A city on the Colorado River
The City of Yuma's annual financial report records that the city was incorporated in 1914 and adopted its first charter in June of that year, and that Yuma is the economic hub and county seat of Yuma County, along the Colorado River in southwestern Arizona. The Census Bureau counted 95,548 people in Yuma city in the Census of April 1, 2020.
Whatever kind of house you're painting, one of the first decisions is how big the job should be. Getting the scope right saves money and avoids paying twice. This page walks through the common sizes of painting project and what each involves.
Touch-ups: when they work
Touch-ups are worth trying when the paint is fairly new, you still have the original product, and the damage is small: a scuff, a nail hole, a scrape on a door. They often fail when:
- the wall paint has aged or faded, so fresh paint looks darker;
- the original sheen is unknown, so the patch shines differently;
- the original was rolled and the touch-up is brushed, giving a different texture;
- the area is large or in strong light.
If a touch-up "flashes," the honest fix is usually to repaint the wall from corner to corner. A painter can tell you whether a small job will blend.
One room at a time
A single room is a good first project to judge a painter's work. It includes moving and covering, patching, priming where needed, ceilings if you choose, walls, trim and doors. Price per room varies with size, height, condition and how many surfaces you include. Our interior painting page explains what goes into a room.
The whole interior
Painting the whole inside at once means one setup, one round of color decisions, and one disruption instead of many. It's also when a consistent color and sheen plan across rooms makes the most sense. Expect the painter to work room by room, or floor by floor, and to tell you which rooms will be out of use when.
Exterior: sections or the whole house
Some exteriors fail unevenly. The sides that face the sun or the weather may peel or fade first, while sheltered walls still look fine. You can sometimes paint just the worst walls or the trim, but color and sheen differences between new and old paint can show at corners. Many homeowners end up doing the body in one go and the trim, doors or fascia on their own schedule. Our exterior painting page describes the prep involved.
Trim, doors and accents on their own
Front doors, garage doors, fascia and shutters take the most wear and are the easiest way to refresh a house. They're also the slowest surfaces per square foot, since every edge is brushed. Doing them separately can be a good use of a modest budget.
How scope changes prep
The bigger the job, the more the prep plan matters:
- Larger areas usually show patches and texture differences, so sanding and priming need care.
- Color changes across a whole house can mean extra coats.
- Mixed surfaces like wood, metal, masonry and drywall each need a suitable primer.
- Failed paint anywhere has to be removed back to a firm edge before new paint goes over it.
Our drywall repair and surface preparation guide covers interior prep in detail.
Old paint and the federal program
EPA runs its Renovation, Repair and Painting program in states it has not authorized, and Arizona isn't on EPA's list of states with their own EPA-authorized programs. If any job will disturb old paint that might contain lead, ask the painter how they'll set up and clean up, and read EPA's program page for the rule itself.
Asking for the right quote
When you ask for quotes, describe the scope you have in mind, and ask each painter to price it the same way:
- list each room or wall, and each surface;
- say what prep each needs;
- name the products, colors and sheens;
- say how many coats;
- give a schedule.
If a painter suggests a different scope, ask them to explain why and to price both. Our pricing guide explains the usual cost drivers, and the sheens guide helps with finish choices.