When most people think of interior painting they usually are thinking of just walls. I receive calls all the time from customers asking for a price on painting an interior home over the phone. I try to explain that every house is different and the scope of work is always unique for every house. Then I’m told that the house is average and what is the average cost.

Sooo… That is why I’m writing this blog.

The first thing to ask about an interior painting bid is….Do you want the ceilings painted? Usually, there is a pause then a – I don’t know what do you think? Well, I think that if they need to be done they should be done first. A good way to tell [if you want them white] is to hold a piece of white paper near the ceiling and compare.  If you paint the ceilings first you can save a lot of money and get a better-looking job.

Most people that are trying to save money [and who isn’t] will try and paint them with a roller and brush. This will work for a smooth finish bath or kitchen ceiling with enamels. If you have popcorn or textured ceiling using cheaper grade paint and spraying them will improve the results. Never try and paint over water or smoke stains, they need to be primed with a pigmented shellac based primer. Also, any patching, retexturing or masking should be done before any painting is done. For the do-it-yourselfers out there this part of the painting job should be done by a professional painter. This will save loads of grief if you have never done this before and lets you focus on my next blog – interior walls.

Oh- one thing I would like to comment on is the over the phone bids. My bids are always free, but over the phone, my guess is $200.00. Then when I get there I give them a written estimate for the exact cost.

Thank you for reading,

Steve Johnson