House painting across Maryland and Washington, DC

Interiors, exteriors, cabinets, decks and the repairs behind them, for every era of home in the region.

The homes we paint range from 1910s rowhouses on Capitol Hill to brand-new builds in Urbana, and each era brings its own problems. Old plaster and lead paint in Takoma Park. Popcorn ceilings in Wheaton ramblers. Oak cabinets and wallpaper on bare drywall in Potomac and Olney colonials. Builder-grade flat paint in Clarksburg.

Every residential job gets the same approach: an itemized written estimate, protection for your floors and furniture, repairs and primer before finish coats, and daily cleanup. Most homeowners start with interior painting or exterior painting and add the services below as needed.

Residential painting services

What to expect from homes of each era

What to expect inside, by the year a house was builtTypical of Maryland and DC housing. Faded ends mean the change happened gradually; individual houses vary, especially after renovations.
What to expect inside, by the year a house was builtTimeline from 1900 to 2025. Plaster walls on lath were standard until about the 1950s. Lead-based paint was used in homes until it was banned for residential use in 1978. Acoustic popcorn ceilings were common from the 1950s through the 1980s and should be tested for asbestos before removal. Drywall became standard in new houses after the Second World War and remains so.Before 19401940s to 1970s1980s to 2000sNewerPlaster wallsHorsehair or gypsumplaster on lathLead-based paintAssume it until a testsays otherwisePopcorn ceilingsTest for asbestosbefore removalDrywall wallsStandard in new housesafter the war19001920194019601980200020251978: lead paint banned for homesWhat to expect inside, by the year a house was builtTimeline from 1900 to 2025. Plaster walls on lath were standard until about the 1950s. Lead-based paint was used in homes until it was banned for residential use in 1978. Acoustic popcorn ceilings were common from the 1950s through the 1980s and should be tested for asbestos before removal. Drywall became standard in new houses after the Second World War and remains so.Plaster wallsHorsehair or gypsum plaster on lathLead-based paintAssume it until a test says otherwisePopcorn ceilingsTest for asbestos before removalDrywall wallsStandard in new houses after the war19001940198020251978: lead paint banned for homes
  1. Before 1940

    DC rowhouses, Chevy Chase, Takoma Park, Kensington, Hyattsville

    Plaster walls, old-growth wood trim, and many layers of paint including lead. Plaster gets plaster repairs, trim is usually worth restoring, and lead-safe practices are standard.

  2. 1940s to 1970s

    Silver Spring, Wheaton, Bethesda, Greenbelt, Bowie

    Brick ramblers, split-levels and Cape Cods. Expect popcorn ceilings, painted brick, and lead paint on original trim and windows.

  3. 1980s to early 2000s

    Potomac, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Olney, Germantown, Columbia

    Drywall colonials with two-story foyers, oak kitchens, wallpaper hung on unprimed drywall, and HOA color rules on the outside.

  4. Newer homes

    Clarksburg, Urbana, Frederick, teardown rebuilds in Bethesda

    Builder-grade flat paint that scuffs easily, textured walls to match after repairs, and PVC trim with color limits.

Common questions

How do I check that a painter is licensed in Maryland?

Search the contractor’s name or license number on the Maryland Department of Labor’s MHIC license lookup. Maryland requires an MHIC license for anyone contracting to paint a home.

How much deposit can a Maryland contractor ask for?

Under Maryland home improvement law, a contractor generally may not take more than one-third of the contract price as a deposit before work begins.

Can I stay in my home during painting?

Yes. We work a few rooms at a time with low-odor coatings, protect what stays in the room, and clean up at the end of each day.

Get a free, itemized estimate

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