Interior room painting quality checklist

The installed coating system should match the written scope and the manufacturer instructions for the substrate and room conditions. Substitutions should be documented before acceptance.

Compare cans, labels, receipts, color codes, sheen, primer, and specialty coatings with the proposal. Confirm walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets, and accent areas included in the scope were actually completed.

- Different sheen used for touch-ups

- Closets or ceilings omitted although included

- Unapproved product substitution

- Leftover paint is unlabeled or cannot be matched later

For covered paid work in applicable pre-1978 housing or child-occupied facilities, federal or authorized state lead-safe renovation requirements may apply. Local rules can be more restrictive.

Confirm the building age, affected painted surfaces, contractor certification where required, occupant information, containment, cleanup, and records. Do not treat ordinary sanding dust as harmless when lead status is unknown.

- Pre-1978 surfaces sanded without checking RRP applicability

- Dust spread through occupied rooms

- No containment or cleanup record

- Contractor cannot document required certification

Paint should be applied to a sound, clean, dry, compatible surface prepared as required by the coating manufacturer and the agreed repair scope.

Use side lighting to inspect patches, peeling edges, glossy areas, stains, cracks, nail holes, caulk joints, and sanding marks. Check that active moisture or substrate damage was corrected rather than covered.

- Paint applied over dust or grease

- Cracks and nail pops visible through the finish

- Water stain painted without resolving the source

- Loose old coating left under new paint

The completed finish should provide the appearance agreed in the contract without obvious missed areas, flashing, roller marks, runs, holidays, or incompatible touch-ups under normal room lighting.

Inspect in daylight and normal artificial light from several angles. Review corners, edges, behind doors, around trim, above cabinets, at outlets, and along ceiling lines. Mark defects with removable tape.

- Thin coverage or previous color showing through

- Wavy cut lines and paint on adjacent finishes

- Runs, sags, lap marks, or heavy roller texture

- Touch-ups flash because product or application differs

The contractor should return protected property to service, remove masking and debris, reinstall agreed hardware and covers, and correct paint contamination or damage caused by the work.

Inspect floors, windows, glass, counters, cabinets, switches, receptacles, registers, hinges, handles, and furniture. Open doors and windows and verify painted components do not stick.

- Paint splatter on flooring or hardware

- Outlet covers installed over wet or damaged paint

- Doors or windows painted shut

- Debris and hazardous waste left for the owner