Painting Maryland and DC homes and businesses

Interior, exterior and commercial painting across Montgomery County and Washington, with the prep done properly first.

Kitchen being paintedA line drawing of a kitchen with white cabinets, a range hood, a stainless refrigerator and an island, painted in with warm color by brush strokes.

Why paint fails early here, and how we prevent it

The Washington area is hard on paint. Summers are long and humid, winters swing above and below freezing, and a large share of the housing stock is old enough to have lead paint and plaster walls. Most of the peeling, cracking and mildew we are called to fix comes from prep that ignored those conditions.

  • We paint to the weather, not the calendar

    Exterior coatings go on only when surface temperature and dew point allow. In the fall that means later starts and earlier stops.

    Exterior painting
  • Older homes get tested, not guessed at

    We ask the year your home was built at the first call and plan lead-safe prep before we sand anything built before 1978.

    Interior painting
  • Rot and cracks are fixed first

    Soft trim is replaced and plaster cracks reinforced before paint, so the finish is not hiding a problem that will come back.

    Trim and rot repair
When each kind of project fits the Maryland yearTypical for central Maryland and DC. Split months change partway through. Within each season we schedule by the forecast, not the calendar.
When each kind of project fits the Maryland yearMonth-by-month calendar. Exterior painting: best from late April through June and from September to mid-October; workable in March, early April, July, August, late October and early November; off season from mid-November through February. Deck staining: best from late April through June and from September to mid-October; workable in early April, July, August and late October; off season from November through March. Interior painting: good all year. Garage floor coatings in unheated garages: best May through early October; workable in late March, April, late October and early November; off season in winter. Heated garages can be coated year-round.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExterior paintingDeck stainingInterior paintingGarage floors(unheated)Best conditionsWorkable, with limitsOff seasonWhen each kind of project fits the Maryland yearMonth-by-month calendar. Exterior painting: best from late April through June and from September to mid-October; workable in March, early April, July, August, late October and early November; off season from mid-November through February. Deck staining: best from late April through June and from September to mid-October; workable in early April, July, August and late October; off season from November through March. Interior painting: good all year. Garage floor coatings in unheated garages: best May through early October; workable in late March, April, late October and early November; off season in winter. Heated garages can be coated year-round.ExteriorDecksInteriorGaragefloorJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecBest conditionsWorkable, with limitsOff season

From first call to final walkthrough

  1. Call or send a request

    Tell us the property, the rooms or surfaces, and your timing.

  2. On-site estimate

    We look at every surface, note repairs, and answer questions on the spot.

  3. Written, itemized proposal

    Scope, products, coats, repairs and schedule, in writing.

  4. Prep, repair and paint

    Protection, repairs and primer first, then finish coats.

  5. Walkthrough

    We walk the job with you and fix anything you flag.

Common questions

Do painters in Maryland need a license?

Yes. Maryland includes interior, exterior and decorative house painting in its definition of home improvement, so a contractor who signs a painting contract with a homeowner must hold a Maryland Home Improvement Commission (MHIC) license. You can verify a license on the Maryland Department of Labor website.

Do you paint in Washington, DC?

Yes. We paint homes and commercial spaces throughout the District, including Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase DC and Petworth.

How much does it cost to paint a house in the DC area?

Price depends mainly on surface area, the amount of prep and repair, access (ladders, lifts, tight lots), and the products chosen. We give a free, itemized estimate after seeing the property, rather than a per-square-foot guess.

What happens if my house was built before 1978?

Lead paint may be present. When work will disturb painted surfaces, we follow EPA lead-safe work practices: containment, controlled sanding, and careful cleanup. We ask the build year at the first call so this is planned and priced from the start.

Get a free, itemized estimate

Tell us about the property and we will schedule a visit.