Can You Claim Painting Your House on Taxes?

If you’ve ever stood in the middle of your living room, roller in hand, covered in tiny white paint dots, and thought, “At least I’ll get some of this money back on my taxes” — you’re not alone. Painting a house feels expensive, time-consuming, and emotionally draining enough that a tax refund would seem only fair.

But can you actually claim painting your house on taxes in Canada?
The short answer is: sometimes.
The long answer is more interesting — and a little funny — so let’s break it down properly.

The Basic Rule – Personal vs. Income-Related Expenses

In Canada, the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) has a simple philosophy:
If you paint purely for comfort, beauty, or your personal enjoyment, it’s not deductible.

Fresh walls, trendy colours, and finally covering up that mysterious stain from 2017 count as personal living expenses. Personal expenses don’t reduce your tax bill, no matter how therapeutic the painting process felt.

However, the moment your home stops being just a home and starts being a money-making tool, the rules change.

When Painting Your Home Is NOT Tax Deductible

Let’s get the disappointment out of the way first. You cannot claim painting costs if:

• You painted your house or condo for personal use only
• You repainted before selling your primary residence
• You upgraded colours to increase comfort or resale value
• You simply wanted your home to look nicer

Even if the paint was expensive.
Even if the ladder almost ended your career.
Even if you hired professionals and it felt like a serious investment.

From the CRA’s perspective, that’s still lifestyle spending.

Rental Properties – Where Painting Starts to Matter

Now we enter more interesting territory.

If you own a rental property, painting costs are usually tax deductible. In most cases, repainting a rental unit counts as a current expense, meaning you can deduct it in the year you paid for it.

Examples include:

• Repainting between tenants
• Refreshing walls due to normal wear and tear
• Fixing scuffs, chips, or faded paint

This applies whether you own:

• A basement suite
• A condo you rent out
• A full residential rental property

In cities like Calgary, where rental turnover can be frequent, repainting is almost inevitable. Many landlords rely on professional residential painting in Calgary to keep their units attractive and tenant-ready — and yes, those invoices usually support legitimate deductions.

Capital Expense vs. Current Expense – A Critical Difference

Not all painting is treated equally.

If the painting is part of a major renovation or improvement, it may be considered a capital expense instead of a current one. That means:

• You can’t deduct it all at once
• You add the cost to the property’s adjusted cost base
• You recover it slowly through Capital Cost Allowance (CCA)

Examples of capital-type painting:

• Painting after structural changes
• Painting as part of a full remodel
• High-end upgrades that significantly improve the property

In contrast, routine repainting to maintain the property usually remains a current expense — the kind landlords prefer.

Home Office – The Gray Zone That Actually Works

If you work from home, painting part of your home may be partially deductible.

This applies if:

• You use a dedicated space for business
• You’re self-employed or running a business
• The space is regularly used to earn income

You can claim a percentage of painting costs based on:

• Square footage of the office
• Time used exclusively for business

For example, repainting your entire home just to refresh your office vibe won’t fly. But repainting the office itself — or allocating a percentage of a full repaint — often does.

Pro tip: CRA likes clean math. Measuring properly beats guessing every time.

What About Flipping a House?

House flipping is a special beast.

If you buy a property specifically to renovate and sell for profit, painting becomes part of your business inventory costs. In that case:

• Painting is not a personal expense
• It’s part of your cost of goods sold
• It directly reduces taxable profit

This is one reason professional painters are so popular with flippers — speed, consistency, and resale appeal matter more than weekend DIY experiments.

DIY Painting vs. Hiring Professionals – Tax Reality Check

Here’s where reality gets funny.

If you paint yourself:

• You cannot deduct your own labour
• Your time has zero tax value
• Only materials may qualify (and only in eligible cases)

If you hire professionals:

• The full invoice may be deductible
• Labour is included
• Documentation is clean and clear

From a tax perspective alone, hiring professionals often makes more sense. From a sanity perspective, even more so. That’s why many property owners prefer working with the best painters in Calgary rather than discovering too late that beige looks different under every light.

Documentation – The CRA’s Love Language

No matter the scenario, documentation matters.

Keep:

• Detailed invoices
• Clear descriptions of work
• Proof of payment
• Notes on which space was painted and why

If it’s a rental or home office expense, clarity is everything. “Paint job” is vague. “Repainting rental unit between tenants” is excellent.

Does Painting Increase Property Value?

Painting absolutely increases perceived value, but tax-wise, that doesn’t always help.

For a primary residence, higher value still doesn’t create deductions.
For rental or income properties, increased value may affect future capital gains — which is another reason to do things properly the first time.

Professional painting isn’t just about colour. It’s about durability, finish quality, and avoiding costly re-paints that erase any financial benefit.

So… Can You Claim Painting Your House on Taxes?

Here’s the clean summary:

• Personal home – no deduction
• Rental property – usually deductible
• Home office – partially deductible
• House flipping – part of business costs
• DIY labour – never deductible
• Professional work – often deductible

Painting can absolutely make sense financially — when it’s done for the right reason, in the right property, and the right way.

And while tax deductions are nice, the real win is having walls that look great, last longer, and don’t remind you of that weekend you promised yourself would be “quick and easy.”

Sometimes the smartest financial decision isn’t holding a roller — it’s handing it to professionals who do this every day.