How to Prepare for Professional Painters: Homeowner Checklist

You've hired a professional painting contractor, scheduled your Lafayette or Orinda home project, and the start date is approaching. What should you do to prepare? What will the painters handle? How can you ensure the project proceeds smoothly from day one?

Proper preparation protects your belongings, speeds the project along, prevents damage to furniture and fixtures, and helps painters work efficiently. While professional contractors handle most preparation work, certain tasks fall to homeowners for practical or cost-efficiency reasons.

This comprehensive checklist walks you through preparation steps for both interior and exterior projects, helping you understand what to do before painters arrive.

One Week Before: Planning and Communication

The week before your project starts is the time for final planning and confirming details.

Confirm Project Details

Review your contract to refresh your understanding of scope, colors, timeline, and payment schedule. Verify the start date with your contractor—sometimes previous projects run long or weather delays push schedules.

Confirm paint colors one final time. If you've changed your mind about any colors, inform your contractor immediately. Last-minute color changes can delay start dates if new paint needs ordering.

Verify you have correct formulas for custom colors. If the contractor is ordering paint, confirm they have the right color codes from your earlier selections.

Arrange Household Logistics

Decide whether you'll stay in your home during interior work or relocate temporarily. Some families stay and work around painters. Others prefer hotels or visiting family during major projects.

Make pet arrangements. Painters need to move through your home freely, and open doors can let curious pets escape. Consider boarding pets or confining them to areas not being painted.

Notify other household members (family, roommates) about the project timeline and what disruption to expect.

For major projects affecting multiple rooms, set up temporary living spaces in unaffected areas with essentials you'll need.

Secure Valuables

Move jewelry, important documents, collectibles, and other valuables to locked areas or off-site storage. While professional contractors are trustworthy and insured, removing temptation and eliminating worry makes sense.

If you have a home safe, ensure it's secured and not located in work areas where painters might need to move it.

Clear Access Paths

Identify the best route from your driveway or street to work areas. Ensure painters can easily move equipment, ladders, and materials to where they're needed.

For interior projects, clear hallways and doorways of obstacles. Painters carrying 10-foot ladders, drop cloths, and equipment need clear passage.

For exterior projects, unlock gates, move vehicles from driveways, and ensure yard access around your home's perimeter.

Interior Projects: Room Preparation

How much furniture moving you do versus what painters handle depends on your agreement and their standard practices.

Furniture and Belongings

Small items: Remove all small decorative items, books, and knick-knacks from shelves, mantels, and surfaces in rooms being painted. Painters shouldn't have to handle your personal belongings.

Wall decorations: Remove pictures, mirrors, wall hangings, and decorative items from walls. Take down curtains and curtain rods. If you're uncomfortable removing items yourself (heavy mirrors, large artwork), ask your contractor if their crew can help—most will.

Light furniture: Move small chairs, side tables, floor lamps, and other easily-moved pieces out of rooms being painted or to room centers away from walls.

Large furniture: Professional painters typically move large furniture (sofas, beds, dressers, bookcases) to room centers and cover it with plastic. Confirm this with your contractor. If you prefer to move furniture yourself, do it carefully to avoid damaging floors or walls.

Closets: If closet interiors are being painted, remove clothing, shoes, and belongings. Empty closet floors and shelves completely.

Wall and Surface Preparation

Outlet and switch covers: Many contractors remove these as part of prep work. Ask your contractor's preference. If you're comfortable doing it yourself, remove plates and store screws in labeled bags for each room so reinstallation goes smoothly.

Hooks and hardware: Remove adhesive hooks, picture hangers, and wall-mounted hardware. Patch holes if you won't replace these items, or mark locations if they'll go back up.

Window treatments: Take down curtains, blinds, and shades. Painters need full access to windows and trim. Store hardware safely for reinstallation.

Doorstops: Remove floor-mounted or wall-mounted doorstops if they'll interfere with painting baseboards or doors.

Floor Protection

Most professional painters protect floors with drop cloths, but you can help by ensuring floors are clean before work begins. Sweep or vacuum to remove dirt and debris that might get tracked around during the project.

If you have especially delicate or valuable flooring (antique hardwood, stone inlay), discuss extra protection measures with your contractor. Canvas drop cloths protect better than plastic for heavy-traffic work areas.

Interior Projects: Kitchen and Bathroom Specifics

These rooms require special preparation beyond standard bedrooms or living areas.

Kitchen Preparation

Countertops: Clear all small appliances, dishes, food items, and decorative objects from counters. Painters need access to backsplashes and areas behind counters.

Upper cabinets: If cabinet exteriors are being painted, empty upper cabinets of dishes and glassware. Items inside create weight making doors hard to remove and reinstall.

Refrigerator and appliances: Be prepared to move refrigerators and stoves away from walls if those areas are being painted. Contractors can often help with this, but clearing contents first makes appliances lighter and easier to move.

Pantry items: If the pantry is being painted, remove all food items temporarily.

Temporary kitchen setup: For multi-day cabinet painting projects, set up temporary coffee and breakfast stations in other rooms so you can function with limited kitchen access.

Bathroom Preparation

Toiletries and personal items: Remove everything from countertops, shelves, and shower/tub surrounds. Painters need access to all surfaces and don't want to handle personal hygiene products.

Medicine cabinet: Empty it if the cabinet or surrounding walls are being painted.

Shower curtain and bath mat: Remove these before painters arrive. They'll be in the way during prep and painting.

Bathroom access: Coordinate with your contractor about bathroom availability during the project. You might need to use a different bathroom while one is being painted.

Exterior Projects: Property Preparation

Exterior work requires different preparation focusing on outdoor access and protection.

Landscaping and Yard

Move portable items: Relocate potted plants, outdoor furniture, grills, garden decorations, and children's toys away from the house. Painters need clear perimeter access and drop cloths will cover ground areas.

Trim vegetation: Cut back bushes, shrubs, and tree branches touching or near siding. This gives painters clear access and prevents branches from brushing against fresh paint.

Garden beds: If possible, temporarily move or protect prized plants near the house. Professional painters use drop cloths to protect landscaping, but moving delicate or valuable plants eliminates any risk.

Lawn ornaments: Move sprinkler heads, lighting fixtures, decorative items, and lawn ornaments at least 10 feet from the house perimeter.

Outdoor lighting: Painters will mask light fixtures, but decorative or valuable fixtures can be temporarily removed if you're concerned about damage.

Access and Equipment

Clear driveways: Ensure painters can park work vehicles and trailers near the house. They'll need to load and unload equipment, ladders, and materials daily.

Gate access: Unlock all gates providing access to your home's perimeter. Painters need to reach all sides without repeatedly asking you to unlock areas.

Power access: Identify exterior outlets painters can use for power washers, compressors, and tools. Test outlets beforehand to ensure they work.

Water access: Painters will need water for pressure washing and cleanup. Point out outdoor faucets and confirm they're operational.

Ladder space: Ensure ground around your house is relatively level where ladders will be placed. Extremely uneven terrain might require different equipment or additional time.

Pets and Security

Secure pets: Dogs should be kept indoors or boarded during exterior work. Painters will be accessing your yard throughout the day, and gates might be left open while equipment moves through.

Security systems: Inform painters about motion sensors, cameras, or alarm systems they might trigger. Provide necessary codes or temporarily disable sensors in work areas.

Neighbors: Consider informing neighbors about the project, particularly if scaffolding or equipment will be near property lines or shared fences will be painted.

Day Before: Final Preparations

The day before work begins, complete final preparation steps.

Protect Specific Items

Electronics: Unplug and move computers, TVs, and audio equipment away from walls being painted. Dust from sanding can infiltrate electronics.

Aquariums: Cover aquariums with plastic and move air pumps away from work areas. Paint fumes and dust can harm fish.

Houseplants: Move plants out of rooms being painted. Paint fumes aren't healthy for plants, and you don't want them in the way.

Important documents: Store tax records, passports, and important papers away from work areas where they might get paint-splattered or dusty.

Create Staging Areas

Furniture staging: If you're moving furniture yourself, establish a room that won't be painted where you can stack furniture and belongings safely.

Contractor staging: Designate an area (garage, porch) where contractors can stage equipment, materials, and supplies. Having an established workspace helps them stay organized.

Trash and waste: Confirm where contractors should place waste and debris. Many bring their own waste containers, but knowing your preferences helps.

Morning of Day One: Final Touches

Before contractors arrive on the first day, complete these last steps.

Walk-through: Do a final walk-through of work areas ensuring you've completed all preparation steps.

Pets secured: Confirm pets are safely confined or boarded before work begins.

Clear communication: Be available when contractors arrive to answer questions and provide a tour of work areas, showing any specific concerns or areas requiring special attention.

Establish ground rules: Discuss bathroom availability, parking, work hours, noise considerations, and daily cleanup expectations. Professional contractors ask about these things, but proactive communication prevents misunderstandings.

Payment arrangement: Confirm payment schedule and methods. Have deposit payment ready if required by contract.

Emergency contacts: Provide phone numbers where you can be reached during work hours if contractors have questions.

What Professional Painters Handle

You don't need to do everything. Professional contractors handle most preparation work as part of their service.

Furniture covering: Contractors cover remaining furniture with plastic sheeting and move large pieces to room centers.

Floor protection: Drop cloths, plastic sheeting, and floor protection are contractor responsibilities.

Taping and masking: Painters tape edges, mask trim, protect fixtures, and create clean paint lines.

Surface preparation: Washing walls, filling nail holes, sanding rough spots, and priming are contractor tasks.

Minor repairs: Small drywall patches, caulking, and minor wood repairs are typically included in painting prep.

Don't do work that professional painters can do better and more efficiently. Save your effort for tasks that genuinely make sense for homeowners—removing personal belongings, clearing small items, and making access easier.

During the Project: Homeowner Responsibilities

While work proceeds, certain ongoing responsibilities fall to homeowners.

Maintain access: Keep agreed-upon areas accessible. Don't lock gates or doors contractors need to use.

Control pets: Continue keeping pets secured throughout the project duration, not just the first day.

Communication: Respond promptly to contractor questions or concerns. Delays waiting for decisions slow projects.

Avoid work areas: Stay out of spaces where painters are actively working. You want to avoid wet paint, moving ladders, and breathing paint fumes unnecessarily.

Daily inspection: Briefly inspect completed work each day and raise concerns immediately rather than waiting until project end.

Maintain utilities: Don't shut off power or water contractors are using without coordinating first.

Special Situations

Some homes or projects require additional preparation.

Rental Properties

Tenant coordination: If you're a landlord painting rental units, coordinate with tenants about access, timing, and their preparation responsibilities.

Empty units: Painting between tenants is ideal, giving painters full access and eliminating tenant disruption.

Occupied units: Ensure tenants understand their responsibilities for removing personal items and providing access.

Historic or High-Value Homes

Extra protection: Consider additional floor and fixture protection beyond standard drop cloths for irreplaceable antique floors or fixtures.

Documentation: Photograph rooms before work begins to document pre-existing conditions.

Special materials: Discuss historic preservation concerns with contractors to ensure appropriate products and techniques for period homes in Orinda or Lafayette's older neighborhoods.

Occupied Homes with Children

Safety zones: Establish areas where children can play safely away from painting work and equipment.

Schedule coordination: Plan activities, play dates, or outings during work hours to reduce household chaos and keep children away from paint fumes.

Paint fume sensitivity: If you have concerns about fume exposure for young children, use low-VOC or zero-VOC paints and plan to keep children out of freshly-painted rooms until odors dissipate.

After Painters Leave: Daily Cleanup Expectations

Professional contractors should clean work areas daily, but confirm expectations.

Drop cloth removal: Contractors typically leave drop cloths in place until the project completes to protect floors during multi-day work. After final completion, they remove all protection.

Debris removal: Painters should remove trash, empty paint cans, and used materials daily or at project end, depending on your agreement.

Tool staging: Equipment, ladders, and materials should be neatly staged in designated areas when not in use, not left scattered through your home.

Work area cleanliness: While some dust and debris during active work is normal, contractors should clean up spills and major messes before leaving each day.

We take pride in leaving homes spotless when we're finished and maintaining reasonable cleanliness throughout projects. Your home is your sanctuary, and we treat it with respect.

Final Project Completion: Your Walk-Through

When contractors announce project completion, conduct a thorough walk-through before making final payment.

Check all surfaces: Verify walls, ceilings, trim, and doors are painted according to contract specifications.

Look for missed spots: Identify any areas needing touch-up.

Test functionality: Open and close painted doors and windows to ensure they work smoothly.

Verify cleanup: Confirm all debris is removed, floors are cleaned, and furniture is returned to original positions (if that was part of the agreement).

Create punch list: Document any final items needing attention before final payment.

Professional contractors expect final walk-throughs and address punch-list items promptly. Don't make final payment until you're satisfied with completed work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much furniture should I move before painters arrive?

Remove small items and personal belongings. Most professional painters move large furniture as part of their service. Confirm expectations with your contractor—some prefer homeowners move everything, others handle all furniture moving. We move large furniture and protect it with plastic as part of our standard service.

Should I empty my entire house for whole-house interior painting?

No. Painters work room by room, so you can leave belongings in rooms not currently being painted. Move items from the active room, but you don't need to empty your entire house at once.

Can I stay in my home during interior painting?

Yes. Most families remain in their homes during interior projects, though you'll need to avoid freshly-painted rooms until dry. Set up temporary living arrangements in unpainted areas. Some homeowners prefer to leave during whole-house projects for convenience and to avoid fume exposure.

What if I can't move heavy furniture?

Inform your contractor. Professional painters move furniture as part of their service. If you have extremely heavy or delicate items requiring special handling, mention this during estimate so contractors can plan appropriately.

Do painters remove outlet covers and light switch plates?

Most professional painters remove these as part of prep work. Ask your contractor's preference. Removing them yourself saves some prep time, but painters are equipped to handle it if you prefer.

Should I cover floors with plastic before painters arrive?

No. Contractors bring and install proper floor protection (drop cloths and plastic sheeting) as part of their service. Don't waste money buying protection materials.

What about daily access to painted rooms?

Coordinate with your contractor about dry times and access needs. Fresh paint needs several hours to dry before you can walk through rooms. For bedrooms, painting early in the day often allows sleeping in rooms the same night. Bathrooms might need 24 hours before showering in freshly-painted spaces.

How should I prepare for exterior painting in terms of landscaping?

Move portable items (furniture, planters, decorations) away from the house. Trim back vegetation touching siding. Professional painters protect fixed landscaping with drop cloths, but moving delicate or prized plants eliminates any risk. We're very careful with landscaping but appreciate when homeowners remove items they're particularly concerned about.

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Ready to start your Lafayette, Orinda, or Moraga painting project with a contractor who makes preparation easy and handles details professionally? Contact Lamorinda Painting for a free estimate and clear guidance about preparation expectations. We're fully licensed and insured, and we always leave your home spotless when we're finished. Serving the greater Bay Area with high-quality painting services at affordable prices and attention to detail you can trust.