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In what order should trades work in a unit turn: paint, flooring, cleaning?

DoorKeeping team

4 min read

Work from the dirtiest and most disruptive jobs to the cleanest: trash-out and repairs first, then plumbing, electrical and HVAC, then paint, then flooring, then fixtures and hardware, and a deep clean last, with a short punch list walk before the unit is called ready. Doing flooring before paint or cleaning before repairs means paying twice to fix what the next trade ruins. The order below also lets you book vendors in sequence so each one starts the day the last one finishes.

Why order matters more than speed

Every day a unit sits empty is a day of rent you do not collect. But trades that start early and step on each other do not save time: a painter who finds new drywall holes, a flooring crew that scuffs fresh paint, or a cleaner who is called back after a plumber leaves dust all add days. The goal is a sequence where each trade leaves the unit in the state the next trade needs.

This post covers the order of work inside the unit. For the full checklist of what to inspect and document, use the make-ready checklist.

The order that avoids rework

  1. Walk and document. Photograph every room, the appliances and the walls, and compare with the move-in condition. This is also your deposit record.
  2. Trash-out and demolition. Remove left items, old blinds, broken fixtures and any flooring you plan to replace.
  3. Repairs behind the walls. Drywall patching, plumbing leaks, electrical fixes, and HVAC service come first because they open and close walls and make dust.
  4. Pest and safety. Treat pests if needed, test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and change batteries or replace the units.
  5. Paint. Ceilings first, then walls, then trim and doors. Paint before flooring so drips and tape do not touch the new floor.
  6. Flooring. Install or refinish after paint is dry enough that foot traffic will not mark it.
  7. Fixtures and hardware. Light covers, outlet plates, cabinet pulls, blinds, shower heads and appliances last, so they are not painted over or scratched.
  8. Deep clean. Top to bottom, including inside appliances and cabinets, vents and windows.
  9. Final walk with a punch list. Take dated photos, test every switch, faucet and appliance, and fix the small items before listing the unit as ready.

If a unit built before 1978 needs work that disturbs paint, federal lead-safe rules for renovation may apply. See the lead-based paint disclosure post and check with your state before you sand or scrape.

Booking vendors in a chain

Because each trade depends on the one before, book them with a start window rather than a fixed day, and ask each vendor to text you the day they finish. The next vendor then moves up. Without that, a one day plumbing delay becomes a week of gaps.

Example a made-up turn needs 1 day of repairs, 2 days of paint, 1 day of flooring and 1 day of cleaning, 5 working days in all. If the painter is booked only after the repairs are fully done and flooring only after the painter calls, there can be two idle days in the middle. Booking the painter and floor crew with a "start the day after the last trade" note keeps the turn at 5 days instead of 7. At made-up rent of $1,300 a month, which is about $43 a day, two idle days cost about $86.

Keep a short list of reliable vendors for each trade. When one cancels, you want a second name ready, not a search.

Which costs are repairs and which are improvements

Paint and patching to bring a unit back to its prior condition are generally treated as repairs. Replacing a worn floor with a better one or adding a new feature can be an improvement that is depreciated over time. IRS Publication 527 describes the difference. Ask your tax preparer, and give them clean invoices that separate the work.

How DoorKeeping handles it

Open one work order for the turn and send each job to its vendor by link, also from Claude or ChatGPT. Photos, notes and invoices stay on the work order and the unit's documents, so the same record supports your punch list and any deposit deduction. Anything that involves money waits for your one-tap approval.

Sources

  1. IRS Publication 527: Residential Rental Property (repairs and improvements), read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

Should flooring be done before or after paint?
After. Paint drips, tape and ladders damage new flooring, so paint first and install the floor after.
When should the deep clean happen?
Last, after all work and fixtures are in, with one final walk afterward for small touch-ups.
How long should a unit turn take?
It depends on the unit and the damage. A light turn can be a few days; a heavy one longer. Track your own turns and use your average to schedule the next one.
Do I need to document the turn?
Yes. Dated photos and invoices support deposit deductions and give your tax preparer clean records.

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