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🎨 Painting · ZIP 20036

House Painter Cost & Local Pros — ZIP 20036 (Washington, DC)

A licensed house painter serving ZIP 20036 charges roughly $84/hour, anchored on BLS OEWS wage data for SOC 47-2141 ($24.54/hr national mean) and the DC cost-of-living index of 142.5.

House Painter project costs near ZIP 20036

ProjectTimeTypical costRange
Single room paint (10×12, walls only, 2 coats) 1 day $744 $610 – $893
Whole interior repaint (1700 sq ft, walls + ceilings) 4–6 days $6,389 $5,239 – $7,667
Exterior repaint (1700 sq ft, prep + 2 coats) 4–7 days $7,450 $6,109 – $8,940
Kitchen cabinet refinish (sand, prime, sprayed enamel) 3–5 days $2,891 $2,371 – $3,470
All trim + 6 interior doors (whole house) 2 days $1,824 $1,496 – $2,189
Ceiling paint refresh (avg 1500 sq ft) 1 day $1,039 $852 – $1,247
Deck stripping + restain (300 sq ft) 2 days $1,264 $1,036 – $1,516
Pre-paint pressure wash (whole exterior) half day $378 $310 – $454
Wallpaper removal + skim coat (one room) 1–2 days $841 $689 – $1,009

What a house painter serving 20036 actually does

A pro painter's job is mostly prep, not paint: washing, sanding glossy/peeling areas, scraping, patching nail holes and drywall damage, caulking trim seams, masking floors and fixtures, priming bare or stain-prone areas, then finally rolling, brushing, or spraying two coats of finish. On exteriors, that prep includes a full pressure wash, scraping any peeling sections to bare wood, spot-priming with a bonding primer, and re-caulking every trim seam — typical exterior jobs are 3–5 days for a 1,700 sq ft home. The most common scope inflation is "spraying" cabinets without sanding/de-glossing first; it looks great for six months and then peels. Lead-paint disclosures are required for any pre-1978 home (EPA RRP rule) and a properly-trained painter will follow a containment protocol.

Top licensed pros near ZIP 20036

These pros are based in Washington and routinely serve ZIP 20036. Sorted by proximity to the ZCTA centroid (38.9070°N, -77.0417°W).

Washington Brushworks

📍 3688 Maple Ter, Washington, DC 20036
★ 4.3 / 5 · 237 reviews · 17 yrs
✓ Licensed ✓ Insured
Specialties: Exterior repaint, Wallpaper removal, Pressure wash, Drywall prep

Washington Painters Co.

📍 2441 Forest Dr, Washington, DC 20036
★ 3.6 / 5 · 184 reviews · 18 yrs
✓ Licensed ✓ Insured 24/7
Specialties: Drywall prep, Interior repaint, Trim & doors, Exterior repaint

Cornerstone Color Co

📍 6278 Maple St, Washington, DC 20006
★ 4.2 / 5 · 346 reviews · 28 yrs
✓ Licensed ✓ Insured
Specialties: Color consultation, Deck staining, Cabinet refinishing

Washington Painters Co.

📍 8856 Main Ter, Washington, DC 20006
★ 4.4 / 5 · 249 reviews · 12 yrs
✓ Licensed ✓ Insured
Specialties: Pressure wash, Cabinet refinishing, Trim & doors

Washington Hue

📍 394 Spring Ct, Washington, DC 20005
★ 5.0 / 5 · 25 reviews · 25 yrs
✓ Licensed ✓ Insured
Specialties: Deck staining, Cabinet refinishing, Interior repaint, Exterior repaint

Six questions before you hire

  1. How many coats of finish, and is the primer included or extra?
  2. What brand and product line are you using? (Sherwin-Williams Emerald, Benjamin Moore Aura, and Behr Ultra are all premium tiers.)
  3. Are you EPA RRP-certified for lead-paint work? (Required for pre-1978 homes.)
  4. How will you prep glossy or peeling surfaces — sanding, de-glossing, bonding primer?
  5. What's included in the prep (caulking, drywall patches, masking, removing outlet covers)?
  6. What's the workmanship warranty, and what triggers a re-do (peeling, cracking, drips)?
A bid that's 40% lower than competitors almost always means thinned paint, one coat instead of two, or skipping primer on patched areas — and it shows within a year.
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