A good painting crew arrives ready to do everything. A little prep from the homeowner still makes the first morning smoother — and saves you having to think about a few decisions while we're moving ladders in.
The day before
- Remove small items from dressers, shelves, and side tables. Photos, knick-knacks, candles — put them in a box.
- Take wall art down. Patching nail holes is included; it's easier when walls are already clear.
- Decide where pets will be during the workday. Low-VOC paints are safe to be around, but the crew moving through rooms upsets most cats.
- Confirm your color selections. If you're doing sample boards, we can bring them on day one — but picking colors during the job delays things.
What your painter should handle
- Full floor protection (plastic + drop cloths).
- Moving and covering furniture. We move larger pieces to room center and cover them in plastic.
- Removing switch plates and outlet covers — and putting them back.
- Nail-hole filling and minor drywall patching.
- Daily cleanup. You should walk into a clean home every evening.
Questions to ask up front
Where will the crew set up their tools? Is there a bathroom they can use? What hours do they work? Where will they put trash? Good crews answer these without being asked. To see exactly how we set up an interior project, browse our dedicated interior painting page for Ashland or interior painting page for Worcester.