Cost to Paint a Stained Ceiling – 2021

| Last Updated: November 24, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

5.7

7

Cost:

$ 375

$ 62

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 42% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

The average price to Paint a Stained Ceiling noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself.

What’s the cost to paint a stained ceiling? To paint a stained ceiling a contractor charges $375 vs. doing it yourself for $62 and saving 84 percent.

A stain on a room ceiling is an eyesore that’s hard to miss, but painting products used by the pros can conceal just about any kind of stain. Before repainting the ceiling use an oil base sealer and primer like KILZ to block the stain and it will disappear.

To make ceiling painting near goofproof, and to avoid missed spots when applying white paint over an already-white ceiling, try a ceiling paint with color-changing technology that goes on pink (Glidden) or violet (Dutch Boy) but dries to a white finish.

Normally, it’s difficult to see start and stop points, and you often miss some spots that have to be recoated. These products, however, guarantee that you won’t have any glaring mistakes.

To prime and paint a stained 15-by-20-foot ceiling a painting contractor will charge $375, which includes the labor and material. You can buy the primer and paint for $62 and do it yourself, and save 84 percent. You’ll need to remove most of the furniture and protect the floor with drop cloths.

The equipment is a paint brush to outline the joint at the wall and ceiling, and a paint pan and roller with an extension handle to apply the paint on the ceiling. You’ll probably also need a step ladder. Before you begin, get rid of any dust, especially in the corners, and wash the ceiling and molding with a household cleaner if it’s dirty.

TIP: It's much faster and easier painting ceilings with sprayers! To save you time even more, see our review on the best sprayers for ceiling. You might also want to know how to properly use this method indoors.

Avoid any mishaps that might happen using a gallon of paint by pouring some paint in a small container – like a coffee can or a paper or plastic paint pail – and carry it up the ladder. It’ll fit more easily on the ladder tray and be easier for you to handle. Even if you do tip over the paint, you’ll have less to clean up.

SFGATE has this advice How to Paint Over Waterspots on a Ceiling.

The average price to paint a stained ceiling noted above is cost data to compare a contractor’s estimate with doing it yourself. 

Welcome! We hope you’ll find the job costs of home improvement projects useful when you’re deciding whether to do a job yourself vs. hire a contractor. We’re the authors of 20 home improvement books, most notably Home Improvement for Dummies©, Bathroom Remodeling for Dummies©, Carpentry for Dummies©, Plumbing for Dummies©, and Painting and Wallpapering for Dummies©. Our most recent book Fix It and Flip It is in its second edition. We’ve appeared as home improvement experts on television programs such as CNN, Dateline, the Today Show, HGTV and many others.