When renovating, do you do walls or floors first?
Do dirty work first, then install floors.
Quick answer: Finish wall work before floors so sanding, priming, and paint drips do not ruin new surfaces.
Do walls first, floors last. Demo, framing, wiring, drywall hanging, sanding, and priming create dust and drips that ruin new flooring. Leaving subfloors exposed also makes it easier to fix squeaks and level low spots.
A common sequence is: rough work, drywall, prime, install floors, then add trim and final paint. Tile in bathrooms is sometimes installed before cabinets so the layout stays clean, but protect it with heavy paper during the rest of the work.
Order that works
- Protect existing floors with paper or boards.
- Finish wall work: framing, wiring, drywall, sanding, priming.
- Level subfloors and address squeaks.
- Install flooring (tile, LVP, hardwood), then baseboards.
- Apply final wall and trim paint after flooring is covered.
Mask floors before final paint and caulk. The goal is to keep wet finishes away from the most expensive surface to redo.