The awkward room
A stairwell is rarely large, but it's often the slowest space in a house to paint. The walls rise a full storey or more over a sloping floor, there's nowhere flat to stand a ladder, and every surface from the ceiling to the stringers sits at a different height. Added to an interior job, a stairwell can cost as much as a good-sized bedroom. This guide explains why.
Huntington, as the sources put it
The City of Huntington describes Huntington as the county seat of Cabell County, a city that also stretches into Wayne County and sits on the Ohio River where West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky meet. Census QuickFacts counts 19,753 households in Huntington for 2020-2024, with 2.14 persons per household. Both are quoted as published; nothing about any home's stairs follows from them.
Setting up over steps
Painters reach stairwell walls with:
- a ladder with adjustable legs, levelled across the steps;
- a plank spanning from a step to a ladder or a landing;
- a small scaffold made for stairs;
- extension poles for rolling high walls and ceilings.
Each setup has to be moved several times to cover the whole wall, and it has to stay safe for the crew and anyone else in the house. That setup time is often the largest single item in a stairwell price. Ask how the painter plans to reach the highest wall and the ceiling.
Surfaces in a stairwell
List each surface you want painted:
- the tall wall alongside the stairs;
- the ceiling, sometimes sloped, sometimes with a fixture or skylight well;
- handrails and brackets;
- balusters and newel posts, if painted rather than stained;
- stringers and skirt boards;
- risers, if painted;
- doors and trim at the top and bottom landings.
Balusters take a surprising amount of time: each is brushed by hand on every side. A railing with many of them can take longer than the walls.
Wear and patching
Stair walls take hits from furniture carried up and down, hands sliding along them and bags swinging. Expect scuffs and dents along the line where people brush past, and sometimes a crack where the stair wall meets the ceiling. Those are filled, sanded and spot-primed before paint. A tougher, washable finish such as eggshell or satin can make sense on the wall beside the stairs. See paint sheens and finishes and drywall repair and surface preparation.
Color breaks
Where does the stairwell color stop and the hall or landing color start? An inside corner makes a clean break; an open stairwell with no corner makes it harder. A straight line high on a wall needs careful cutting in from a ladder. Carrying one color through the stairs and the halls they join can save time.
Protecting the stairs
Treads, carpet and runners need coverings that won't slip underfoot. Painters often use secured drop cloths or non-slip runners. If the stairs stay in use during the job, ask how the crew will keep a safe path open.
Older paint on rails and trim
Handrails and balusters see daily friction, and sanding them disturbs whatever paint is there. 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. If your house was built before 1978, ask the painter whether the firm holds that certification and how dust will be kept from spreading upstairs and down. Containment in a space that connects floors takes extra care and time.
Questions about a stairwell bid
- How will you reach the highest wall and the ceiling?
- Which surfaces are included: walls, ceiling, rails, balusters, stringers, risers?
- How are dents and cracks repaired?
- Where does the color break?
- How will the stairs stay usable and protected?
The interior painting page and the pricing guide cover more.