Cost to Paint Wall Tile – 2021

| Last Updated: November 29, 2021

National Average Improvement and Repair Cost

Pro

DIY

Hours:

7

10

Cost:

$ 315

$ 95

Would you do this project? According to our survey, 62% of respondents preferred DIY compared to hiring a pro.

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

How much does it cost to paint ugly wall tiles and avoid removing them? The contractor cost to paint ceramic wall tiles is $315 vs. doing it yourself for $95 and saving 69 percent.

Until we learned we could paint ugly plastic and ceramic tile, we thought the only way to deal with them was removal, a strategy that makes sense if you’re remodeling, but not for a quick facelift when painting them is the way to go.

It’s an effective and inexpensive makeover for bathroom walls or a kitchen backsplash. The paint won’t last forever, especially in a tub or shower enclosure, but it will give a fresh new look to a room, giving you more options than just working around the color of the tile.

Preparing the tile for paint is the key to a successful makeover and that involves cleaning and priming them with an adhesion-promoting primer first. We use a 50/50 solution of household ammonia and water to clean the tiles and then let them dry. We like B-I-N, a shellac-based primer sealer that creates an anchor for the finish topcoat. We let the primer dry for a few days and then apply two coats an alkyd-based paint because it creates a durable and washable surface.

TIP: A paint sprayer will provide you a smoother and more even finish compared to a roller or brush would. Learn more about sprayers by getting to know the top brands in the space, like Wagner, Graco and TItan.

If you don’t have the time or desire to paint, you can find a painting contractor who has the skills and tools to do it right.

A painting contractor will charge $315 to prepare and paint 100 square feet of tile; you can do the job for $95.For ideas and inspiration about painting wall tiles go to Pinterest.

The bottom line: compare the price of a contractor’s bid to paint wall tile with what it costs to do it yourself and make your decision.

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.