Why ceilings get their own quote
The Census Bureau counted 95,548 people in Yuma city, Arizona in the Census of April 1, 2020. That's the city's own count. In any house, ceilings tend to be the surface people put off: they're awkward to paint, they're over everything you own, and they show flaws in raking light.
When ceilings are finally done, the work is priced differently from walls. This guide explains the parts of the price so you can read a quote with some confidence. It gives no prices.
Area and height
Ceiling area is roughly the floor area of each room. Flat ceilings at standard height are the quickest. Prices climb with:
- vaulted or cathedral ceilings that slope to a peak;
- high ceilings over living rooms, entries or stairwells;
- coffered or tray ceilings with steps and corners;
- beams, which need brushing on several faces.
High work means extension poles, taller ladders, planks, or scaffold, and more time to set up and move.
Texture
Smooth ceilings show every lap and patch. Textured ceilings hide small flaws but hold more paint and take longer to roll. Some textures can soften and loosen when wet paint goes on, especially if they've never been painted. A painter should test a small area, and may recommend a primer or spray application. Ask how they plan to handle your texture.
If you're thinking about removing a texture rather than painting it, raise that before quotes; removal is a different job.
Stains and repairs
Water stains
Brown rings from old leaks bleed straight through ordinary paint. They need a stain-blocking primer, and the leak that caused them needs to be fixed first. Ask whether stain priming is included or charged per spot.
Smoke and cooking residue
Kitchen ceilings and those near fireplaces can carry a film that has to be cleaned before paint. Without that, the new coat may not stick well and the film may yellow through.
Cracks and nail pops
Cracks along drywall joints and small bumps where nails have pushed out are common on ceilings. They should be fixed, sanded and primed before painting, or they'll show in the light from windows. Our drywall repair and surface preparation guide explains the fixes.
Protection and setup
Painting overhead puts drips and spatter over everything in the room. Floors need full covering. Furniture is moved to the center or out, and covered completely. Ceiling fans, light fixtures and smoke alarms are masked or taken down. Ask who moves the furniture, and whether fixture removal and reinstallation are included.
Because protection takes a while to set up, painting the ceilings in several rooms at once is usually more efficient than one at a time.
Paint and application
- Ceiling paint: most ceilings use a flat finish, which hides flaws best. Some ceiling paints go on tinted and dry white so you can see coverage.
- Coats: a fresh coat of the same color may cover in one; stained or patched ceilings need primer first.
- Spray or roll: spraying is fast and handles texture well, but needs full masking of walls and everything below. Rolling is slower but needs less masking.
Our sheens guide explains why ceilings are usually flat.
Ceilings and walls together
If the walls are also being painted, ceilings go first. Cutting in where the ceiling meets the wall is fiddly; doing both in one job lets the painter keep that line clean.
Older homes
EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule says 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 or sanding an old ceiling disturbs paint. If your home was built before 1978, ask whether the firm holds RRP certification.
Comparing quotes
Check that each quote states:
- which rooms' ceilings are included;
- height and access equipment;
- texture handling and any testing;
- stain priming and repairs;
- furniture moving and fixture removal;
- the product, finish and number of coats.
Our interior painting page and the pricing guide go into the rest.