How to Choose a House Painter: Quotes, Prep Work and Lead Safety

Painting looks like the simplest home project there is. Anyone can roll paint on a wall, which is why it is easy to assume every painter is more or less the same and the lowest price wins. The difference shows up later: peeling on the south side of the house after one summer, tape lines that bled, or patches that show through the new color.

Most of what separates a good paint job from a poor one happens before the first coat goes on. This guide covers what to ask, what a written quote should spell out, and the lead safety rules that apply if your home was built before 1978.

Interior and exterior are different jobs

Some painters do both, but many focus on one, and the work is different enough that it is worth asking.

• Interior painting is about clean lines, smooth wall repair, protecting floors and furniture, and working around the people who live there. Dust and odor control matter.
• Exterior painting is about weather. It involves scraping, sanding, caulking, priming bare wood, working safely on ladders or lifts, and timing the work around temperature, humidity and rain. Paint manufacturers list the conditions their products need, and a good exterior painter follows them.

Ask each painter how much of their work is the kind you need, and whether they can show photos of similar projects.

Prep work is most of the job

New paint only sticks as well as the surface beneath it. Careful painters often spend more time preparing than painting. Depending on the job, prep can include:

• Moving and covering furniture, and protecting floors, fixtures and landscaping.
• Washing surfaces to remove dirt, grease or mildew.
• Scraping loose and peeling paint.
• Filling holes and cracks, and sanding repairs smooth.
• Caulking gaps around trim, windows and doors.
• Spot-priming repairs and bare wood, or priming the whole surface when needed.
• Masking edges and removing outlet covers and hardware.

When two quotes are far apart, prep is often the reason. Ask each painter to walk you through exactly what they will do before they open a can of paint.

What a written quote should list

A one-line quote that says "paint living room, two coats" does not give you much to hold anyone to. A good written quote describes:

• Areas included: which rooms or sides of the house, and which surfaces (walls, ceilings, trim, doors, cabinets, siding, fascia, decks).
• Surface prep: the specific steps, such as scraping, patching, caulking and priming.
• Products: the paint brand, product line and sheen for each surface, plus primer.
• Number of coats: for each surface, including primer.
• Colors: how many, and whether a color change costs extra.
• Repairs: how rotted wood or damaged drywall will be handled and priced if found.
• Cleanup: removal of debris, paint chips and leftover materials.
• Schedule: start date, expected duration, and what happens with weather delays for exterior work.
• Price and payment schedule.
• Warranty: what the painter covers, such as peeling or blistering, and for how long.

Naming the product matters because paint lines from the same brand can differ a lot in quality. If a painter is not willing to put the product in writing, ask why.

Lead-safe practices for homes built before 1978

Lead-based paint was banned for residential use in the US in 1978, so older homes may still have it under newer layers. Disturbing lead paint by scraping, sanding or demolition can create dust that is harmful, especially to young children and pregnant women.

The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule applies to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in homes built before 1978. In general, firms doing this work must be certified, and the work must be done or directed by a certified renovator using lead-safe practices. Some states run their own programs in place of the federal one. The rule has exceptions, including for small areas of disturbed paint below set limits (6 square feet per room inside, or 20 square feet outside, with some exceptions such as window replacement), but the details matter, so check with the EPA or your state program.

If your home was built before 1978, ask any painter:

1. Is your firm RRP-certified, and can I see the certificate?
2. Who on the crew is a certified renovator?
3. How will you contain the work area and control dust?
4. How will you clean up and check the area when you are done?

Before work starts, contractors covered by the rule are generally required to give you the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet. The rule also bans certain practices on lead paint, such as open-flame burning and power sanding without proper dust collection. A painter who brushes off lead questions in an older home is a painter to skip.

Licensing and insurance

Whether painters need a license depends on your state, and sometimes your city or county. Some states require a contractor license for painting jobs above a certain size; others do not license painters at all. Check with your state licensing board or local building department, and verify any license number you are given.

Insurance matters regardless. Ask for a certificate of insurance showing general liability, which covers damage to your home and belongings, and workers' compensation if the painter has employees. Ladder work on an exterior job carries real injury risk.

A fair payment schedule

Painting jobs are usually shorter than remodels, but the same principles apply:

• Expect a modest deposit at most, often to cover materials. Some states limit how much a contractor can collect up front; your state consumer protection office can tell you the rules.
• For larger jobs, tie payments to finished stages, such as the end of prep or completion of one side of the house.
• Hold the final payment until you have walked the job with the painter and any touch-ups are done.
• Avoid paying in full up front or in cash without a receipt.

At the final walk-through, look at the work in daylight and from a few angles. Check edges along ceilings and trim, coverage over patched areas, and drips or missed spots. Ask the painter to leave a labeled container of each color so future touch-ups match.

Questions to ask every painter

1. How long have you been painting, and do you mostly do interior or exterior work?
2. Will you put the prep steps, products and number of coats in writing?
3. Who will be on site, and are they employees or subcontractors?
4. Can I see your certificate of insurance?
5. For an older home, are you RRP-certified?
6. What does your warranty cover, and for how long?
7. Can you share recent references or photos of similar jobs?

Reviews help too, as long as you read them with a critical eye. Our guide on how to spot fake online reviews explains what to look for.

Find a painter near you

Ready to gather quotes? Browse painting businesses on Directory For USA, read their reviews, and ask two or three of them for detailed written quotes so you can compare the same job side by side.