How much does it cost to paint laundry room walls with mould-resistant paint in Ottawa?

Laundry rooms are one of the most moisture-prone spaces in any Ottawa home, and given our climate where windows stay sealed tight from November through April, mould-resistant paint is not a luxury here — it is a necessity. Let me walk you through what this project actually costs and why cutting corners on product selection will cost you more down the road.

Typical Ottawa Pricing for Mould-Resistant Laundry Room Painting

For a standard laundry room (roughly 60-80 square feet of wall space), Ottawa painters typically charge between $350 and $700 for a complete repaint using mould-resistant paint. That includes proper prep, priming, and two coats of a quality mould-inhibiting product.

Here is how the costs generally break down:

• Small laundry room (40-60 sq ft wall area): $350 to $500
• Medium laundry room (60-100 sq ft wall area): $500 to $650
• Larger or combination laundry/mudroom: $600 to $850

These prices are roughly 10-15% below what you would pay in the GTA for comparable work, which is consistent with Ottawa's painting market overall.

What Drives the Cost

Product selection is the single biggest variable. Standard interior latex runs about $40-55 per gallon, while dedicated mould-resistant paints like Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa or Zinsser Perma-White run $55-75 per gallon. The premium is modest for a small room, usually adding only $30-60 in material cost, but the protection is significant.

Surface preparation matters enormously in a laundry room. If there is existing mould or mildew staining, the painter needs to treat the walls with a mould-killing primer like Zinsser Mold Killing Primer before applying the topcoat. This adds $100-200 to the project but skipping it means the mould will bleed right through your new paint within months.

Ottawa's climate makes laundry rooms especially vulnerable. When outdoor temperatures drop to -25 or -30 degrees Celsius, homes are sealed tight and indoor humidity spikes. Your dryer vent, washing machine, and drying racks all pump moisture into a small enclosed space. Without proper mould-resistant paint, you are looking at peeling, bubbling, and black mould growth within a year or two.

What to Expect From a Professional Job

A proper mould-resistant laundry room paint job should include:

• Cleaning and degreasing all wall surfaces (laundry rooms accumulate detergent film)
• Mould treatment if any existing growth is present
• Mould-killing primer on all surfaces, not just affected areas
• Two full coats of mould-resistant paint in a satin or semi-gloss finish (these sheens resist moisture better than flat or eggshell)
• Caulking around any gaps near plumbing penetrations or window frames
• Protection of flooring, appliances, and fixtures

The entire project typically takes one full day for a professional crew, sometimes stretching to a day and a half if mould remediation is needed.

Should You Go DIY?

For a handy homeowner, the materials alone would run $120-200 (primer, paint, supplies). But here is where I would caution you: if there is any existing mould, this is not a cosmetic problem. Under the Ontario Building Code, mould in living spaces can become a health and safety concern, and improper treatment just seals the problem behind a fresh coat. A professional painter knows to check whether the mould is surface-level or has penetrated the drywall, and whether the underlying moisture source needs to be addressed first.

Finding the Right Ottawa Painter

When getting quotes, ask specifically about their mould-resistant product line and whether the quote includes mould-killing primer. Some painters will quote standard paint and charge extra for the mould-resistant upgrade — make sure you are comparing equivalent scopes.

Browse the Ottawa Construction Network directory to connect with experienced local painters who handle moisture-prone spaces regularly. Ottawa Paint Contractors listed in the directory can provide detailed quotes that specify products and preparation methods so you know exactly what you are getting.