Most Boston homes have plaster walls, tall ceilings and a lot of old woodwork. That makes prep the larger part of an interior job here: cracks are repaired, patches primed and glossy old trim sanded so new paint holds. In homes built before 1978 we treat old paint as possible lead and follow the state's lead-safe rules.
Interior painting in Boston usually means plaster. Triple-deckers in Dorchester and Jamaica Plain, rowhouses in the South End and older single-family houses in West Roxbury were nearly all finished with plaster over wood lath, and that plaster has moved a little with every winter since. Hairline cracks run from door corners and across ceilings. We open those cracks, fill them, sand them flat and prime each repair, because paint alone will not hide a crack for more than a season.
Old Boston rooms also carry a lot of woodwork: wide casings, picture rails, baseboards with several profiles, stair balusters and window sashes with many coats already on them. Trim like this takes more hours than the walls do. Glossy old enamel is cleaned and sanded dull so the new coat can grip, gaps are caulked and nail holes filled. In a building from before 1978 we assume the old trim paint may contain lead, and we keep sanding dust contained and cleaned up.
Space is tight in most city homes, so we plan where furniture goes before the first day. Pieces are moved to the middle of the room and covered, floors are protected, and stairs and shared hallways in condo buildings are kept clear for your neighbors. You get a written quote that lists the rooms, the surfaces, the repairs and the number of coats. When the last coat is dry we walk every room with you and touch up anything you point to.
Interior painting in Boston: common questions
Can you paint over the cracks in my plaster walls?
Not if you want them to stay hidden. Paint bridges a crack for a short time and then the line returns. We open the crack, fill and sand it, prime the repair and then paint the wall.
Do I have to move out while my Boston condo is painted?
Usually not. We work room by room so you keep a bedroom, the kitchen and a bathroom in use. Tell us about pets, small children and anyone who works from home so we can set the order of rooms.
My building is from the 1920s. Is the old paint a problem?
It may contain lead, like most paint used before 1978. Sound paint that is simply painted over is not disturbed. Where we must sand or scrape, the dust is contained and cleaned up under lead-safe work rules.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the job and measure.
- Written quote: Prep, paint and price in writing.
- Prep & protect: We cover floors and furniture, repair and prime surfaces.
- Paint & walk-through: Two coats, clean lines, full clean-up and a final walk-through.