What prep actually means
Prep is everything that happens before paint touches the wall. On a professional interior job, it takes more time than the actual painting. On a professional exterior job, it takes even more. Painters who cut corners on prep cut it here because it is invisible. The results show up later: peeling at edges, uneven sheen, paint that does not adhere.
What proper prep includes
Generate My Checklist
Customize your checklist and print it to bring to your contractor meeting. 7 of 7 items selected.
Zollera
zollera.com
Your Painting Contractor Conversation Checklist
Surface cleaning
Why it matters: All surfaces should be cleaned before painting. Interior: TSP or equivalent cleaner removes grease, smoke residue, and soap film.
Notes:
Scraping loose or peeling paint
Why it matters: Every flaking edge, every bubble, every area where old paint is not adhering firmly must be scraped back to stable paint or bare substrate. Painting over loose paint produces a job that will fail in the same spots within one to two years.
Notes:
Filling holes, cracks, and gaps
Why it matters: Interior: spackling compound or setting-type compound for holes and cracks. Exterior: exterior caulk for gaps between trim and siding, around windows, and at any joint that moves with temperature.
Notes:
Sanding patched areas
Why it matters: Patches must be sanded flush with the surrounding surface before priming. An unsanded patch will show through even multiple coats of paint.
Notes:
Caulking trim (interior)
Why it matters: The gap between wall and trim, between trim pieces, and at corners should be caulked with paintable latex caulk before painting. This produces the clean, tight look of a professional job.
Notes:
Priming
Why it matters: New drywall, bare wood, patched areas, stains, and significant color changes all require primer. Primer seals porous surfaces, covers stains, and improves topcoat adhesion.
Notes:
Protection of adjacent surfaces
Why it matters: Drop cloths on floors, plastic sheeting on furniture, painter's tape on hardware and fixtures, and masking on light switches and outlets. All of this should be in place before any paint opens.
Notes:
After you've received your quotes, visit zollera.com/compare for a free side-by-side AI analysis.
How to evaluate prep quality
You can evaluate prep quality before the painting starts. Are the walls clean? Are patched areas sanded smooth? Is the trim caulked? Is everything masked? If the prep looks rushed, the paint job will too. The time to raise this is before the first coat goes on, not after.
A painter who does the prep right will welcome this kind of walk-through. They want you to see the work they put in before it gets covered up.
Ready to define your project scope?
Use the Project Builder to create a personalized checklist you can hand to every contractor.
Build your scopeReady to Compare Your Quotes?
You've done the research. Now upload your contractor quotes and get an instant side-by-side comparison in 60 seconds.
Already have quotes in mind? Search what others paid