Questions, answered.

Tell us what you'd like painted, roughly how big it is, your timing and your postal code. We introduce you to vetted, insured painters who work in your area. They visit or review photos and give you a written, itemized quote. You compare the quotes and hire the painter you prefer. It's free for homeowners and there's no obligation.

Most Canadians pay $450–$850 to have an average bedroom (about 12 × 12 ft) professionally painted: walls only, two coats, with basic prep. Adding the ceiling, trim and doors brings it to roughly $800–$1,300. Painters typically charge $45–$80/hr per hour, and prices run higher in Vancouver and Toronto. See our 2026 painting cost guide for every room size, whole houses and exteriors.

Before we introduce a painter, we ask for proof of commercial liability insurance, workers' compensation coverage where their province requires it (WSIB in Ontario, WorkSafeBC, or the local WCB), an RBQ licence in Quebec, their business details, references and examples of recent work, and we expect written, itemized quotes. We don't introduce painters who won't provide these.

It's a free tool that shows a new paint colour on a photo of your own room or the outside of your house. Upload a photo, choose up to 3 colours from our palette (or enter any colour code), confirm your email, and in about a minute you get a before-and-after you can compare. Only the walls or siding change; your furniture, trim and lighting stay as they are.

No. Painting Local introduces you to painters; we don't do the painting and we don't provide a guarantee or warranty. Workmanship warranties come from the painter you hire and product warranties from the paint manufacturer, so ask for both in writing in your contract.

Homeowners in every province and territory can request quotes. Most of our painters work in and around the larger cities: Toronto and the GTA, Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montréal, Winnipeg, Halifax, Victoria and Québec City, plus many smaller communities.

We aim to introduce you to up to three vetted painters who serve your area and are available in your timeframe. In smaller communities there may be fewer.

You pay the painter you hire, directly, according to the written quote you accept. Painting Local never asks you for payment.

Your contract and warranty are with the painter you hire, so read the quote carefully and keep it in writing. Tell us about any problems: we take feedback seriously and stop introducing painters who don't meet our standards. Painting Local doesn't provide a guarantee or warranty itself.

For the interior, most homeowners pay $5,500–$9,000 for a 1,500 sq ft home and $7,500–$12,000 for 2,000 sq ft (walls, ceilings and trim, two coats). For the exterior, $4,000–$7,500 for a bungalow and $6,000–$16,000 for a typical two-storey home. Prices are 10–25% higher in Vancouver and Toronto.

In Toronto and the GTA, painters typically charge $55–$90/hr per hour, and about $450–$850 to paint the walls of an average bedroom, or $800–$1,300 with the ceiling, trim and door. Elsewhere in Ontario (Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener–Waterloo, London) rates are closer to $45–$75/hr. Ontario quotes usually exclude 13% HST.

Most professional painters charge $45–$80/hr per hour per painter in 2026, with $55–$90/hr common in Vancouver, Toronto and other expensive markets, and $40–$65/hr in smaller centres. Many quote a fixed price per job instead of hourly.

Interior painting typically costs $3.50–$6/sq ft of floor area (or $1.50–$3/sq ft of wall area). Exterior painting costs about $2.50–$5/sq ft of paintable wall surface.

Yes, and you don't need to install anything. Paint your home works in the browser on any phone or computer: take or upload a photo of a room or the front of your house, choose up to 3 colours, and you'll get a before-and-after of your own home. It works for interior walls and exterior siding.

Yes. Each person can try up to 3 colours on one photo, free. We ask for your name, email and mobile number so we can send your result and, if you'd like, connect you with a local painter for a quote. There's no obligation to hire anyone.

Very close, but treat it as a preview. Colours look different on every screen and change with daylight, lamps and the colours around them. Use Paint your home to narrow down your choices, then paint a large sample patch of your favourite on the wall and look at it in the morning, afternoon and evening.

For a room: daylight, lights on, taken from a doorway or corner so you see as much wall as possible, holding the phone level. For the outside: stand across the street on a bright overcast day so the whole front of the house is in the frame. Avoid strong shadows, people and blurry photos.

Yes. Choose "Custom colour" and enter the colour's hex code (for example #A7AF98). Most paint brands publish an RGB or hex value for each colour on their website. The AI matches the hex code, not the brand's name.

Your photo and results are private: they're only visible through the link we email you, which has a secret key. We remove the location data (EXIF) from your photo, use it only to create your preview, never publish it, and delete it automatically after 90 days. You can delete it yourself at any time from your result page.

It protects you and keeps the tool free: it makes sure the result goes to the person who asked for it and stops automated abuse. Each email address and mobile number can be used once.

Not yet. Paint your home repaints interior walls and exterior siding or cladding. For a new floor, try our sister site's flooring visualizer.

A professional crew usually paints an average bedroom (walls, two coats) in one day, including prep and clean-up. Adding ceilings, trim and doors makes it one and a half to two days. A whole 2,000 sq ft interior typically takes a crew of two or three about four to seven working days.

Remove small items, wall art, valuables and anything fragile. Most painters will move large furniture to the centre of the room and cover it, but confirm this in your quote. Clearing shelves and wall hangings ahead of time saves labour and money.

Two finish coats is the professional standard for even colour and durability. A primer coat is added over new drywall, patches, stains, glossy surfaces or when making a big colour change. Your quote should say how many coats are included.

Eggshell or matte for living rooms, bedrooms and halls; satin for kitchens, bathrooms, kids' rooms and mudrooms where walls get wiped; semi-gloss for trim, doors and baseboards; flat for ceilings.

Yes. Modern low-VOC interior paints have little odour and dry to the touch in about an hour. Painters work room by room, and a good crew protects floors and furniture and tidies up at the end of each day. Keep windows open for ventilation and keep pets out of rooms being painted.

Late spring to early fall, on dry days when both the air and the siding stay above about 10°C for several hours after painting (some low-temperature paints allow 2–5°C). Avoid painting in direct midday sun, before rain, or late in the day when dew will settle on wet paint. In most of Canada that window is roughly May to September; on the BC coast it's the drier July–September stretch.

Yes, with a 100% acrylic exterior paint labelled vinyl-safe, after a thorough cleaning. The key rule: don't go much darker than the original colour unless the product is formulated for darker colours on vinyl, because dark colours absorb heat and can warp the panels. Check your siding warranty first: some manufacturers don't honour it once vinyl is painted.

A well-prepared, two-coat exterior paint job typically lasts 7–10 years on wood and fibre-cement siding and longer on stucco, depending on sun exposure, moisture and the product. South- and west-facing walls fade and wear fastest.

Health Canada says homes built before 1960 probably have lead-based paint, and homes built between 1960 and 1990 may have it, especially outside. It advises against sanding, heat guns or open-flame torches on old paint. Ask your painter how they test for lead and contain dust and chips; it should be in the quote.

No, as long as the painters can reach water and power outlets and you've agreed on gate access, parking and where they'll set up. Close windows on the side being painted and move cars, patio furniture and planters away from the house.

Start with what stays: floors, counters, furniture and fabrics. Pick a colour whose undertone suits them (warm whites with oak and brass, cooler greys with chrome and marble). Then check the light: north-facing rooms make colours look cooler and darker, south-facing rooms warmer and brighter. Narrow it to two or three, preview them on a photo of your room, and paint large sample patches to see them morning and evening.

North-facing rooms get cool, indirect light all day, which makes colours look greyer and darker. Warm whites and creams (like Birch Bark or Prairie Linen), warm greiges (Muskoka Greige) and earthy greens with a yellow undertone (Sage Hill) keep them feeling bright. Avoid cool greys and icy blues, which can feel cold.

Red brick has orange and brown undertones, so it pairs best with creams and warm whites (Champlain Cream, Birch Bark), deep greens (Cape Breton Green, Boreal Pine), navy (Nova Scotia Navy) and soft blacks for trim and doors. Avoid stark cool whites and pinks that fight the brick.

Light reflectance value (LRV) measures how much light a colour reflects, from 0 (black) to 100 (pure white). Most whites are 80–90, mid-tones 40–60, and deep colours under 15. In darker rooms, a higher LRV keeps the space feeling bright; on vinyl siding, a high LRV keeps panels from overheating.

They're our own colours, not any manufacturer's. Each one has a hex and RGB code: paint stores can match it with a computer, or you can pick the closest colour from your favourite brand's fan deck. Always check a sample on your wall before buying gallons.

Warm whites, soft greiges and earthy greens lead interior choices, with deep navy, charcoal and heritage greens popular outside. In our palette that's Birch Bark, Muskoka Greige and Sage Hill for interiors, and Nova Scotia Navy, Clapboard Grey and Iron Range for exteriors.