How much does it cost to paint interior doors and trim throughout an Ottawa home?

Painting interior doors and trim is one of those upgrades that makes a massive visual impact — freshly painted doors and crisp, bright trim can make an entire home feel new. In Ottawa, expect to pay between $2,000 and $5,500 to have all interior doors and trim professionally painted throughout a typical three-bedroom home. The cost depends on the number of doors, the linear footage of trim, the current condition, and the finish quality you're after.

Here's how Ottawa painters typically price this work:

Interior doors are usually priced per door, both sides plus the edge and frame:

• Flat/panel door, standard paint (brush and roll): $120–$200 per door
• Flat/panel door, spray-finished (smoothest possible finish): $150–$250 per door
• French doors or multi-pane glass doors: $200–$350 per door (all that masking and cutting in around glass adds time)
• Bifold closet doors: $80–$150 per pair
• Door frames/jambs only (if doors are being replaced): $50–$80 per frame

Trim and baseboards are typically priced per linear foot:

• Standard baseboards (3–5 inch): $1.50–$3.00 per linear foot
• Crown moulding: $2.50–$4.50 per linear foot
• Window casings (per window, both sides): $40–$80 per window
• Chair rail or wainscoting: $2.00–$3.50 per linear foot

For a typical three-bedroom Ottawa home with roughly 15 interior doors, 350–450 linear feet of baseboard, 12–15 windows, and maybe some crown moulding in the main rooms, a complete doors-and-trim package usually works out to:

• Budget tier (brush and roll, one coat over existing paint in good condition): $2,000–$3,000
• Mid-range (light sanding, primer where needed, two coats, brush and roll): $3,000–$4,500
• Premium (full prep, spray-finished doors, two coats everywhere, flawless finish): $4,000–$5,500

Ottawa pricing runs about 10–15% below Toronto for comparable quality work, which is consistent across most painting trades in the region.

The single biggest factor in cost and quality is preparation. If your doors and trim have layers of old paint with drips, brush marks, and yellowed varnish — extremely common in Ottawa homes from the 1970s through 1990s — proper prep involves sanding everything smooth, filling nail holes and dents, caulking gaps between trim and walls, and applying a bonding primer. This prep work often takes longer than the actual painting and is what separates a mediocre job from a beautiful one.

The spray vs. brush-and-roll debate is worth discussing. For doors specifically, spray application produces a noticeably smoother, more factory-like finish with no brush marks or roller stipple. The catch is that spraying requires extensive masking and protection of walls, floors, hardware, and everything nearby, which adds labour time. Many Ottawa painters prefer to remove doors and spray them in a garage or workshop, then reinstall — this produces the best results but adds handling time. If your painter is willing to remove, spray, and rehang doors, that's generally the gold-standard approach.

For baseboards and trim that are already installed, brush application by an experienced hand can look nearly as good as spraying and is far more practical. The key is using the right paint and the right brush technique.

Paint selection for doors and trim has shifted significantly in recent years. Traditional oil-based (alkyd) paints were long the standard because they cure to a hard, smooth, durable finish. However, Ontario's VOC regulations and the general market shift mean most painters now use hybrid waterborne alkyds like Benjamin Moore Advance or Sherwin-Williams ProClassic Waterborne Alkyd. These products level beautifully, cure hard enough for door and trim use, clean up with water, and have much lower odour — a real advantage during Ottawa's sealed-up winter months when ventilation is limited.

Expect these paints in semi-gloss or satin finish for doors and trim. Semi-gloss is the traditional choice that's easy to wipe clean, while satin has become increasingly popular for a more contemporary, less shiny look. Both work well in Ottawa's climate.

One Ottawa-specific consideration: our extreme humidity swings (very dry in winter, muggy in summer) cause wood doors and trim to expand and contract. Quality paint with good flexibility and adhesion is essential to prevent cracking and peeling at joints. Cheap paint on trim is a recipe for touch-ups within a year.

For the best results, reach out to a few Ottawa Paint Contractors through the Ottawa Construction Network directory and ask specifically about their approach to door and trim work. A painter who takes pride in trim finishing will happily explain their prep process, paint choices, and application method. That conversation tells you a lot about the quality you'll get.