Find a painting contractor for walls, trim and drywall repair

Which license does a painter need in California?

For painting, it is the C-33, Painting and Decorating classification at the Contractors State License Board. CSLB describes that contractor as one who prepares surfaces by scraping, sandblasting or other means and then applies paints, stains, varnishes, fillers and similar coatings, to decorate, protect or waterproof a building.

Hanging and finishing drywall is a separate trade: the C-9, Drywall classification, for a contractor who lays out and installs gypsum board and does the taping and texturing that gives it a smooth or patterned surface. A painter who also does large drywall work should hold both, or the job should go to a contractor with a B, General Building license who brings in the right specialist. Once the project reaches $1,000 in labor and materials, or needs a permit, a license is required; our license checking guide shows how to look one up. A painter working in Dallas–Fort Worth answers to Texas rules instead of CSLB; the Texas part of that guide explains what to check there.

Interior or exterior: what changes?

Inside, the work is about protection and finish. Floors and furniture get covered, outlet plates come off, cracks and holes get filled, glossy trim gets scuffed so new paint grips, and stains from water or smoke get a stain-blocking primer so they do not bleed through. Rooms are painted ceiling first, then walls, then trim and doors.

Outside, the work is about weather. Loose and peeling paint has to come off, bare wood needs primer, gaps around windows and trim need caulk, and rotted siding or fascia boards should be replaced before anyone paints over them. Exterior paint also needs the right conditions to cure, so dry days, mild temperatures and no rain in the forecast matter more than they do indoors. Ask the painter how they plan around the weather where you live, near the coast or inland.

Why does prep take most of the time?

Because paint shows everything underneath it. A wall with nail pops, patched spots that were never primed, or a glossy surface that was never sanded will look uneven within weeks, and peeling paint outside will lift the new coat with it. When you compare two estimates, the difference is often in how much scraping, sanding, patching, caulking and priming each one includes. Ask each painter to write the prep steps into the scope so you can see them side by side.

Is your house old enough for lead paint rules?

If it was built before 1978, plan for it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Renovation, Repair and Painting program covers paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978, and it requires the firm doing the work to hold EPA's RRP firm credential and use trained renovators who follow lead-safe work practices. EPA notes that roughly three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still have some lead-based paint.

Sanding, scraping and cutting into old paint can spread lead dust through a house, and EPA's page on protecting your family from lead points out that even small projects that make dust can put a household at risk. When you talk to a painter about an older home, ask whether their firm has the RRP credential, how they contain the work area and how they clean up at the end of each day.

Drywall patching and repair

Most drywall calls are small: a doorknob hole, a crack over a doorway, a ceiling patch after a plumber opened it, tape lifting at a corner. A small patch is cut square, backed, taped, coated a few times with compound, sanded, then textured to match the wall around it. Matching texture, such as orange peel or knockdown, is the part that takes skill, and it is why a patch often looks finished only after the whole wall is painted.

Before any patch, find out why the damage happened. A stain or soft spot on a ceiling usually means water above it, and that source has to be fixed first or the new patch fails. In older houses, textured ceilings and joint compound may contain asbestos; EPA advises against sanding, scraping or drilling material that might, and suggests testing by a trained professional first.

What to have ready before you call

• Which rooms or which sides of the house, and roughly how big: number of rooms, ceiling height, one story or two.
• What gets painted: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, cabinets, siding, fences, stucco.
• The year the house was built, or a rough guess. It decides whether lead-safe rules apply.
• Photos of any peeling, water stains, cracks or drywall damage, close up and from across the room.
• Color choices if you have them, or whether you want help choosing.
• Whether anyone in the home is a young child or pregnant, so the painter can plan containment.

Questions to ask a painting contractor

• Is your license a C-33, and if drywall is part of the job, a C-9 as well?
• For a pre-1978 home, does your firm hold EPA's RRP credential?
• Which prep steps are included, and how many coats of primer and paint?
• Which paint brand and sheen will you use in each room?
• Who moves furniture, and how will floors, plants and windows be protected?

The contract for the job has to follow California's rules for home improvement work; our page on home improvement contracts covers what it needs to include.

What we do, and what we don't

Send the painting or drywall request at no cost, and we reach out by phone or email to go over the rooms, the surfaces, the age of the house and the kind of licensed painter or drywall contractor that fits. Contractor Near Me is not a painting company and does not do the work. We hold no contractor's license, give no prices or schedules, and do not vouch for any contractor. Look up the license of anyone you consider before you sign.

Sources: CSLB, C-33 Painting and Decorating Contractor; CSLB, C-9 Drywall Contractor; CSLB, AB 2622 minor work bulletin (2024); EPA, Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program; EPA, Protect Your Family from Sources of Lead; EPA, Protect Your Family from Exposures to Asbestos.