A small room with outsized prep
Bathrooms are small, but repainting one with peeling ceiling paint, dark spots or water stains can take more time than a much larger room. The reason is everything that has to happen before the paint: finding why the surface failed, cleaning or removing what's damaged, and priming so stains and moisture don't come back through. This guide explains what moves the price. We don't quote prices.
Start with the moisture
Paint peeling from a bathroom ceiling or mildew spots along the top of the shower wall usually point to moisture: steam that isn't being vented, a leak from above, or water getting behind tile. Repainting without dealing with the cause means doing it again. ADPH advises keeping indoor relative humidity between 20 and 40 percent in winter and below 60 percent the rest of the year, and says controlling excess moisture is the key to preventing and stopping indoor mold growth.
For a painting job, that means asking whether the exhaust fan works and actually moves air outside, whether it runs long enough after showers, and whether any leak has been found and fixed before the painter starts. A painter may point these out but usually doesn't fix fans or plumbing; that's often a separate trade and a separate cost.
What has to be removed
ADPH says moldy porous materials such as sheet rock, insulation, plaster, carpet and pad, ceiling tiles and wood products other than solid wood need to be removed, bagged and thrown out, as must porous materials that contacted sewage; non-porous surfaces may be saved if cleaned well and kept dry.
So if mold has grown into the drywall itself, the fix is replacing that section, not painting over it. That changes the job: the drywall work (cutting out, replacing, taping, finishing and sanding) has to happen before primer goes on, and it may be done by the painter or by someone else. Ask who handles it and how it's priced. Our guide to drywall repair and surface preparation explains the finishing steps.
Cleaning what can stay
Surfaces that are sound but have surface mildew or soap film are cleaned and rinsed, then allowed to dry fully before priming. Ask what cleaner the crew uses and how long they let the surface dry.
Stain-blocking primer
Water stains and old mildew shadows bleed through ordinary paint. A stain-blocking primer seals them first. On ceilings with a leak stain, that's often the difference between one visit and two. Ask whether the price includes a stain-blocking primer over the whole ceiling or only spot-priming.
Moisture-resistant paint and sheen
Bathroom paints are made to resist moisture and mildew and to stand up to wiping. A satin or semi-gloss finish usually cleans more easily than flat. Our guide to paint sheens and finishes explains the choices, and interior painting covers the rest of the room sequence.
Trim, doors and the vanity
The bathroom door, its casing and the baseboards are brushed and take time out of proportion to their size. A painted vanity is closer to a cabinet job; see cabinet painting and refinishing. Ask whether these are in the price.
Older paint
Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978 must hold RRP certification, firms included, even sole proprietorships, and their workers must be trained in lead-safe work practices. Scraping a peeling ceiling or cutting out painted drywall in a house built before 1978 is that kind of work. Ask the painter whether the firm holds RRP certification and how containment and cleanup are priced.
Questions for the bid
- What do you think caused the peeling or staining?
- Does any drywall need replacing, and who does it?
- What primer will you use on stains?
- Which paint and sheen do you suggest for this room?
- How long before the shower can be used again?
Our pricing guide covers the general factors behind every painting price.