The smallest room, the most detail
A bathroom is small enough that the paint itself costs little. The labor is another matter. Every wall is interrupted by a vanity, mirror, toilet, tub or shower surround, towel bars and fixtures, and each interruption is a careful cut line. The air is steamy, so the paint has to cope with moisture and the surface has often failed already.
This guide is for repainting a bathroom in Asheville, North Carolina. It quotes no prices and names no companies.
Winter in the Asheville station's numbers
NOAA's engineering weather data for the Asheville station (WMO 723150) lists an annual mean of 4,588 heating degree days and 926 cooling degree days, with January the heaviest heating month at 912 heating degree days.
Heating degree days measure how much heating a place needs. For a bathroom, a heated house in a cold month means windows stay shut, and shower steam meets cool exterior walls and the ceiling. That's where bathroom paint tends to fail: peeling ceilings, mildew in corners and above the shower. It's also why painting in the cold months goes better with the fan running and the room ventilated.
What drives the price
Peeling and failed paint. A ceiling peeling from steam must be scraped, the edges sanded, and the surface primed before new paint. That's slower than painting sound walls.
Mildew. Spots in corners and above the tub need cleaning and treating before primer; paint over mildew doesn't stop it.
Fixtures. Removing and refitting mirrors, towel bars, light fixtures and the toilet tank lid saves cutting around them; some painters do it, some don't. Ask.
Caulk. Joints between tub, tile and wall often need old caulk cut out and new caulk applied. Paint doesn't belong on those joints.
Ceiling. A bathroom ceiling may need the most work and is the most awkward to reach over a tub.
Texture and repairs. Water-damaged drywall, nail pops and loose tape need repair; see the drywall repair and surface preparation guide.
The product
Bathroom walls and ceilings need a paint made to resist moisture and mildew, usually in satin or semi-gloss so it wipes clean. Flat finishes absorb moisture and mark easily. Our paint sheens and finishes guide explains the choices.
Ventilation matters after the paint
Fresh paint needs time to cure before steamy showers. Ask how long to wait before using the shower, and make sure the exhaust fan works. A painter can't fix a dead fan, but a new paint job over one will fail sooner.
Bathrooms in pre-1978 houses
EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule applies to paid work that disturbs paint in housing built before 1978, which must follow lead-safe work practices; EPA says it generally does not apply to homeowners working on their own pre-1978 homes unless they rent the home out, run a childcare center in it, or renovate homes to sell for profit. Scraping a peeling bathroom ceiling in such a home disturbs paint; ask whether the painter's firm holds RRP certification.
Sizing up bathroom bids
A useful bid spells out prep, mildew treatment, fixtures removed, caulk, product by name, coats and cure time. See the pricing guide and the interior painting page.