How much does it cost to paint a room in Virginia?

What decides the price of a room

There is no single Virginia price for painting a room, and a number without a date or a source behind it would mislead you. What you can do is know what moves a quote and get it in writing. Painters price a room from the surface they are painting and the work needed to get it ready, so two rooms of the same size can quote very differently.

Preparation. Benjamin Moore says preparing the walls of the room is always critical to a successful paint job, starting with cleaning.^[1] Rough spots need sanding, and smoothing walls before painting is necessary for surfaces previously painted with a gloss or high-gloss paint.^[2] Patching nail holes and cracks, washing greasy kitchen walls and scraping flaking paint all add labor before any paint goes on.

Primer and color change. Priming is also essential, and Benjamin Moore advises asking for a deep base primer if painting a darker hue.^[1] A move from a dark color to a light one, or the reverse, can mean an extra coat or a primer coat.

Number of coats. Benjamin Moore recommends applying at least two coats of your top coat product.^[1] A quote for one coat is not comparable to one for two.

What gets painted. Walls alone is the baseline. Ceilings, baseboards, door and window trim, closets and doors each add time, and detail work around trim takes longer than open wall. Ask whether each is in the price.

Surface and height. Rough, textured walls take a thicker roller sleeve than smooth ones.^[1] High ceilings, stairwells and vaulted rooms need ladders or scaffolding, which adds time and risk.

Paint and who supplies it. Benjamin Moore warns to beware of bargain paints that claim to have good coverage at too-good-to-be-true prices.^[1] Ask for the brand, product line and sheen in the quote, and whether the painter or you are buying it.

Furniture and access. Moving and covering furniture, an occupied room and tight schedules all count.

Age of the home. If the house was built before 1978, EPA says anyone paid to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 must be certified in lead-safe work practices.^[3] In general, work that disturbs painted surfaces in an older home therefore needs a lead-safe certified firm, and that can change the price. Ordinary repainting over sound paint is a different matter from sanding or scraping.

Painting it yourself

Painting one room is a reasonable DIY job. The cost then is paint, tape, drop cloths, a brush, roller sleeves and your time. The most expensive mistake is skimping on preparation, which Benjamin Moore calls always critical.^[1] If the room has peeling paint and the house is older than 1978, read the lead warning above before you sand.

Getting a fair quote in Virginia

If the work you are considering is valued at $1,000 or more, a valid Virginia contractor's license is required for the license category in which the contractor is to work, according to the Board for Contractors.^[4] A whole-house paint job may cross that line and a single room may not, but the Board's advice on written contracts is worth following either way. Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work.^[4]

On any home improvement job, you can expect to make a down payment, but a good rule of thumb is an initial deposit of no more than 10% of the total price or $1,000, whichever is less.^[4] The Board also says to never sign a blank or partially blank contract.^[4]

The Board for Contractors advises getting at least three written bids.^[4] Ask each for the same list of work and compare them line by line. Look for the rooms, the surfaces (walls, ceiling, trim, doors), the prep, the number of coats, the paint brand and sheen, who supplies the paint, who moves furniture, the start and finish dates, and what happens to touch-ups afterwards. If one quote is much lower than the others, find out what it leaves out.

Stop and call a pro if

• The paint is peeling or cracking in a home built before 1978. Do not sand it. EPA recommends homeowners hire a lead-safe certified contractor for projects in a pre-1978 home.^[3]
• There is a water stain, bubbling paint or a soft spot on the wall or ceiling. Find and fix the leak before repainting.
• The room needs a ladder beyond a stepladder, such as a stairwell or a vaulted ceiling.

Next steps

Read how to paint a room without getting paint on the ceiling if you are doing it yourself, and whether a painter needs a license in Virginia before you hire. For more, browse painting answers or the painting category.

To get written quotes, describe the room and local painters will quote it.