Generally speaking, the interior or exterior painting of surfaces in a residential home will need to be renewed every 4 to 5 years, depending on the humidity level, the penetration of sun rays (which discolour surfaces) and the general layout of your home. Painting is one of the best ways to keep your home looking nice and modern.

If you don’t have the time or the means to paint the walls yourself, the best option would certainly be to hire a professional painter, or a student-painter depending on the rooms that need to be painted.

In this article, we will share useful information that you should know before hiring a professional painter!

What is the average price for painting work?

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The price of your painting project will depend significantly on the level of experience of the painter you will hire. However other factors come into play, such as the need to move furniture and repair walls, or the ceiling height. Some contractors charge by the hour, while others go with a flat rate or set the price depending on the size of the rooms.

A professional painter will charge at least $30 per hour (up to $80). The rate will be between $15 and $25 per hour for a student painter; however, it must be taken into account that they will possibly be slower than a professional painter.

In addition to the level of experience, what will increase your bill is:

• the painter's reputation, 

• the timeline (if you want the work to be completed as fast as possible, it will naturally cost you more money),  

• the period during which the work will be carried out (did you know that renovations are often cheaper in winter?).

In a table at the end of the article, we will present some examples of prices for different rooms.

Factors influencing the price of painting work

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Cleaning and repairing walls

Walls must be cleaned before painting begins, and in some cases, repairs are also needed. This is also the case for minor or major cracks that need to be fixed before applying the paint.

Woodwork and mouldings

Woodwork such as door and window frames, as well as the various mouldings on the walls, will require a lot of attention to detail and will add much more time to the project, depending on the level of detail which they comprise. The painter will spend more time working on and around these details, which will inevitably impact your budget.

Number of coats needed

If you opt for bright or dark colours, then the painter will certainly have to apply several layers of paint to obtain the desired shade. To spend less money, the best thing to do would be to choose good quality paint to reduce the number of coats that will be needed to offer good results.

Ceiling height

For some high-end residences, as well as for heritage homes, the ceiling height may be much higher than for traditional homes. This type of work requires scaffolding and the risk of accidents will be higher.

Drying time

Drying time is required after each coat of paint is applied. As a result, the more coats of paint you have to apply, the more drying time will be multiplied, increasing your painter's fees.

Moving things around

Moving furniture and appliances will increase your bill for sure, especially if the painter must hire an additional worker for this task.

Before you start painting, we suggest that you check out this article: House Painting Projects: What are the Ideal Conditions

Choosing your painter

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As stated before,the price of a house painter will depend largely on their level of experience, as for most professionals. Also, be aware that your choice will have to take into account the rooms you want to paint. If you plan to start a painting project in the living room or kitchen, then it is better to hire a professional painter who can guarantee you fast and impeccable work.

If your painting project involves a small room or garage, then you should perhaps consider hiring a student painter. They may not have the dexterity and speed of a professional, but their rates will be cheaper.

Before you contact a house painter

Simply wanting to launch a painting project is good, but you still have to know exactly what you want. Planning is the key to success for any renovation project. Therefore, you will need to determine the number of rooms you want to paint, their surface area, the type of colour you want and your budget.

Once you have this information on hand, you will be able to request quotes to painters to compare the proposals. It then becomes a question of choosing the contractor who will offer you the best quality-price ratio for your painting project. Never hesitate to do a little additional research for reviews by other Internet users. If the bidders have a Facebook page or a website, it would be interesting to take a look at their work, their specialties, as well as the services they offer.

To be checked before signing your contract for a painting project

To begin, you will need to make sure that your house painter is declaring their work because as a client, hiring a professional that works under the table will expose you to potential lawsuits. To make sure they are an official company, you can consult provincial registrars such as the Registre des Entreprises du Québec or the Ontario Business Registry. Afterwards, depending on the province where you live, you will need to check whether the painter has all the right licences, such as an RBQ licence in Quebec.

Also, do not hesitate to ask them for references from their former customers. This is the best option to find out if they are a trusted professional offering high-quality work. Lastly, carefully review the contract before signing, check the description of the work, the schedule (date of start and end of the project), the conditions of the contract, the terms of payment and the total price requested.

Average price to hire a professional painter for residential painting

WOULD YOU LIKE AN IDEA OF THE BUDGET YOU WILL HAVE TO PLAN FOR YOUR HOUSE PAINTING PROJECT? CHECK OUT OUR COST ESTIMATOR!