Frequently Asked Questions

Cost depends on the number of rooms, ceiling height, how much trim and ceiling work is included, and the condition of the walls — heavy patching and dramatic colour changes both add labour. Our instant quote calculator gives a 2026 GTA range in about a minute, and our interior painting cost guide breaks down each factor. Every on-site estimate is free, written, and itemized, so you see exactly what you are paying for before any work starts.

A single room typically takes one day. A full home repaint (3-4 bedrooms) generally takes 3-5 days depending on prep requirements, ceiling height, and the number of colours. We will give you a detailed timeline when we quote your project.

Yes — walls, ceilings, baseboards, casings, doors, and crown moulding are all part of what we do, and you can include or exclude any of them. On trim, doors, and ceilings we often spray rather than brush and roll, which lays down a smoother, more even coat with none of the lap marks hand application can leave.

We paint homes across Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Scarborough, Toronto, Markham, Stouffville, Vaughan, Woodbridge, King City, Kleinburg, Newmarket, Keswick, Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Milton, and Barrie. If you are just outside those areas, call us — we often travel further for larger projects.

Almost always, yes. We work room by room so you keep the rest of the house, seal off work areas, and use low-VOC and zero-VOC paints that keep odour to a minimum. We tidy at the end of every day rather than leaving the site open, which matters most in homes with kids or pets.

Yes. We can walk you through colour selection during the estimate, bring samples, and advise on how a colour will read under your specific lighting and against your existing flooring and trim. If you are working with a designer or a paint brand consultant, we will match their spec exactly.

We handle all furniture moving and protection as part of our service. We use heavy drop cloths and plastic sheeting to protect floors, furniture, and fixtures. You do not need to move anything — though removing small personal items and valuables in advance is always appreciated.

We primarily work with Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, and PPG — all top-tier brands known for durability and colour consistency. We can also work with paint you supply if you have a specific product in mind. We never use builder-grade or economy paints on our jobs.

For most interior surfaces, we apply a primer (or prime coat) plus two finish coats. On fresh drywall, new patches, or dramatic colour changes, an additional coat may be recommended. We will never skimp on coats to save time — proper coverage is essential for a durable, even finish.

It is driven by the size and height of the house, the substrate (stucco, siding, and brick all behave differently), how much prep the existing coating needs, and whether soffits, fascia, and doors are included. Our instant quote calculator gives a 2026 range, and every on-site estimate is free, written, and itemized so you can see what each element costs.

Yes, and we would usually recommend it. Leaving soffits and fascia in the old colour is the single most common reason a fresh exterior repaint still looks half-finished. Garage and front doors are often the highest-impact surfaces on the whole house for the least material.

It follows the product specified for your project. Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore exterior work carries 1 year on our workmanship and 6 months on the paint product — a limited warranty covering touch-ups. Romabio mineral coatings carry 2 years on workmanship and 20 years on the product. Your written estimate names the product line.

Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Oshawa, Scarborough, Toronto, Markham, Stouffville, Vaughan, Woodbridge, King City, Kleinburg, Newmarket, Keswick, Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Milton, and Barrie. Exterior work is weather-dependent, so we book by region to make the most of each dry stretch.

The ideal window is late spring through early fall — typically May through October — when temperatures are consistently above 10 degrees Celsius and humidity is moderate. We plan and schedule exterior projects carefully to avoid rain, extreme heat, and cold snaps that can affect paint adhesion and curing.

With proper prep and premium coatings, you can expect 8-12 years on most exterior surfaces. Factors like sun exposure, wood condition, and whether the home was previously painted properly all affect longevity. We stand behind our work and will discuss any warranty terms during your consultation.

Minor wood repairs — filling cracks, stabilizing soft spots, replacing small sections of trim — are something we can handle as part of the prep process. For more extensive structural repairs, we will flag those and can recommend trusted trades. We never paint over damage without addressing it first.

A typical detached home in the GTA takes 3-6 days depending on size, number of storeys, surface condition, and complexity of the trim work. We will give you a clear timeline in your quote so you can plan accordingly.

We recommend a satin or semi-gloss finish for kitchen walls and trim. These sheens are durable, easy to clean, and resist moisture — all critical in a kitchen environment. Flat or eggshell finishes are harder to wipe down and can stain more easily in a high-grease area.

Yes. We work efficiently and typically complete a kitchen repaint in one to two days. We protect all countertops and appliances so you can access them between coats if needed. We will coordinate a schedule that minimizes disruption to your daily routine.

Absolutely. Kitchen ceilings often accumulate grease and discolouration over time, and painting the ceiling is an important part of a complete kitchen refresh. We treat the ceiling with the same degreasing prep as the walls to ensure proper adhesion and a lasting finish.

For many homeowners, a kitchen repaint delivers 80% of the visual impact of a renovation at 10-15% of the cost. If your cabinets are in good shape structurally, a fresh coat of paint on the walls, ceilings, and trim — combined with cabinet painting — can make a kitchen look completely brand new.

Painting typically lands at a fraction of the cost of new cabinetry, because the boxes — the expensive part — stay where they are. Cost here is driven by door and drawer count, the material, and whether the boxes are being sprayed as well as the fronts. Our instant quote calculator gives a range, and the estimate is free and itemized.

Yes. They need a bonding primer chosen for that specific surface — this is where most cabinet paint jobs fail, because a standard primer will not hold and the coating peels at the door edges within a year. We identify the material on site and spec the primer accordingly.

Only if you want it to. Oak grain telegraphs through paint unless it is filled and sanded first, which is an extra stage. We will show you both options and price them separately, because some clients like the grain and some want a fully smooth modern front.

Doors and drawer fronts come off and are sprayed off-site or in a controlled area, so you keep the use of the kitchen for most of the job. Typical turnaround is three to five days depending on door count and the number of coats. We rehang everything and reinstall hardware ourselves.

Most kitchen cabinet painting projects take 3-5 days from start to finish. Day one involves removal and initial prep; days two and three cover priming and painting; days four and five cover reinstallation and touch-ups. We minimize disruption by working methodically, and your kitchen remains functional throughout.

When done correctly, a professionally sprayed and topcoated cabinet finish is extremely durable — comparable to factory finishes. We use commercial-grade alkyd or waterborne urethane products that cure hard, resist chips and scratches, and can be wiped clean without losing their sheen.

Yes, with the right prep and primer. Laminate and thermofoil surfaces require specific adhesion promoters and primers to ensure the topcoat bonds properly. We have refinished cabinets of all materials across the GTA and know exactly which products to use for a long-lasting result on each surface type.

White (particularly Benjamin Moore White Dove and Sherwin-Williams Alabaster) remains the most popular choice for its clean, timeless look. Two-tone kitchens — white upper cabinets with a navy, forest green, or charcoal lower — are also extremely popular. We offer colour consultation as part of every cabinet painting project.

Yes. Colour-matching is one of the most common requests we get for stair staining projects. We bring stain samples and test patches on your actual wood to find the closest match before committing to the full application. Perfect matching is possible in most cases, though slight variation can occur due to differences in wood species and grain.

We typically ask that you stay off freshly stained treads for 24 hours after each coat. We can stain alternate treads so you always have access during the project. After the final topcoat, we recommend light use only for 48 hours and full cure (furniture and rugs) after 7 days.

Yes — this is actually one of the most popular transformations we do. We remove the carpet, staples, and tack strips, sand the treads down to bare wood, and then stain and finish them beautifully. Many homeowners are surprised to discover excellent hardwood treads hiding under old carpet.

For maximum durability on high-traffic stairs, we recommend an oil-modified polyurethane or a commercial-grade waterborne polyurethane in a satin or semi-gloss sheen. These finishes cure very hard and resist scuffs and scratches far better than standard consumer-grade products.

With a quality penetrating stain and proper prep, most decks in Ontario need restaining every 2-3 years. Solid-colour stains may last 3-5 years. Factors like sun exposure, foot traffic, and whether you have covered sections all affect the maintenance cycle. We can assess your deck and give you a realistic expectation.

Yes, but proper preparation is essential. Peeling stain must be fully removed — through power washing, chemical stripping, or sanding — before new stain is applied. Applying new stain over a failing old finish is a common mistake that leads to premature peeling. We never skip this step.

It depends on the condition and age of the wood. If your fence boards are relatively new and the grain is still attractive, a semi-transparent stain lets that natural beauty show through while still providing protection. On older, rougher, or previously painted fences, a solid-colour stain provides better coverage and longevity.

Deck brightener is a chemical treatment applied after power washing that neutralizes the grey oxidation that forms on weathered wood and opens the wood grain to accept stain evenly. Skipping this step often results in blotchy, uneven stain absorption. We include brightening in our standard deck prep process.

Luxury office finishing involves far more prep, more coats, finer sanding between coats, and a much higher standard of detail. Complex geometries like coffered ceilings and intricate millwork require patience, experience, and specialized spray equipment. The result should look like furniture, not painted drywall — and achieving that takes a different level of craft.

Absolutely. We work regularly with interior designers and can match any specified colour, sheen, and finish system. We are comfortable working from Benjamin Moore, Farrow & Ball, or custom tinted specs, and we can produce custom stain samples to match design boards or material swatches.

Yes. We handle luxury office finishing projects of all sizes — from a dedicated home office with custom built-ins and wainscoting to large executive suites in commercial buildings across the GTA. The same high standard applies regardless of the project size.

Care and protection are built into every step of our process. We mask and protect adjacent surfaces meticulously, use hand tools and detail brushes where power equipment would risk damage, and never rush a drying or curing stage. We also carry comprehensive liability insurance for peace of mind on high-value projects.

Yes — evenings, overnight, and weekends are how most of our commercial work gets done, and we quote against your operating hours rather than ours. For larger sites we phase the work by zone so the rest of the building stays in service throughout.

Yes to both, and we can supply certificates of insurance, method statements, and any documentation your property manager, landlord, or health-and-safety process requires. Send the requirements with your enquiry and we will provide them alongside the quote.

Offices, retail and storefronts, restaurants, clinics and medical suites, warehouses and industrial units, multi-unit residential, condo common areas, and institutional buildings. If you manage a portfolio rather than a single site, we can run it as a scheduled programme with consistent specification across locations.

Written and itemized, broken down by area or phase so you can approve scope in stages and match it to your budget cycle. For multi-unit and turnover work we quote per unit, which keeps costs predictable as volume changes.

Yes. We regularly work after hours, on weekends, and in phases to avoid disrupting business operations. For occupied commercial spaces, we also offer low-VOC and zero-VOC paint options to minimize odour. We will work with you to develop a schedule that fits your operational requirements.

Absolutely. Sigma Painting carries full commercial general liability insurance and WSIB coverage. We can provide certificates of insurance before work begins, which most property managers and building owners require. We are fully compliant with Ontario workplace safety requirements.

Yes. Multi-unit residential is a significant part of our commercial work. We have experience painting common areas, corridors, stairwells, and individual suites across condo corporations and apartment buildings throughout the GTA. We coordinate directly with property managers and board representatives.

We provide detailed written quotes for every commercial project, broken down by area and scope. We are transparent about materials, labour, and any conditions that could affect the final cost. For multi-unit projects or ongoing property management relationships, we offer volume pricing and preferred contractor arrangements.

We typically enter for the rough coat (prime coat) after drywall is hung, taped, and mudded. This coats the drywall and provides a base for the texture trades if applicable. We re-enter for final coats once trim is installed, flooring is protected, and the site is clean enough for finished work. We coordinate with your site super to schedule each phase.

We document every colour and product used for each unit in a detailed colour schedule, keep batch records, and use dedicated crews on a single project where possible. Our project coordinator checks consistency throughout the project and flags any variation immediately. Consistency across units is a non-negotiable standard for us.

Construction schedules change — we understand that and plan for it. We maintain scheduling flexibility for our construction clients and communicate proactively so that if we need to shift a phase, we do so with as much notice as possible. Our goal is to be the subcontractor that never causes a delay.

Yes. We stand behind our new construction work and offer a workmanship warranty covering defects in our application — things like peeling, lap marks, or holidays (missed spots). Warranty terms are outlined in our contract. We also use manufacturer-warranty-backed paint products across all new construction projects.

Yes. We match smooth, knockdown, and orange peel textures, spray-applying the texture coat so it blends into the surrounding surface. We can test on a small area first if you want to see the match before we commit to the full repair.

We handle both in the same visit — the patch is primed and painted to match your existing wall colour and sheen, so you are not left with an unfinished repair or the hassle of booking a separate painter.

A small patch usually takes one day, accounting for drying time between coats of compound. Larger repairs — multiple holes, water-affected sections, or full-ceiling work — typically take 2-3 days so each coat cures properly before sanding and finishing.

Absolutely — pre-listing patch and paint touch-ups are one of our most common requests. Buyers and inspectors notice wall and ceiling damage, and a clean, seamless repair is a low-cost way to improve how the whole home presents.

We repair the drywall and finish damage — walls, ceilings, texture, and paint. For the actual source, like a roof, eavestrough, or plumbing leak, we recommend or coordinate with the appropriate trade first, since repairing a wall over an active leak just hides the problem temporarily.

Not if it's prepped correctly. Water stains contain tannins that can bleed through ordinary paint over time. We apply a dedicated stain-blocking primer over any residual staining before the topcoat goes on, which prevents that shadow from reappearing.

Yes — popcorn, knockdown, and smooth ceiling textures can all be matched with a spray-applied texture coat, so the repaired section blends into the surrounding ceiling rather than standing out.

We can provide a detailed written scope of work and before/after photos, which are often useful supporting documents for a claim. We recommend confirming the exact documentation your insurer requires with your adjuster before work begins.

Mainly freeze-thaw cycling and settling. A small crack lets water in, which then freezes and expands over winter, widening the crack each season. Repairing cracks before winter prevents that cycle from turning a minor issue into a major one.

Yes — fine, medium, and heavy dash textures can all be matched. We test the texture on a sample area before completing the full repair so you can see the match beforehand.

Yes. A colour-matched masonry or elastomeric coating is applied over the repaired section, or the full wall for a completely uniform result, so the patch is not visible once finished.

Late spring through early fall, the same window as exterior painting, when temperatures stay consistently above 10°C. This allows the scratch, brown, and finish coats to cure properly at every stage.

Raking or angled light — especially from windows or nearby pot lights — exaggerates any small difference in texture or sheen. Wide feathering, correct sheen matching, and in some cases a full ceiling repaint solve this.

Yes — this is one of the most common ways we get involved in a project. We typically patch right after an electrician removes or relocates fixtures, and can schedule around their rough-in as needed.

For a truly invisible result, we generally recommend a full ceiling repaint, since ceiling paint sheen can shift subtly over time and make spot repairs visible later. For budget-conscious projects we can attempt a spot repair, but we'll always tell you upfront if we think it may still be noticeable.

Anywhere from a single hole to a full ceiling with a dozen or more relocated fixtures — the process is the same, just scaled to the size of the job.

A flush-mount vent, like Aria, sits flush with the wall or ceiling instead of showing a visible metal grille. It is popular for a clean, modern look, especially in high-end renovations and new builds where an uninterrupted ceiling matters to the design.

No — we handle the drywall integration and paint finish around the vent. The ductwork and rough-in are done by your HVAC contractor, and we coordinate directly with them on timing.

Yes. The vent face and surrounding drywall are spray-finished in your exact wall or ceiling colour and sheen so it blends in seamlessly rather than reading as a separate fixture.

Flush vents are engineered to maintain proper airflow with a different design than a slatted grille. Sizing and placement should follow your HVAC contractor's specifications — we install and finish to whatever opening they provide.

Standard paint forms a film that can trap moisture inside brick, leading to peeling and spalling over time in a freeze-thaw climate. Mineral-based stains like Romabio bond with the brick itself and stay vapour-permeable, so the wall keeps breathing.

The stain is translucent, so the natural texture, tumbled edges, and mortar lines still show through underneath the new colour — the result is a rich colour update rather than a flat, painted look.

Typically 2-4 days, depending on square footage, brick texture, and how many coats are needed to reach the colour depth you want.

The finish can be refreshed with an additional coat over time, and because it is not a heavy film-forming paint, ongoing maintenance is generally easier than what full masonry paint would require down the road.

No. Limewash is a mineral-based wash that bonds chemically with the surface rather than forming a plastic film like paint. That's what gives it a soft matte, variegated look, and it allows masonry underneath to keep breathing.

It generally works best on bare, unpainted brick or previously limewashed surfaces. Painted brick may need extra prep or a different product recommendation, which we assess during your on-site consultation.

It is intentionally variegated — subtle variation from panel to panel, and even brick to brick, is part of the traditional look. We can adjust our brushing technique for a more uniform result or a more rustic, heavily varied one based on your preference.

A properly applied limewash can last for years and often improves with age, though exterior limewash may benefit from a refresh coat periodically depending on sun and weather exposure.

It's a true multi-layer troweled plaster, not paint. The depth, movement, and polished sheen come from the trowel application and burnishing technique itself, not from a sprayed or rolled coating.

Commonly on feature walls, powder rooms, fireplace surrounds, and luxury office or living spaces where a premium, tactile finish is the goal. It is less suited to high-impact areas like children's playrooms without a protective topcoat.

Yes, with the right sealer or wax topcoat. We assess ventilation and moisture exposure during your consultation to recommend the correct system for the room.

Yes — we strongly recommend a small sample panel first, since colour, trowel texture, and sheen can look meaningfully different depending on technique and lighting.

It is priced by ceiling area and condition — how thick the texture is, whether it has been painted over (painted stipple is slower to remove), and how much skim work the ceiling needs afterwards. We quote it on site, in writing, and it is almost always cheaper bundled with a repaint of the same room since the masking is already done.

It is inherently messy work, which is why containment is most of the job. We seal the room, cover floors and walls in plastic, and control dust as we go. When we leave, the room is clean — you should not be finding ceiling texture in the house a week later.

Texture applied before the mid-1980s can contain asbestos. We do not test for or remove asbestos-containing material. If your home is from that era, have the ceiling tested first — we can point you to an abatement contractor and schedule your work after clearance.

No. We work room by room and seal each one off, so the rest of the house stays usable. A single room is typically a one to two day job including the skim coat drying time.

Occasionally, on tightly adhered vinyl in sound condition — but it is rarely the right call. Seams telegraph through the paint, and any moisture behind the paper will lift it later, taking the new paint with it. We will tell you honestly on site if painting over is viable for your walls; usually removal is the cheaper decision over any real timeframe.

Paint-ready — adhesive washed off, torn drywall paper skimmed and sanded, and the surface sealed with an appropriate primer. Wallpaper hung on unprimed drywall almost always tears the face when stripped, so some skim work is normal rather than a surprise charge.

A typical room is one to two days depending on how many layers there are and how well the paper was hung. Painted-over wallpaper and paper in humid rooms take longest, because the adhesive has to be worked rather than steamed off in sheets.

Yes, and it is the most common way we do it. The room is already masked and protected, so combining removal with the repaint costs less than booking them separately and gets the room finished on one schedule.

Stain is usually the better choice on cedar and newer pressure-treated wood — it penetrates, weathers gracefully, and recoats without stripping. Paint makes sense on older fences, on wood that has already been painted, and where you want a specific colour. We will recommend one on site based on the wood and its history.

Yes — front, back, top edges, and posts. A fence coated on the visible side only fails from the back within a couple of seasons, and the top edge is where water sits and rot starts. If access to a neighbour’s side is restricted we will tell you before we quote.

On a properly prepped fence, typically three to five years for stain and longer for paint on a stable substrate — but it depends heavily on exposure. South-facing runs take the most UV and go first; shaded runs hold colour longer but grow mildew. We build both into the recommendation.

Usually yes, and it is efficient to do so — the crew, equipment, and setup are already on site. Exterior work is weather-dependent, so we schedule fences alongside house exteriors during the same dry stretch.

If the brick has never been coated, a breathable mineral stain is usually the better decision — it bonds into the masonry, lets the wall dry outward, and does not trap moisture the way a film-forming paint can in a freeze-thaw climate. Conventional paint is the right answer on brick that is already painted. We will give you a straight recommendation on site.

Effectively, yes. Removing paint from masonry requires aggressive chemical or abrasive stripping that risks damaging the brick face, and it is expensive. That is exactly why we push the paint-versus-mineral conversation before anyone commits.

It can, if the wrong product is used or the brick is coated before it is fully dry. Masonry needs to release moisture outward; a sealed film can trap it, and trapped moisture freezing inside the brick is what causes spalling. Breathable coatings and proper dry-out time are how we avoid it.

It follows the product specified. Romabio mineral coatings carry 2 years on our workmanship and 20 years on the product. Conventional exterior paint carries our standard exterior terms. Your written estimate names the product line so the coverage is clear before you approve anything.

Yes — most of our office work is done evenings, weekends, or in phased zones so the floor stays in service. We agree the schedule before we start and work to it, because in an office an overrun costs you more than the painting does.

No. We use low-VOC and zero-VOC products in occupied workplaces, which are formulated to be occupiable almost immediately. Combined with ventilation overnight, staff should walk into a finished space rather than a fume.

Everything is masked and sheeted before a lid comes off. Workstations, monitors, cabling runs, and floor boxes are covered, and we work in defined zones so equipment outside the zone is untouched. We tidy fully at the end of each shift rather than leaving the site open overnight.

Yes. We can work to a brand standard, a designer specification, or a Pantone reference, and we will produce a sample on site so you can sign off the colour under your own lighting before the full application.

Yes — overnight and between-hours work is how most retail painting gets done. We plan the sequence so everything we touch is dry, cleared, and merchandisable before opening, and fixtures go back exactly where they came from.

Routinely. We work to the required finish schedule, permitted working hours, loading and access procedures, and insurance requirements. Send us the spec with the enquiry and we will quote against it.

Yes. For multi-site and franchise programmes we hold the same products, colours, and finish standard across every location so the brand reads identically, and we schedule the sites as a programme rather than as unrelated jobs.

Yes, including coordinating signage removal and reinstatement where that is needed. Exterior storefront work is weather-dependent, so we book it into a suitable window and confirm timing with you in advance.

Yes — we quote a turnaround and schedule against it, because vacancy is the cost that matters to you, not the paint. Standard-spec units are quoted per unit and booked in blocks so you can plan listing dates against a known completion.

Yes. We record and hold the product and colour standard per building or portfolio, so units match each other, later touch-ups blend, and nobody has to guess which white was used three years ago.

Common areas are phased so routes and amenities stay usable, with clear signage and low-odour products. We schedule around resident traffic rather than through it, and we tidy at the end of each day rather than leaving materials in shared space.

We are fully insured and WSIB-registered, and we can provide certificates of insurance, scope documentation, and per-unit invoicing for your records. Send us your requirements with the enquiry and we will supply them with the quote.

Regularly. Agents get a single point of contact rather than the general enquiry line, and we can quote from an address and a room list without a site visit first when the timeline is tight. We can invoice the brokerage, the seller, or through closing — whichever suits how you run your listings.

The rooms that carry the listing photos — typically the main living space, the kitchen, and the primary bedroom — plus any room with a bold or dated colour that will read badly on camera. We will walk the house and tell you where the money goes furthest rather than spreading it thin across every room.

That is exactly the window we work in. Tell us the possession date and we will schedule to finish before the movers arrive. Empty-home work is faster than an occupied repaint because there is no furniture to move, mask, or work around.

For most homes, yes — it is one of the highest-return jobs before listing. Neutral colours and fresh trim change how a house photographs, and listing photos are where buyers form their first impression. If the budget is tight we will tell you which rooms carry the photos and prioritise those.

Yes, and we are used to how short they are. Give us the listing date and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable and what we would prioritise if it is not. We would rather scope it down than miss the date.

Generally yes. An empty house means no furniture protection, no working around occupied rooms, and no phasing — so the same scope takes less labour than it would once you have moved in. It is also the only realistic chance to do every closet interior and ceiling in one pass.