"Should we paint first or put in the floors first?" is one of the most common questions we hear. The short answer: paint first, floors second, trim and touch-ups last. The longer answer depends on what else is happening in the project.
Why painting usually goes first
- Drips and spills land on old flooring instead of your new floor.
- Ladders and drop cloths can scratch new floors.
- Ceiling and wall painting are the messiest stages, so it makes sense to get them done before the cleanest finish goes in.
- Wall paint near the floor gets covered by baseboard anyway, so you don't need perfect lines at the bottom of walls if the baseboards are coming off.
Why some work happens after the floor
- Baseboards are installed after the floor so they cover the expansion gap and sit right on top of the new floor.
- Touch-ups on walls dinged during flooring installation.
- Final trim coat after nail holes and caulk in reinstalled baseboard are filled.
The recommended order
- Finish any demolition, electrical, plumbing, drywall and other construction work.
- Remove old carpet and flooring and do subfloor repairs.
- Remove baseboards if they're being replaced or reinstalled.
- Patch, sand and prime walls and ceilings.
- Paint ceilings, then walls, with full coats.
- Prime and paint new baseboards and trim before installing them, if they're new.
- Prepare the subfloor and install the new flooring.
- Install or reinstall baseboards, quarter round and transitions.
- Fill nail holes, caulk trim to the wall and apply the final trim coat.
- Touch up walls, clean up and move furniture back in with felt pads.
Special cases
Kitchens
Kitchens add cabinets and countertops to the mix. Glue-down LVP or tile can go before or after cabinets depending on the plan; floating floors generally shouldn't go under cabinets or islands. Paint walls after countertops and backsplash if the backsplash work might damage paint. Plan this with your contractors.
Cabinet painting
If you're painting cabinets and installing new floors, paint cabinets before the flooring if the cabinets stay in place, so drips don't land on the new floor. If floating floors need to stop at the cabinet toe kicks, plan the trim detail.
Hardwood refinishing
Refinishing creates fine dust that settles on walls. Many pros refinish floors first, then paint, or paint the first coats, then refinish, then do a final wall coat. Either way, protect the finished floor carefully once it's done. See hardwood refinishing basics.
Wallpaper removal
Wallpaper removal is wet and messy, so it always goes before new flooring and before painting. See wallpaper removal.
Exterior work
Exterior painting is independent of interior flooring, but avoid tracking exterior prep debris across new floors.
Protecting new floors
After the floor is in, cover it with breathable floor protection paper or a product the flooring manufacturer allows. Avoid plastic sheeting taped to new finishes. Use felt pads under ladder feet. Pick up grit before walking on protection.
When one company does both
Having painting and flooring done by one company makes the sequence easier: one schedule, one point of contact, and nobody blaming another trade for scratches or drips. That's the main reason we offer both.