10 Ways To Reduce The Cost Of Your Painting Project

Any size and type of painting project can be expensive if you don’t plan it precisely. There are different ways to reduce the cost of painting significantly even if you’re hiring a pro for the project. If the thought of an expensive paint job is keeping you from painting your bedroom in Aegean Teal or your kitchen in Ultimate Gray, follow these steps to add trending paint colours to your walls for a fair price.

Choose Paint Type Wisely

You can choose a specific paint type and paint finish before you choose a colour. Some paint types and finishes can be more expensive than others so we recommend you choose wisely. Eggshell and satin paints are cheaper compared to semi or high-gloss paints, for example.
For large walls, you can choose flat or eggshell paints and give your columns a glossy finish to make them stand out. This way you can have different types of paint and finishes on your walls while staying within your budget.

Number of Paint Coats

The general rule of thumb for residential painting used by painters is two coats per wall. However, this can change depending on the type of paint, quality of paint, type of surface and whether you’re using a primer or not. Minimum two coats of paint on your wall will last longer, look nicer and you’ll also get a longer warranty.
If you choose a primer, you may not need more than two coats of paint. But if you opt to skip the primer, the number of coats can go up to 4-5 to give the desired finished look to your walls and ceiling.
When repainting walls, the previous colour will dictate the number of coats needed. If the previous colour was lighter than your new colour, then 2-3 coats will be enough. If the previous colour was darker, then the painter will have to spend more time prepping the wall. Primer will be needed and it may require 4-5 coats to cover the previous dark colour.
As there are many factors involved in making this decision, we recommend you talk to your painting contractor to help you decide. The number of coats needed will ultimately determine the quantity of paint you will require.

Calculate and Measure the Quantity of Paint Required

Based on the surface area you want to cover, the number of coats and the type of paint, you will have to precisely determine the quantity of paint you may require for the project. If you order too much paint, it will be a waste of money and materials. If you order less paint than required, you’ll have to go back and forth between your house and the store in the middle of your paint job.
Be it an interior paint job or exterior, you can use a simple formula to calculate the quantity of paint you may require:
Total surface area ➗ spreading rate of paint ✕ number of coats = Total litres/gallons required

Elevated View Of Architect's Using Color Guide Swatch And Calculator While Drawing Plan On Blueprint

Plan Painting Multiple Rooms at the Same Time

Painting different parts of your house throughout the year can strain your resources and personal time. You can hire a team of painters to paint the exterior, interior, basement and other parts of your house at the same time. They will prep, paint and clean everything in a matter of days.
Painting all the rooms at once will also look nicer. You will have freshly painted rooms all at once instead of contrasting colours throughout the house.
By making this decision, you won’t have to hire painters multiple times, buy new tools for every project and you can smartly calculate the painting material to use at once to save costs.

Opt for the Off-Season

Whether you’re living in Winnipeg or Halifax, any residential painting projects in Canada should be planned based on seasonality and the weather. Painting the exterior of your house during the winter or rainy seasons can be disastrous. However, you can plan an interior paint project during this time.
Winter months are often considered as off-season for painting projects. You can hire a professional painter to paint your bedrooms or hallways as the unpredictable outside weather won’t impact these rooms. Hiring a professional during their off-season will help you save on the costs of labour and materials. You can use these savings on your exterior painting project during the summer months as it can get expensive.
Talk to your painting contractor and come up with a deal to paint the interior of your house during the winter months and then exterior painting immediately in spring or summer.

Tip
Many local painting contractors offer flexible pre-scheduled payment plans for larger paint projects. Discuss with your contractor a payment plan that will suit your budget and timeline for better results.

Maintain a Flexible Timeline

Your timeline to complete a paint project can highly impact the cost. If you have a tight deadline and multiple rooms to cover, you may end up writing a big cheque.
Based on the size of your project, it can take a team of painters anywhere between 1 to 4 weeks. If you have a shorter timeline, they will have to hire multiple workers and purchase more tools. The cost of extra labour, tools and materials will reflect highly on your final bill. If you keep a flexible timeline during the off-season, you can save a few extra dollars on your project.
Discuss the cost of any extra labour or materials with your contractor before you start your project.

Prepare the Paint Area Yourself

It is very important to prep the wall and the area before dipping the brush in the paint can. Your painter will prep the wall, cover the holes or clear the bumps, use painters’ tape and take precautions in case of paint drips.
To help with the project, there are some things that you can do before their arrival. These small to-do items can save their time and if they’re charging you on an hourly basis, it will save you some money.
Follow this list of tasks to prep the painting area before your painting crew arrives:
- Remove all furniture like tables, entertainment units, chairs or sofas against the walls and move it to another room. If it’s an exterior paint job, remove all the patio furniture and outdoor decorations.
- Dust clean all the walls, trims, window and door sides with a washcloth or a vacuum cleaner
- If possible, smooth your walls of any bumps or lumps using sandpaper. You can also remove the peeling paint or wallpaper.

Tip
Discuss the prepping process with your contractor. Ask them if they are bringing plastic sheets to cover your flowerbeds or hardwood floors. If they are not, make sure you purchase one from a local store to avoid any paint stains on your property.

Avoid Paint Stains and Damages

Paint stains and accidental damages are common during residential painting projects. If you hire a professional painter, make sure you check if they have any damage repair policy in case your furniture, drywall or any appliances are harmed.
Fixing the damages done during a paint job or removing difficult paint stains can be time-consuming. You may require to hire extra help or purchase new material to fix the issue. To avoid getting yourself in such a situation, you can hire a trustworthy painter in your area by checking their profile on HomeStars. After you shortlist your contractor, you can verify and compare their credibility by reading their reviews, checking their star score and making sure if they have a verification badge to make a confident hiring decision. Hiring a licensed and insured painter will help you avoid expensive paint stains and damages to your property.

Save Cost on the Material

The biggest cost determining factor in any residential painting project is the material i.e. the paint! The type and finish of paint you choose, the primer and its final quantity make up a large portion of the total cost of your project.
There are two ways to save costs on the material in a painting project: do tons of research to find competitive prices for paint per gallon online and in local stores or ask your contractor to purchase the paint on your behalf at a wholesale price.
When you’re determining the cost of material and haven’t decided whether to hire a painter for the job or not, we recommend you try both methods. You can do the research yourself to get the costs and ask a local painter to provide you with a custom material quote and compare both to make a final decision.

Paint Cost Online	Paint Cost from Local Store	Paint Cost Quote from Contractor
$0	$0	$0

Hire Professional Painters

If saving money on your painting project is your ultimate goal, you should consider hiring a professional for the job instead of doing it yourself. If you hire a local painter, you won’t have to spend hours researching tools and materials. You won’t have to invest in buying painting tools that you may never use again and most importantly it will be a hassle-free project.
If you haven’t painted before, doing a painting project can strain your body, time and resources. If you make any mistakes or skip any steps, if you don’t use particular tools or methods to paint trims or ceilings, it can damage your property. You may end up hiring a professional for the job which can get even more expensive as it will fall under damage control or fixing a botched paint job.
You don’t necessarily have to hire a professional immediately. You can talk to different contractors in your area, compare their HomeStars profiles, ask them for a custom quote and take your time to make a decision. You can use the HomeStars U ltimate Hiring Guide to choose a local professional for your residential painting project.

When planning a painting project, don’t think of the cost in financial terms only. Think about the cost of your time, resources and energy you may have to invest in doing research, purchasing materials and tools, prepping, actual painting and cleaning. Hiring a local painting professional can help you save costs on all these elements. Let HomeStars help you save time and money by connecting you with the right pro. When you’re ready, fill out a custom quote request to start your project.