Whether you are looking to paint the entire interior or exterior of your home or simply looking to repaint the soon-to-be baby room, cost can often play a factor in your end decision.
There is no denying that a fresh coat of paint can bring brightness, life, and colour to any home or living space. In fact, one of the best ways to get a great appraisal on a real estate property you are looking to sell is to ensure that the interior and exterior house painting is top-notch. As that is often the first thing that most people notice when purchasing their new home.
A well-budgeted paint job with the right colours and tones can make any home or office space pop, ensuring you stand out amongst your neighbors. But how much do professional house painters charge? And what are some of the ways that one can save on those costs? Well, we are here to help.
Understanding The Cost Of Painting
Before we can get into any specific estimates or cost figures we must first understand the different costs associated with a good quality paint job. Factors such as square feet of the living space and specific “substrates” (painted items), gallons of paint required, the type of paint you choose, the amount of prep required, ease of access to painted areas, specialty equipment rental; such as scaffolding or boom lifts, and the hourly or labour cost of professional painters + much more all have to be accounted for during the budgeting process. Don’t forget to consider whether you are looking for a 1 coat refresh (same colour) on just your walls and or trim or a full on colour change (up to 2-3 coats depending on severity of colour change) and repaint of your entire home.
Interior Items to Consider:
- Walls
- Ceilings
- Baseboards
- Interior Doors
- Exterior Doors
- Door Casings and Trim
- Crown Moulding
- Railings and or Balusters/Spindles
- Window Trim
- Wainscoting
- Stair Treads and or Risers
- + More
Exterior Items to Consider:
- Siding
- Fascia
- Window Trim
- Belly Bands or Accent Trim
- Door Trim
- Exterior Doors
- Garage Door
- Wood Features
- Posts & Beams
- Rafters
- Soffit
- + Much More
The difference between an acceptable paint job and a great paint job is all in the prep work. Painting is about 70% prep + cleanup and 30% actual painting. When you think of it, painting itself is actually often the “easy”, quick, or even cheap part.
Signs of good prep work consist of but are not limited to:
- All flooring in painted or trafficked areas covered in their entirety
- All personal belongings moved from the painted area and or masked (covered in plastic) to protect from dust or paint droplets
- All receptacle cover plates removed and taped to ensure no paint drips where necessary
- All substrates properly cleaned and or sanded to promote adhesion
- All window blinds removed and or covered where and if necessary
- All holes, dents or cracks on your walls, ceilings, trim or doors properly filled, sanded and dusted/vacuumed
- All trim seams and corners properly filled with caulking where necessary
- Housekeeping- keeping a clean and orderly work site at all times
- + Much more
At this point you can probably get the sense that there is a lot of time and labour that goes into the painting process before the paint is ever even poured into our trays. The proof is in the prep- leave it to a professional to make sure this portion of the work is taken care of properly to your utmost satisfaction.
The Types Of Paint
You might think that all home interior and exterior paints are the same apart from the colour or brand but that is far from the case. Paints come in many types and are suitable for different rooms or living spaces within the house.
For example, since bathrooms need an occasional wipe down or even scrubbing, good bathroom paint is slightly tougher and more resilient than other interior paints.
When choosing the right paint for your home one can choose from a variety of options, today, the most popular of which include; water-based or latex-based paint, enamel, urethane, and more and more less common- oil-based paint. Each paint type is suitable for different purposes and substrates, the right combination of paint types can truly change the look, feel and durability of any home, space or substrate.
Recommended Paint Types For Different Parts Of Your Home
Home Exterior: Acrylic latex paint or solid stain is a popular choice for the exterior of your home as they are affordable, extremely durable, and water-resistant. These types of coatings also offer better surface penetration and adhesion than other paint types helping them stand the test of time against nature’s elements.
Home Interior: Nowadays, water-based or latex paint types are often the most popular choice for home interiors. This is due largely in part to their low or zero VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) content, which makes it a much better suited choice in your living environment for you and your loved ones as there is far less risk of exposure to harmful odorous vapours or off gassing.
Depending on the use of each space in your home, there are a variety of different sheens to choose from. For instance, if you have kids or pets or any high traffic areas, you may want to consider using a more durable finish such as a matte or eggshell sheen so that your walls have a bit more of a washability factor and do not mar as easily. Whereas, if you were looking for a more elegant look that also hides imperfections on your walls and touches up much easier, you might consider a washable flat instead.
Ceilings: Latex ceiling flat paint is best used for interior ceilings that do not have potential for high moisture; such as bedrooms, living room, hallways, etc. It is affordable, easier to touch-up and is much less likely to “flash” (create an unwanted shimmering effect) than the other sheens available.
Kitchens & Bathrooms: Certain paints contain antimicrobial additives with mildew-inhibiting properties and are best used in high moisture environments such as bathrooms and often kitchens. Nowadays this type of paint comes in a variety of different “sheens” (in layman’s terms- shine factor) with the most common being a matte or eggshell finish. This is a durable paint type which makes it perfect for the most lived-in areas of your home.
Bedrooms: There are even certain types of paint that claim to have air purifying and odour eliminating technologies that can be perfect for a nursery room, bedroom or even care facilities as they are designed for people with sensitivities or allergies to paint. This can be found in a variety of sheens from flat to semi gloss.
Trim & Doors:There are a variety of options for interior trim and doors or any other painted wood features in your home. Urethane and enamel coatings are the perfect choice for baseboards, door trim, doors, banisters, railings, and much more.
Paint cost can vary greatly from project to project and brand to brand. On average, paint costs can range anywhere from 15%-25% of your project. So choosing your paint type wisely can make a huge difference in the end cost saving you time and money in both the short and long run.
The Cost Of Labor
If you are looking to hire the services of a professional house painter you will be wise to do so. Given the amount of planning, prep work and effort that it takes to get a quality paint job done it is often a lot more convenient and cost-effective to hire a professional to take care of it for you. After all, that’s what professional house painters are here for.
Companies like Top Coats Professional Painting based out of Squamish,BC- Servicing Squamish, Whistler and the full Sea to Sky Corridor is just one such example of trusted professional house painters that offer top quality, reliable, and convenient solutions to all types of residential and commercial paint jobs.
Painting contractors can often charge anywhere from $40-$70+ per hour but these rates can vary depending on the company you choose, area you live in and even time of year that you are looking to have your project completed. It has become common practice to get multiple quotes when deciding upon a painting contractor to find the best fit for you and your project.
When choosing a reliable trustworthy painting contractor to work on or in your home there are a few things that you absolutely must consider.
Key considerations when hiring a painting contractor:
- What are people saying about them? What are their ratings on Google, Facebook, Houzz, etc.
- Do they carry liability insurance and how much?
- Are they covered and up to date with WCB (Workers Compensation Board)
- What does their warranty look like?
- Who will be performing the work- Is everyone involved covered in the above?
So, How Much Do Professional House Painters Charge?
Professional residential paint jobs can run anywhere from $5,000-$15,000+ depending on a multitude of factors. It is not a one size fits all as each and every project presents its own set of challenges as well each and every homeowner has their own unique wants and needs when it comes to their home. The paint types selected, amount of prep work involved, square footage of the area, and the gallons of paint required to complete the job also all play a big role in the pricing of your project.
Small paint jobs like repainting a bedroom or office can cost anywhere from $200-$700 while mid-range jobs like painting the top floor of your home can cost anywhere from $2000-$5000 (depending on project size and scope of work). A complete repaint of the exterior of your home on the other hand can cost between $5,000-$10,000+ alone.
In terms of square footage, expect any interior paint job to cost between $3-$9 per floor square foot and an exterior to cost from $2-$5 per floor square foot. Once again the difference in estimates is largely due to the multitude of factors discussed above.
Hire House Painters near Squamish & Whistler BC
Are you looking for a professional house painter near Squamish BC? Look no further than the team at Top Coats Professional Painting to handle your painting needs. We stand above the competition by offering superior quality, transparency, and workmanship.
