How We Paint: Our 7-Step Process

How do you prepare your home for painters?

Clear away the small things and leave the heavy lifting to the crew, who move and cover the furniture and protect the floors. Your part at each step is short:

Step	Your part
1. Get your price range	Answer a few questions in the estimator, or text us photos: wide shots of each room or wall, plus close-ups of any damage.
2. A crew lead looks it over	Give rough sizes. Point out repairs you know about and anything mounted on the walls, and mention access, parking and pets.
3. Written, itemized quote	Read the scope, the sizes, the prep, the paint, the dates and any surface the warranty can't cover, and ask about anything that isn't clear.
4. Colours and scheduling	Pay the 20% deposit to book your dates. Settle colours and sheens before the start date, since the paint is tinted to them.
5. Prep and protection	Inside, pack away small items, art and valuables, and take down curtains. Outside, ask the crew lead what should move away from the walls.
6. Two coats	Keep pets and young children out of rooms with wet paint, and keep fresh air moving.
7. Walkthrough and warranty	Pay the rest an hour before the crew finishes, then walk the finished job with them and point out anything you want touched up.

If you are still choosing colours, our guide to what happens in a colour consultation shows how to test samples in your own light.

How long does the whole process take?

The steps before the painting are quick, and each has a stated time. The painting takes longest, and its dates go in your written quote.

Step	How long
Your price range	About a minute in the estimator
First reply	within 1 business hour, Mon–Sat, 7:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m.
Written quote	within 24 hours of seeing the job
Start date	Booked once you have the written quote
The painting	The start and finish dates in your quote

As a rough guide across the trade, most single rooms take a day or less, including two coats and the wait between them. A whole 3-bedroom interior typically takes about 3 to 7 working days, with a crew of two or three. Repairs, ceilings, trim and big colour changes add time.

You can usually stay at home while the work goes on. Our guide to how long it takes to paint a house interior breaks the time down room by room. Outside, the weather decides which days work, as our post on the best time to paint a house exterior explains.

What should you check at the final walkthrough?

Check each room in good light while the crew is still there, because touch-ups are done on the spot. These are the things to look for:

• Missed or thin spots. Look along each wall at a low angle, toward a window or a lamp. Painters call these spots holidays.
• Edges. Lines where walls meet ceilings, trim and other colours should be straight and clean.
• Repairs. Patched spots shouldn't show as dull or shiny marks, known as flashing.
• Trim and doors. Look for drips and brush marks, and check that doors and windows open freely.
• Everything else. Floors, glass, hardware and fixtures should be free of paint. Outside, walk every side of the house and look up at any painted soffits.

Keep your written warranty with the quote, which names the paint by brand and line, so a later touch-up can use the same paint. Fresh paint stays soft for weeks while it cures, so treat it gently at first. The warranty page explains what the warranty covers and how to make a claim.