What this job really involves
An interior paint job is a sequence: move and cover, repair, prepare, prime where needed, cut in, roll, then clean up and walk through. Skipping a step rarely shows on the first day. It shows a month later, when a patch flashes through the new color, tape lifts a strip of paint off the trim, or a water stain bleeds back through two coats.
Protecting the room
Before any paint is opened, the crew should move furniture to the middle of the room or out of it, cover what stays with plastic or cloth, cover the floors, and take down outlet covers, switch plates and wall hangings. Ask who moves the furniture and whether that's in the price. Fragile, heavy or valuable pieces, like a piano, an aquarium or electronics, are usually best moved by you or by someone you choose before the painters arrive.
Repairs and sanding
Nail holes, dents, hairline cracks, nail pops and loose tape seams all need filling and sanding before paint. A patch that isn't sanded flat and primed can show through as a dull or shiny spot, especially in light from a window. Bigger repairs, like a hole from a doorknob or a section of damaged drywall, take more time and more coats of compound. Our drywall repair and surface preparation guide walks through what good prep looks like.
Primer and stains
Not every wall needs a full coat of primer, but some surfaces do: bare drywall and fresh patches, glossy surfaces that new paint won't grip, big color changes, and stains. Water stains, smoke, crayon and marker often bleed through ordinary paint and need a stain-blocking primer first. If a stain came from a leak, make sure the leak is fixed and the area is dry before it's painted over.
Ceilings, walls, trim and doors
Most painters work from the top down: ceilings first, then walls, then trim and doors. Ceilings are slower than they look, with overhead rolling and careful cutting in along the walls. Trim, doors and cabinets take the most time per square foot, because every edge is brushed and the finish is usually glossier and shows more. Ask which surfaces are included and how many coats each one gets.
Choosing a sheen
Flatter finishes hide wall flaws but scrub less easily. Glossier finishes clean up better but show every bump and patch. Many homes use a flat or matte finish on ceilings, something in the middle on walls, and a glossier finish on trim and doors. Our guide to paint sheens and finishes explains the trade-offs room by room.
Dry, recoat and cure
Paint can feel dry within hours and still be soft underneath. The label on the can lists the time to wait between coats and how long before normal use, and cool or humid weather stretches both. Ask the painter to tell you when furniture can go back against the walls, when you can rehang pictures, and when you can wash a wall.
Older homes
If the house was built before 1978, the old layers may contain lead-based paint. Sanding, scraping or removing it can spread lead dust. Ask the painter how they test for it and how they contain dust before any of that work starts. The EPA explains the federal rules for paid work that disturbs paint in older homes.
Questions to ask
- Which rooms and surfaces are included: ceilings, walls, trim, doors, closets?
- How many coats does each surface get, and with what paint?
- Who moves the furniture, and what gets covered?
- How do you repair holes and cracks, and will the patches be primed?
- What do you do about stains that bleed through?
- If the house was built before 1978, how do you handle paint that may contain lead?
- When can I put the room back together?