This page covers doing it yourself, what goes wrong with paint and what to do when a job does not turn out right.
Price figures on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes.
Should I paint myself or hire a painter, and how much would I save?
Paint it yourself if the job is small, at ground level and you have the time. Hire a painter for whole houses, exteriors, cabinets and anything high. You would save the labor, which HomeGuide says is 70% to 85% of the cost of an interior job.
Against that saving, count your own days, the tools and the prep. Most poor DIY results come from skipped prep, not from poor brush work.
Is a two-story exterior too dangerous to DIY?
For most people, yes. A two-story exterior means long hours on an extension ladder while carrying tools and reaching sideways, and falls from ladders cause serious injuries.
Add Miami heat and sudden storms and the risk goes up. A one-story block house is a fair DIY job. Second floors are better left to a crew with proper ladders, planks or a lift.
Is renting a sprayer worth it?
Renting a sprayer is worth it for big empty spaces, fences and rough stucco, if you take time to learn it. It is not worth it for one furnished room.
A sprayer puts paint on fast, and it also puts paint on everything you did not mask: windows, floors, cars and the neighbor's wall. Masking takes longer than spraying. On stucco, the sprayed coat should still be rolled in.
My DIY paint job looks bad. Can a pro fix it?
Yes, a pro can fix a bad paint job in most cases. Drips, roller marks, thin spots and wavy cut lines are sanded and repainted. If your own paint job is peeling, the loose paint has to come off first.
Tell the painter what products you used. That decides the primer.
When is a job too big to do myself?
A job is too big when it needs more time, height or skill than you have. Signs are ceilings over about 10 feet, a full exterior, heavy peeling, a pre-1978 house with paint to scrape, or cabinets you want to look sprayed.
A half-finished job costs more to hand over than a job that was quoted from the start.
Why is new paint peeling after a few months?
New paint that peels within a few months did not bond to the surface. The cause is nearly always under the paint: chalk, dust, grease, gloss, damp or no primer.
On Miami exteriors, the usual cause is paint over chalky stucco or over a wall that was still wet from washing or rain. The fix is to remove what is loose, correct the cause, prime and repaint.
Why does new paint look streaky or show roller marks, and why can I still see the old color?
Streaks and roller marks come from paint that was spread too thin, rolled after it began to dry or put on with a poor roller. Seeing the old color through the new paint means it needs another coat, or should have been primed.
A proper second coat, applied while keeping a wet edge, solves both in most cases.
Why does the wall look splotchy in side light?
A wall looks splotchy or uneven in side light when the sheen is not uniform. Patches that were not primed, touch-ups and missed strips of the second coat all reflect light differently.
Light that rakes along a wall from a big window or a slider, common in Miami condos, shows it most. Priming the repairs and repainting the full wall evens it out.
Why do touch-ups not match?
Touch-ups do not match because the paint on the wall has aged, and because a brush or a small roller leaves a different texture and sheen from the original coat. Even paint from the same can may show.
Flat paint touches up best. For eggshell and shinier paints, repaint the wall from corner to corner.
Why did paint peel off with the painter's tape?
Paint comes off with tape when the paint under it was not well bonded or had not cured, or when the tape stayed on too long. Tape that is too sticky for the surface does it too.
Use a low-tack tape on fresh paint, pull it slowly at an angle and score the edge with a blade first if the paint has bridged onto the tape.
Should a painter come back to fix missed spots, and what if the painter will not come back?
Yes. A painter should come back to fix missed spots, thin areas and drips, and a final walk-through before the last payment is the time to list them.
If the painter will not come back, write to the company with photos and a date to reply by. Keep the contract and proof of payment. If that fails, you can file a complaint with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services or contact Miami-Dade County's consumer protection office, and small claims court is open to you.
The painter left paint on my floors and windows. What now?
Ask the painter to clean it, and do not pay the final amount until it is done. Drips on floors and windows are the painter's to remove.
Fresh water-based paint wipes up with water. Dried spots on glass come off with a razor scraper held flat. On tile, wood, pavers and pool decks, the wrong solvent can do more harm than the paint, so let the company handle it.
The final invoice is higher than the written estimate. What now?
Ask for a written breakdown of the difference. A final invoice should match the written estimate unless you approved a change, such as extra rooms or repair of hidden damage.
Changes should be agreed in writing with a price before the extra work is done. If they were not, you have good grounds to dispute the added amount.
Who pays to fix paint that failed early?
It depends on why it failed. If the cause was poor prep or application, the painter should fix it under the workmanship warranty. If the paint itself was faulty, the paint maker's warranty may apply.
If the cause was a leak, a sprinkler, a structural crack or a product you supplied against advice, the owner usually pays. A written contract and warranty make this much easier to settle.
Do you give free estimates?
Yes. We give a free estimate with a written quote. We walk the job, measure, talk through colors and sheen and put the prep, paint and price in writing. Call, text or use the form on this site.
We serve Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Hialeah, Doral, Kendall, North Miami, Miami Gardens, Pinecrest, Cutler Bay, Miami Lakes, Homestead and Aventura. The number is (786) 745-7109.