Painting your home is often considered a budget-friendly project. You can give your house a fresh new look by changing the colour of your walls, trims, and sidings. A well-painted house can also help increase the value of your property. Whether you own a condo, bungalow or townhouse, we recommend you hire a professional painter to paint the interior or exterior of your home. Irrespective of the size of the project, a painter can help you complete the job with minimum damage and utmost professionalism.
In this cost guide, we have compiled 603 verified homeowner reviews from Ottawa. These reviews gave us the average, lowest and highest reported costs to paint an interior, exterior or a full house in Ottawa. A team of painters can help you paint the interiors of your home, such as your bedroom, main floor or kitchen cabinets. Exterior painting projects can include front porch, eavestroughs, fascia board, doors and windows. Full house painting covers all the interior and exterior parts of the house. You can use the costs in this guide as an estimate to plan your next paint project or ask a professional painter for a custom quote.
Cost to Complete Different Painting Projects in Ottawa
| Location | Average Cost* | Lowest Reported* | Highest Reported* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior | $2,224 | $100 | $12,000 |
| Exterior | $2,728 | $200 | $20,000 |
| Full House Painting | $7,555 | $1,000 | $27,000 |
Costs as of October 2020*
Factors Impacting Painting Costs in Barrie
Size and Location of the Room
- When you start planning painting projects for your home, we recommend you make a list of all the locations within your home you want to be painted. Include everything in your list from which walls to the particular window trim. Share this list with your painter who can give you an estimate based on your requirements.
- A painting estimate is based on the size and location (interior or exterior) of the areas you want to get painted. A painter will measure the dimensions of the walls, floor and ceiling of your house to determine how much paint you will need and create an estimated timeline to complete the job. It will also include additional costs like materials and labour. Based on the size of your condo or townhouse, it may cost you up to $27,000 in Ottawa to paint the whole house. You can talk to a painter to get a custom quote for your home.
Amount of Paint
- A painter will need to measure and calculate the area to be painted to determine the amount of paint you will need. The cost will fluctuate based on the number of windows and doors along with the type of walls you have. For example, you will need more paint for a textured surface compared to a smooth wall.
- The painter will also consider whether you’re repainting or newly painting the house, how many coats of paint you want and the primer costs. If you’re painting an exterior surface, you will need different amounts of paint for wood and metal surfaces. To complete any interior or exterior paint job it may cost you an average of $2,224 and $2,728 respectively.
Textured and Popcorn Ceilings
- Textured and popcorn ceilings were a popular choice until the late 1990s. That’s why many older houses in Ottawa have this particular textured ceiling. Today, many are opting to change it for a smoother and plain ceiling look. Popcorn ceilings may contain asbestos which is harmful to the health and well-being of your family.
- A professional painter can replace the popcorn ceiling of your house be it in the basement or on the main floor. The cost of this job is based on the size of the room and the age of the popcorn ceiling. Removing the textured ceiling can create a lot of mess and debris. Professional painters will make sure to cover the grounds with plastic to hold the debris and clean up after the job is done.
Wall and Room Preparation
- Painting is not a simple home project that you can start just by acquiring some paint and basic tools. It requires specific preparations or it may look like a botched job. Step by step prep work is important to avoid any damages and wasting your resources and time. A team of professional painters in Ottawa can do all the prep work for you before starting to paint any parts of your house.
- The first step in this preparation process is removing all the furniture, light fixtures and any decorations indoors or outdoors. Your painters can remove or tightly cover these parts to avoid any damage or paint splatters. If you’re painting the exterior of your house, be sure to protect your plants and cover outdoor furniture.
- The next step is to prep the walls. The painters will fix any damages or holes in the walls or other areas before starting the paint job. Only professional painters will know how to identify and fix such damages. If they find any critical damage related to wiring or plumbing while working on the drywall or kitchen, you can hire a plumber or an electrician to fix it.
- When you discuss the project details with the painter, make sure you discuss the time it might take them to complete the preparation. The cost of this work will be added to your final bill.
Season
- Whether you’re painting your interior, exterior or full house, checking the weather conditions before starting the project is imperative.
- Paint takes substantial time to dry and rain, snow or strong winds can ruin any exterior paint job. That’s why we recommend you plan your exterior paint jobs for spring and summer when the conditions are favourable for a painting project. Painters are in high demand in these seasons so make sure you plan your project and hire a painter well ahead of time.
- You can plan an indoor painting project at any time of the year but we recommend you hire a painter in fall or winter. Painters usually have more flexible schedules in these seasons and you can also negotiate paint costs with them for a lower price.
- If you’re planning for a full house paint project or multiple small interiors and exterior painting projects, you can create a ‘paint plan’ with a local painter of your choice. You can discuss the project timeline and budget as per your requirements. This will provide you with more flexibility without compromising the quality of the work.
The Painter’s Profile
- Experience: Hiring an experienced painter can be expensive but it will save you more time. Experienced painters can complete the job with minimal chances of damages and can spot any repairs if required.
- Speed: The size of the wall, the experience of the painter and the type of surface will determine the speed of the job. To paint a surface of 100 to 120 square feet, an average painter may need only an hour to finish the task. If you’re planning to get two coats of paint then consider the time it might take for a wall to dry. Before starting the job, ask your painter for an estimated timeline to complete the project.
- Labour: If you have a big painting project which needs to be completed in a shorter timeline, then you will need a team of 2 to 5 professional painters to do the job. The cost of extra painters will be added to your final bill as labour costs. You might be charged at an hourly labour rate or based on cost per job. Clarify the labour costs with the painter and ask for the cost estimate for the same when you hire them.
Types and Quantity of the Paint
- To paint an average room of 500 to 600 square feet in Ottawa you may require a minimum of two gallons of paint. A gallon of paint may cost you anywhere between $15 to $300 based on the paint’s type and quality. You can choose a flat, matte, eggshell or satin paint for your house. The quantity and price of paint will increase if you plan to do two or three coats of paint.
- A professional painter in Ottawa can help you choose a particular type of paint and primer based on your surface.
Why Hire a Professional Painter?
Preparation
For any type of painting project, you will need to complete all proper preparations for the paint job to look consistent at the end. Based on your type of project and requirements, a painter can help you with the preparation process step by step.
- Step 1: Clear the painting area by removing or tightly covering furniture, decorations and carpets. This is a step that you can complete yourself but professional painters can do it quickly and precisely. They know the usual paint splatter techniques so they will be mindful to cover specific areas that you might miss.
- Step 2: Prep the actual painting after a thorough inspection. The painters will smooth the walls with sandpaper, repair any damages like holes and cracks in the walls as well. Only professional painters will know how to identify and fix such damages. They will also prep the painting area with painter’s take to avoid paint drops and to stick to the painting lines.
Be it indoor or outdoor, professional painters can help you with all the preparations to make sure that the end product is perfect and aesthetically pleasing.
Minimum Damage
- A house painting project is regarded as one of the most creative home improvement projects. It involves a certain risk of damage. Make sure you hire an experienced painter to work on any major project as they understand the job and will prevent any damages. Also, ask the painters if they have any damage repair policy before hiring them.
Supplies
- Any paint job requires a specific set of tools and supplies in addition to gallons of paint and primer. A professional painter has all the necessary tools ready to start your project immediately. Based on your type of project, paint and other requirements, the painter will bring the appropriate tools and supplies on the job.
- A team of professional painters is always equipped with painting tools such as paint rollers, paint roller extension pole, drop cloths, paint brushes, sandpaper, paint tray, putti knife and painters’ tape.
Painting a house requires a considerate investment of money, time and effort. That’s why you don’t plan paint projects every year. You want to make sure that the project is completed successfully on the first go. This can be achieved by hiring a team of professional painters in Ottawa who have the experience and knowledge to complete a paint project with accuracy and minimum damage.
At HomeStars you can check the painters’ Star Score, verification badge and their reviews by other homeowners before hiring them. You can ask various painters for a custom quote, compare their estimates and then make an informed hiring decision.