthinned paint or stain straight from the can and covers big surfaces fast. It throws overspray, uses more paint, and takes a while to clean.
$250 to $450
See options on Amazon →Cabinets and fine finishes
Turbine HVLP sprayer, 3 stages or more
A separate turbine feeds a proper spray gun for a smooth, factory-like finish. It's slow on big areas, and you'll need practice on scrap first.
$250 to $700
See options on Amazon →Links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
Painting one house exterior or one long fence? Rent a contractor-grade airless for the day. You get a better machine and skip storing it.
What the numbers mean
- HVLP
- High volume, low pressure. A soft, controlled spray with less overspray, which suits cabinets, doors and furniture.
- Airless
- A pump forces paint through a tiny tip at up to about 3,000 PSI. Fast on big surfaces and rougher on fine work.
- Tip size
- Airless tips carry 3 digits, like 515. Double the first digit for the fan width, so 5 means 10 in, and 15 means a 0.015 in hole.
- Thinning
- Many HVLP guns need latex thinned with water, often about 10 percent. Follow the paint can's limit and test on cardboard first.
- Turbine stages
- The number of fans in an HVLP turbine. More stages push thicker paint, and 3 or more is the usual starting point for latex.
What not to pay for
- Spraying one bedroom
Masking the floor, windows and trim takes longer than rolling the walls. A roller wins for 1 or 2 rooms.
- Leaving cleanup for tomorrow
Dried paint can ruin a sprayer after one job. Flush it right after you finish, every time.
- Spraying outside on a breezy day
Overspray drifts onto cars, windows and the neighbor's house. Wait for a calm day and mask more than you think you need.
An airless sprayer can inject paint through skin, and that's an emergency even when the wound looks tiny. Go to an ER and say it's a high-pressure injection injury. Never point the gun at anyone, lock the trigger when you stop, and wear a respirator and eye protection.
Questions
HVLP or airless for kitchen cabinets?
HVLP. It lays down thin, even coats with less overspray, which is what flat doors and drawer fronts need. An airless can do it with a fine-finish tip, but it's harder to control.
Is spraying faster than rolling?
The spraying part is much faster. Masking and cleanup eat a lot of that back. Spraying wins on fences, exteriors, empty houses and anything with lots of edges, like cabinets and shutters.
Can I spray latex paint with a cheap HVLP sprayer?
Usually, if you thin it and strain it first. Expect a slower pace and some trial and error with the settings. Stains and thinner finishes spray much better through small units.
Written by the DIY Project team. We recommend by type and spec, cheapest option that does the job first. How we check
Updated October 3, 2026. Prices are estimates.