Short answer: yes, but it’s not ideal—and in most cases, it’s a mistake if you skip the right steps. Painting directly over raw drywall (also called gypsum board or sheetrock) without prepping it properly leads to uneven finishes, peeling, dull color, and lower durability. Drywall is not a finished surface. It’s a porous material with joint compound seams, paper facing, and tiny dust particles that all need to be dealt with before paint can properly bond.
Let’s get into what’s actually required and why this matters.
Why You Can’t Just Paint Bare Drywall
When drywall goes up in new construction or after a repair, it looks like it’s ready for color. It’s flat. It’s dry. But what’s not obvious is that drywall absorbs paint unevenly. The surface is covered in paper that soaks in moisture, and the seams are filled with joint compound—a completely different texture and material that soaks up paint even faster.
If you take a roller and go straight in with your topcoat—whether it’s flat, eggshell, satin, whatever—you’ll quickly see blotchy, patchy results. Some parts will look darker, some lighter. The finish won’t be consistent. That’s because the paint is being absorbed at different rates across the surface. The drywall paper and the joint compound patches act like a sponge, and unless you seal them first, that sponge effect ruins the finish.
What Needs to Happen First: Priming
To paint drywall correctly, the surface needs to be sealed and evened out. That’s what primer is for. A good drywall primer (also called a PVA primer—polyvinyl acetate) is designed specifically for raw drywall and joint compound. It soaks in, seals the surface, and creates a uniform layer that your paint can grip to.
Skip the primer and your paint coat won’t adhere properly. It’ll also cost you more. One gallon of primer usually costs less than quality paint, and if you skip it, you’ll end up using more paint trying to cover uneven absorption. Not only that—some spots will stay porous and keep soaking up paint even after a second coat.
Real example: according to painting contractors and manufacturers, raw drywall can suck up as much as 200–300 square feet per gallon when unprimed, compared to 350–400 square feet per gallon with primer. That’s up to 40% more product wasted. Multiply that over several rooms, and you’ve just doubled your material cost—and still don’t have a proper finish.
Proper Steps Before Painting New Drywall
Here’s what the process should look like if you’re doing it right:
1. Surface Cleaning: First, make sure the drywall is free of dust. Sanding the seams leaves behind fine particles that cling to the surface. Wipe everything down with a dry cloth or lightly damp sponge.
2. Inspect for Imperfections: Look for dings, seams that aren’t flush, corners that are uneven. Fill gaps with joint compound, let it dry, sand it smooth.
3. Primer Application: Use a dedicated drywall primer. You only need one coat. Apply it evenly with a roller, and brush into corners. Let it dry fully—typically 4 to 6 hours.
4. Topcoat Paint: Once primed, you can move to your final color. Two coats are standard for durability and full coverage.
What Happens If You Skip These Steps
If you ignore the prep and go straight to paint, the problems show up fast. Here’s what commonly happens:
Flashing: That’s when the paint dries in uneven shades because of how the wall absorbed it.
Peeling or bubbling: If paint can’t grip properly, especially in humid areas like bathrooms or basements, it’ll bubble or peel right off.
Poor stain resistance: Unprimed walls are more absorbent. That means stains (like splashes, grease, or smudges) will soak in deeper and be harder to clean.
Paint failure over time: Without a sealed surface, even the best-quality paint won’t last as long. You might be repainting in 2–3 years instead of 5–10.
When Is It OK to Skip Primer?
There are only a few exceptions. If the drywall was pre-primed (some sheetrock comes that way from the factory), and you’re using a paint-and-primer-in-one *andthe surface is in excellent condition—no patches, no seams showing—then maybe. But even then, most professionals still apply a primer coat for consistency. Paint-and-primer-in-one products don’t penetrate and seal drywall like dedicated PVA primers do.
If you’re painting over previously painted drywall, say you’re just changing color—you might not need primer unless:
You’re going from dark to light color.
There are stains, patched spots, or repairs.
You’re using a drastically different sheen.
Why It Matters
Painting seems simple. But doing it right means more than just picking a color and grabbing a brush. New drywall needs to be sealed correctly for your paint to stick, look right, and last. Whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring someone, skipping primer is a red flag. Professional painters know this and bake it into the prep. If a contractor tells you they don’t need primer on fresh drywall, ask why. If they can’t give a solid technical answer, it’s worth second-guessing their process.
In short: no, you should not paint directly over drywall without priming first. Can you? Technically, yes. But it’s going to cost you, in time, money, and a finished product that doesn’t look or last the way it should.
Call Haddon Painting Pro for all your interior and exterior painting needs (609) 332-3000.