I was recently asked the great question: “Is it more expensive to paint a wall or a new, unfinished door?” Although a door is a smaller amount of surface area than most walls, typically a door is more expensive. The reason being: painting a door is harder than painting walls. It requires more skill, and usually takes longer.

Here is a quick description of the door-painting process:
1. You must do a complete prime coat (once the primer dries, it raises the woodgrain making it more rough).
2. Then you must sand and dust the door before applying two finish coats.
3. When applying the coats, you must use a systematic pattern to avoid obvious brush strokes and overlaps in the woodgrain.
4. Sometimes, according to preference, you can apply a sealant or stain after the paint.

Walls, whether new or existing are easier because they require less prep work, and a roller is more forgiving than a paint-brush as far as lines and brush-strokes are concerned. Handling a brush takes years to master; a good brushman can hand-brush a door and make it appear almost sprayed.

According to all of these facts, it is almost always more time-consuming and expensive to paint doors and wood trim. But of course it also depends on how big and how many walls, compared to the number and intricacy of the doors you are painting. A good idea for saving money and also getting a quality job in a room is to paint the walls yourself and then hire a professional and experienced paint company to paint your door and trim. Even when you don't have the walls done by a contractor, a home can look phenomenal when the trim is done professionally.