Painting - painting after priming

I usually am a diy person but I hired a painter to paint a stairwell for me.

He is coming next week and said it would only take him a couple of hours. Then I got to thinking how is he going to let the primer dry (he did say he would prime first) before he paints in that short amount of time?

Should I tell him to wait before painting?

Many primers are designed to dry quickly.I can only assume he is using one of these products.A conversation with him to confirm this might not be a bad idea but I think this is what he is getting at.

It also doesn't need to be primed unless it is brand new drywall or wood that has never been painted before.

I agree it may not need a primer - is there a specific reason a primer is to be used?

If the painter was to make 2 trips, the price would almost be double. On a small job like that, travel, set up and clean up time is a big portion of the job.

sorry, here are more details. This stairwell goes to the basement and had been wallpapered. There is now glue on the wall and also brown paint. It's a very rough surface too. I have some Zinser 123 on hand he said he could use. Will it be okay to paint over this primer right away?

Zinnser's gardz or a solvent based primer would be a better choice to seal the adhesive.

If the primer is dry enough to sand [to get rid of some of the roughness], it will be ok to paint. There should be a few hours between the primer coat and the finish. Maybe he can take lunch while the primer dries. Whenever you rush a job like this, it takes longer for the coatings to cure so care must be used not to damage the paint until it can cure - the paint film will be soft until cured.

btw - welcome to the forums Patty!