How much should I charge for labor to paint?

• <div><p>The average labor cost for painting in the U.S. is $2 to $6 per square foot. Research what similar pros in your area charge to get a good idea of the normal labor costs for your region. Don’t forget to add charges for materials, complicated work, and project minimums to cover your overhead, if you’re doing a smaller project. </p></div>

Can I use ceiling paint on walls?

• <div><p>While we can’t stop you, we don’t recommend using ceiling paint on walls. Ceiling paint is designed to be flat and less durable, which means it won’t stand up well to scrubbing or regular contact. It’s often limited in color selection. If you’re painting a low-traffic area, such as a closet, ceiling paint might work in an absolute pinch. But for most walls, it’s worth using a more durable, wall-specific formula. </p></div>

How often should you paint the interior of your house?

• <div><p>You should repaint the interior of your house every 2 to 7 years, depending on which room needs repainting and how it's used. High-traffic areas like hallways, kitchens, and bathrooms need more frequent repainting—typically every 2 or 3 years. Living rooms and dining rooms, which you may use less frequently, can go as long as 5 to 7 years or even longer before they need to be repainted. </p></div>

How do you prepare a wall for black paint?

• <div><p>First, make sure that you tape off all the areas that you don’t want to paint black. It’s harder to paint a light color over black than to touch up any lighter spots you missed. Once you’ve taped it off, make sure that the surface is clean and smooth, and then prime the wall with a tinted primer in gray. This step will help to transition from a lighter color to a darker one.</p></div>

Get matched with top exterior painters in Postville, IA

Q: Can I use ceiling paint on walls?

• <div><p>While we can&rsquo;t stop you, we don&rsquo;t recommend using ceiling paint on walls. Ceiling paint is designed to be flat and less durable, which means it won&rsquo;t stand up well to scrubbing or regular contact. It&rsquo;s often limited in color selection. If you&rsquo;re painting a low-traffic area, such as a closet, ceiling paint might work in an absolute pinch. But for most walls, it&rsquo;s worth using a more durable, wall-specific formula. </p></div>

Q: How do you open a can of dry paint?

• <div><p>While <a href="https://www.angi.com/articles/how-to-make-paint-dry-smoother.htm">paint drying smoothly</a> on a wall is ideal, a can full of dry paint is not. To open a can of dry paint, you&rsquo;ll need a tool with a sharp edge, such as a utility knife or a box cutter. Take your tool and score the area where the lid meets the can to break through the dried-up paint. Then, use a paint can opener or a flathead screwdriver to pry the lid open and check the state of the contents. For smaller cans with plastic lids, you can run the top under hot water to loosen the lid. </p></div>

Enter your ZIP and get matched with up to 5 pros

Need a pro for your exterior painting project in Postville, IA?

Select your specific project to find the pro for you.

Verified Reviews for Exterior Painting pros in Postville, IA

*The Angi rating for Exterior Painting companies in Postville, IA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Exterior Painting needs.

*The HomeAdvisor rating for Exterior Painting companies in Postville, IA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Exterior Painting needs.

Last update on December 07, 2025

Reviewed in April 2024
Hired these guys for a exterior paint job and we weâ re pretty satisfied with the results. They were very professional and worked efficiently. Would recommend.
E.R. Painting & Powerwashing
Request a quote
Reviewed in November 2021
Jason and his crew were professional and friendly. The prep work prior to painting was detail-oriented and the paint job itself was exceptional. I’m very pleased and would highly recommend.
JnS Professional Services
Request a quote
Reviewed in November 2020
We had storm damage due to the Derecho. Aurelio did our estimate himself. He was very professional and explained what was needed clearly. It was immediately evident that he knew exactly what he was talking about. He got us worked into the schedule faster than expected due to material...
Affordable Roofing and Exteriors INC
Request a quote
Reviewed in November 2020
I hired them to come in and paint whole house after another paint company messed up the house Chad came in and did a very professional job thanks again for job well done
Finken Painting
Request a quote
Reviewed in February 2020
Phil and his crew rearranged their current jobs to ensure that our floors were refinished in time to get the painting done before our move-in date. We also asked them to remove all the baseboards and quarter round - which was good thing because then we could see how poorly the flooring had been...
Oak Wood Floor
Request a quote
Reviewed in February 2020
Marco is professional and responsive, and his work is very good. WE hired Penagos Painting to completely repaint the interior of a house and its garage that we had just purchased. They did a really good job covering the awful paint on our textured walls, and repainted the trim and doors in...
Penagos Painting
Request a quote
Reviewed in August 2016
All went very well. Gloria came in and asked a few questions on how we used the area. I should of given her more details there, but it all worked out anyway. She asked for accessories from closets and other areas of my home. She used things in different ways than I would of thought to do, and...
Windy Ridge Interiors
Request a quote
Reviewed in April 2015
Installed it the first time, you could stick your hand in the holes in the duct work, came back a 2nd time didn't do anything, 3rd time they did some patching but there were still some holes, and it wasn't anchored to anything, they had to clean it twice and I still had dirt flying out of one of...
Service Legends Heating & Cooling
Request a quote
Reviewed in October 2014
Patrick Overby was quick to respond to my invitation to bid the job of painting my 2 story house. He was informative and polite. He had bid ready in a timely manner, and I thought his price was very reasonable. Mike and Shelby were excellent workers and painters. They were pleasant to have...
Everlast Pro Painting
Request a quote
Reviewed in October 2014
Our area (the towns of Adair and Casey and surrounding rural area) was hit by an extremely severe hail and windstorm June 30th, 2014. Every home and commercial business in the Adair area had severe damage in the form of roof and shingle damage, broken windows and siding and sheet metal damage. ...
Blackstone Exteriors LLC
Request a quote