How to Prepare for Painters: A Homeowner Checklist

To prepare for painters, agree the colors and the scope in writing, clear the rooms of small and fragile items, take down wall hangings and curtains, and move furniture out or to the middle of the room. Professional painters normally bring their own drop cloths, ladders and masking, and handle the wall preparation. What helps them most is clear walls, easy access and decisions already made.

The checklist below covers the week or two before, the day before and the first morning, plus exterior jobs and the final walkthrough. You can print it from the download.

One to two weeks before the painters arrive

Most problems on a painting job come from decisions made late, so this is the stage that matters most.

• Confirm colors and sheens for every room and surface, in writing
• Agree who moves furniture, who patches walls and what prep is included
• Confirm the start date, working hours and how many days the job should take
• Plan for pets and children while the work is going on
• Arrange parking for the crew vehicle and a place to stage equipment
• For exterior work, check whether your homeowners association needs to approve the colors

Confirm colors against painted samples on your own walls, in daylight and in lamp light, rather than from small chips. Then put the final list in writing so the painter orders exactly what you chose. Being clear about prep is just as important: whether the price includes filling holes, caulking trim and moving furniture changes what you need to do. What painters usually include is covered in do painters patch walls.

The day before

• Take down pictures, mirrors, clocks and shelves
• Remove small items, ornaments and anything fragile from the rooms
• Take down curtains and blinds, or agree that the painters will
• Move furniture out, or to the center of the room if it has to stay
• Empty closets that are being painted
• Vacuum floors and baseboards so dust does not blow onto wet paint
• Unplug and move electronics away from the walls

If furniture cannot leave the room, pushing it into the center gives the painters room to work at the walls. Leave enough space to walk around it with a ladder. Fragile and valuable items are best moved by you, even if the painters move the heavy pieces.

Do painters move furniture?

Many painters will move heavy furniture to the center of the room and cover it, and some include moving it out and back. Others expect the room to be cleared before they arrive. There is no standard, so ask, and check that the answer is written on the quote. Either way, take care of anything fragile, valuable or sentimental yourself, and empty bookcases and cabinets before anyone tries to move them.

The first morning

• Walk the rooms with the crew lead and point out existing damage
• Confirm the colors once more against the order
• Show the crew the bathroom, water and power they can use
• Agree how they will reach you during the day

A short walkthrough at the start protects both sides. If there is a scratch on the floor or a crack in a wall before work begins, it should be noted then rather than discovered afterwards.

Do you need to be home while painters work?

Usually not for the whole day. Many homeowners let the crew in, do the morning walkthrough, and leave. What you do need is a reliable way for the crew to get in, a way to reach you if they find a problem, and time at the end of each day or at the end of the job to look at the work. If you will be away, agree how access and keys or codes will be handled, and keep pets safely away from open doors, wet paint and equipment.

Can you stay in the house while it is being painted?

For interior painting, most people stay at home and keep out of the rooms being worked on. Fresh paint gives off vapors, so ventilation matters. Guidance published by the EPA and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Healthy Indoor Painting Practices, advises keeping windows open, as weather allows, for about two to three days after painting, avoiding freshly painted rooms for two to three days where possible, and keeping young children and people with breathing problems away from freshly painted areas. Low odor and low VOC paints reduce the smell, and you can ask the painter to use them. More on clearing the smell is in how to get rid of paint smell.

If anyone in the house is pregnant, has asthma or another breathing condition, or is very sensitive to smells, ask a doctor for advice that fits them, and plan for those rooms to be done while they are away.

Preparing for exterior painting

• Trim back plants and branches touching the walls
• Move patio furniture, grills, planters and decorations away from the house
• Park vehicles away from the walls, especially if anything is being sprayed
• Turn off sprinklers on painting days
• Keep pets indoors or away from the work area
• Close windows on the sides being painted

Exterior crews also need access all the way around the house, somewhere to set ladders on firm ground, and usually an outdoor tap and power outlet. Tell them about anything fragile near the walls, such as light fixtures, garden features or a delicate climbing plant.

What the painters bring and what you provide

Who buys the paint is worth settling early. Painters usually supply it, but some homeowners prefer to choose a specific product. If you buy it, agree the product, sheen and quantity with the painter so nothing runs short halfway through a wall.

Mistakes that slow the crew down

A few small things cost more time on the day than anything else. Each one is easy to sort out before the crew arrives.

• Leaving nails and anchors in the walls. Decide which holes you want filled and which you want kept for hanging things again, and tell the painter. What a quote usually covers is set out in do painters patch walls.
• Forgetting the ceiling. If ceilings are being painted, clear tall shelves away from the walls and ask whether hanging light fixtures should come down or just be covered.
• Blocking the way in. Ladders, buckets and drop cloths go in and out all day. Keep the hallway clear, and on an exterior job move cars out of the driveway.
• Not marking what stays unpainted. If a thermostat, an intercom, an old switch plate or a piece of trim should not be painted, mark it with a piece of tape and mention it on the first morning.

During the job

Check in briefly at the end of each day. If you want to change a color or add a room, put it in writing before the work is done, because changes after the paint is on are where disagreements start. When to pay, and how much up front is normal, is covered in when to pay a painter.

After the painters leave

• Walk every room in daylight with the crew lead
• List anything that needs touching up and agree when it will be done
• Check switch plates and outlet covers are back on
• Keep the leftover paint, labeled by room, for future touch ups
• Pay the final amount once the list is finished

Fresh paint stays soft for a while after it is dry to the touch, so take care when you put the room back together. How long to wait before hanging pictures, replacing covers and putting furniture against the walls is set out in how long after painting can you hang pictures or sleep in the room.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do before the painters come?

Agree colors and scope in writing, then clear small items, wall hangings and curtains, move furniture out or to the center of the room, and vacuum. The painters handle the wall preparation.

Do painters move furniture?

Many move heavy pieces to the center of the room and cover them, but it varies by company. Ask, get it written on the quote, and move fragile items yourself.

Do I need to be home when the painters are working?

Not usually for the whole day. Be there for the first walkthrough and the final one, make sure the crew can get in, and stay reachable by phone.

Can I stay in my house while it is being painted?

Usually, yes, while keeping out of the rooms being painted. Ventilate well; EPA and CPSC guidance suggests keeping windows open for about two to three days after painting.

Do painters take off switch plates and outlet covers?

Most do, and put them back at the end. Check they are all back on during the final walkthrough.

Should I buy the paint myself?

Usually the painter supplies it. If you want a particular product, agree the brand, sheen and quantity with the painter in advance.