We do not spend a great deal of time contemplating the ceilings in our homes. We normally do not think of painting them unless we see damages like water damage or stains from cooking and tobacco. Painting your ceiling improves your lighting, improves the look of the home, and is really not very expensive to do.
You can do all of the prep work and paintwork yourself and save the labor rates that professionals charge. You can also hire a professional and save all of the work and time it takes to do the job. Whether you hire a pro or do your own painting, is dependent on your priorities, your schedules, and your budget.
DIY or Professional Painter for Ceilings
Choosing whether to do the painting yourself or hire a pro to do the work depends on a lot of factors. A pro keeps you from having to do the work, but doing it yourself allows you to save a lot of money.
| Method | Supply Cost | Labor Charges | Overall |
| DIY | $75 | 0 | Less than $100 |
| Hire a Pro | $75 | $15 to $50 per hour | $300 minimum |
One of the situations you will encounter when you try to hire a professional to paint your ceiling is they tend to have minimum amounts set no matter how small the ceiling is. Most professional painters charge a $300 dollar minimum. Always ask if there is a minimum charge before you choose your pro.
Benefits of DIY Ceiling Paint
- Save labor cost
- Work according to your time schedule
- You choose paint brands and finishes
- You do not have to allow any strangers into your home
- Increases the value of your home
Benefits of a Professional Painter
- The finish will be better
- Pros can paint faster
- You do not have to buy any tools
- Pros do the cleaning up when they are finished
- Increases the value of your home
Professional Labor Rates
| Low cost | Average cost | High cost | |
| By the square foot | $1 | $3 | $5 |
| By the hour | $12.50 | $20.00 | $50.00 |
| By the day | $100 | $125 | $300 |
How to Save Money When Hiring a Professional Painter
When you decide to hire a professional painter to paint your ceiling there are a few things you can do that will help to reduce the cost for you.
- Move all of the furnishings in the room to make access to the ceiling easier
- If any repairs need to be made do them yourself
- Offer to provide the primer and the paint
- Call during the summer or winter months when the painters are less busy
If you want to know what is the cost to paint an apartment then read this article.
Tips for Hiring the Right Painter
- Always ask for references
- You want to hire a professional that is bonded and insured in case of an accident
- Check out their reputation with the Better Business Bureau to see if any past customers have filed complaints against them for shoddy work
- Ask friends and neighbors to recommend someone for you
- Have 2 or more people give you estimates on the cost
- Ask what brand of paint they will use to ensure they are using quality products
- Never pay upfront. If they require material money upfront offer to buy the materials and have them on site but do not give them money before they do the work
- Always pay with a check so you have tangible proof they were paid and that they cashed the check. Never pay in cash because you cannot create a record of payment
- Always inspect the work before you pay them so you can make sure it is satisfactory before they leave
- Never leave strangers in your home while you are gone and do not give them a key to access your home when you are not there
DIY Ceiling Painting
Doing your own painting is something that many homeowners do. It is not really hard just a little time-consuming. The preparation and clean-up usually take longer than the actual painting, and you save a lot of money by doing your own work.
Ceiling Painting Cost Estimates
| Quart | Gallon | 5-gallon | |
| Primer | $7 | $25.00 | $84 |
| Sherman Williams | $10 | $31.22 | $135 |
| Valspar | $8 | $27.45 | $122 |
| BEHR | $6 | $23.98 | $97 |
| Color Place | $5 | $16.84 | $69.00 |
| Benjamin Moore | $8 | $29.89 | $125 |
| Glidden | $7 | $30.00 | $130 |
| Store Brand | $4.24 | $15.00 | $49.00 |
How Much Paint to Buy for Ceiling
When you are figuring out the cost of a painting project you have to consider the cost of the primer and paint that you will use. Each different paint material will cover a different number of square feet. The majority of paint manufacturers create a substance that allows one gallon of paint to cover about 350 square feet of the surface.
To figure the square footage of the room you multiply the length of the room by the width of the room. Then divide that number by 350 to see how many gallons it will take for each coat of paint.
Remember that you normally will apply 2 or more coats so when you get your gallon figure go ahead and double or triple that number.
If you use a paint sprayer you will use 40% more paint so increase the amount you will need by an additional 40% if you will use a sprayer instead of a roller and brush.
Primer is thicker than paint and normally covers only about 200 square feet. Primer normally only requires one coat so take the length of the room and multiply it by the width of the room and then divide that number by 200 to see how much primer to buy.
Examples:
| Room size | Square feet | Gallons of paint for 1 coat | Gallons of primer for 1 coat |
| 10’ x 10’ | 100 | 1 | 1 |
| 12’ x 12’ | 144 | 1 | 1 |
| 12’ x 14’ | 168 | 1 | 1 |
| 12’ x 16’ | 192 | 1 | 2 |
| 16’ x 16’ | 256 | 1 | 2 |
| 18’ x 18’ | 324 | 1 | 2 |
| 20’ x 20’ | 400 | 1+ 1/4 | 2 |
Must-Have Tools to Paint Your Ceiling
The ceiling is not easy to reach. Most people cannot simply reach up and paint the ceiling they need to climb or find another way to reach this area. You are going to need some things to paint your space.
- Ladder or step ladder depending on the height of the ceiling
- Paintbrush – about a 2” with a good tapered angle – this is your cut-in brush
- Painters’ tape
- Drop cloths
- Roller frame
- Extension handles for the roller
Painting Accessories You will Have to Have
- Roller covers
- Paint stirring sticks
- Eye protection like goggles
- Face mask or respirator
- Clean cloth for spills
- Empty bucket to mix paint
- Paint tray if you are using a roller
- Soap and water for clean-up
How Long Does It Take to Paint a Ceiling?
Normally the application of the paint only takes about 30 minutes for the average size room. The problem is that you have to consider the preparation time, the drying between coats time, and the clean-up time to figure out how long the entire process will take.
The average professional can tape a room to paint a ceiling in about 2 ½ hours. The inexperienced painter may need 4 or more hours to do the taping of all of the trim, covering the furniture, covering the windows, and cutting in the paint along the exterior portions of the room.
The primer is applied before the paint. You can put the primer on in less than an hour, but you then have to wait two or more hours for the primer to dry completely before you can apply the actual paint.
Once the primer is dry the first coat of paint is applied. You want to use at least two coats of paint because thinner coats allow you to cover more completely, and thinner coats of paint dry faster. It will take less than an hour to put the paint on, then you will wait 2 or more hours for the paint to dry so you can apply the second coat.
Tool clean-up should not take long and most people can do all of the clean-up in one to two hours.
To paint the ceiling, you will need a full day to one and one-half days for painting, and try to be complete.
If you own a 2000 sq feet house then the professional painters’ rate might differ, here’s the detail.
Ceiling Painting Tips from The Professional painters
- Use a semi-gloss paint for better light reflection
- Use a primer even if you buy a paint that has an added primer
- If you are painting a light color over a dark one use more than one coat of primer
- If there are watermarks on the ceiling play hairspray over the mark, allow the hairspray to dry, then cover with a quality primer to stop the watermark from bleeding through the new paint
- The cheaper paints are thinner and thinner paints require more coats so you do not save money buying cheap paint
Oil-Based Paint or Water-Based Paint?
The difference between the bases on paints is normally beneficial according to what surface materials the paint is being applied to, and whether the material is inside a protected area or is in an exterior location.
Oil-Based Paint Features and Benefits
- They have a higher sheen but the sheen dulls over time
- They can be used on metal surfaces
- They are great for exterior painting
Water-Based Paints Features and Benefits
- You clean up the spills and applicators using just soap and water
- They have less odor
- They are great for interior surfaces like ceilings
- You can get them in all of the popular finishes
Recommended Article: Living Room Paint Costing Estimates
FAQs
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Bathroom Ceiling?
Most bathrooms are relatively small in size and can usually be painted with one gallon of primer and one gallon of paint. The average
How Much to Paint Beadboard or Tongue and Groove Ceilings?
You can get this work done as low as $450 if the room is a relatively small one.
How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Textured Ceiling?
The average cost for a 12’ x 12’ room with a textured ceiling would be in the ballpark of $325.
What is the Best Way to Paint Vaulted Ceilings?
The easiest way will be to use a scaffold and a paint sprayer that has an extension wand to help you reach the hardest-to-reach places.
Final Thoughts
Painting your ceiling does increase the beauty and the value of your home. If you do the work yourself you can still get a beautiful finish as long as you take your time, and use quality paint and supplies to do the work.
