DIY vs. Professional Painting: When to Call in the Experts

By Cameron Maltby, owner of PB Painting, a licensed painting contractor in Del Mar, CA (Lic. #1099764)

I run a painting company, so you might expect me to say “always hire a pro.” I won’t. Plenty of painting is a reasonable weekend project. But some jobs cost homeowners more in time, materials and do-overs than hiring it out would have. Here is how to tell the difference.

Jobs that are usually fine to DIY

• A single bedroom or office with standard 8-foot ceilings, the same or a similar color, and walls in good shape.
• Touch-ups with leftover paint from the original job (if it is the same product and sheen).
• A fence or small shed at ground level, where a few drips will not matter.
• An accent wall if you are comfortable cutting a straight line.

If you go the DIY route, buy good brushes and rollers, use quality paint, and spend more time on prep than you think you need. Prep is 70 percent of the result.

Jobs where a pro usually saves you money

• Exteriors. Ladders, second stories, scraping, caulking and priming bare wood are where most DIY exterior jobs fail. In San Diego’s sun and coastal air, a poorly prepped exterior starts peeling within a couple of years, and then you are paying to strip it.
• Stucco. Cracks need to be filled and sealed with the right materials, and stucco eats paint. Getting full, even coverage takes the right equipment and technique.
• Kitchen cabinets. Cabinets need degreasing, sanding, a bonding primer and a hard enamel finish, ideally sprayed. Brushed or rolled cabinets with the wrong paint chip quickly and are one of the most common DIY regrets we fix.
• Stairwells, vaulted ceilings and two-story entries. These need staging or tall ladders and real fall protection.
• Older homes with original trim. Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint. Sanding it without lead-safe practices is a health risk, especially with kids in the house.
• Whole-house interiors when you need to stay on schedule, for example before a move-in or a sale.

The real cost comparison

When homeowners compare DIY to a quote, they usually compare paint cost to our price. The fair comparison also includes tools and supplies (rollers, brushes, tape, plastic, primer, caulk and patch, often a few hundred dollars), your time (a whole-house interior is easily several full weekends), and the cost of fixing problems later. A pro also works faster because of the equipment: we can spray, back-roll and protect a room in a fraction of the time it takes by hand.

What to look for if you hire a painter

1. An active California contractor license (check it on the CSLB website), plus liability insurance and workers’ comp.
2. A written proposal that lists prep, products, number of coats and what is excluded.
3. Named paint products, not just “premium paint.”
4. A written warranty. Ours runs up to 7 years on exteriors and 5 years on interiors, and it transfers if you sell your home.
5. Recent reviews and photos of finished work.

Not sure which side your project falls on?

Send us a few photos or book a free estimate. We will tell you honestly whether it is worth hiring out. If it is a project you can handle, we are happy to give you a few pointers. Request an estimate or call (619) 394-3888.