Painting service areas in Maryland and DC

Montgomery County, Maryland

Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Potomac, Silver Spring, Rockville, North Bethesda, Kensington, Takoma Park, Gaithersburg, Germantown, Olney, Wheaton

Our busiest county, and the one with the widest range of housing. Kensington, Takoma Park and parts of Chevy Chase have homes from the early 1900s with plaster walls and layers of old paint. Potomac and North Potomac lean toward large 1970s to 1990s houses with two-story foyers and long runs of trim. Rockville and Gaithersburg add townhouse communities where the HOA approves exterior colors.

• Montgomery County does not review paint colors, even in historic districts. Painting previously unpainted brick or stone on a designated property is different: it needs a Historic Area Work Permit before work starts.
• Many Gaithersburg and Germantown communities, Kentlands among them, run their own architectural review. We work from the approved palette or help you file the request.

Common requests: interior painting, exterior painting, cabinet painting, office painting

Washington, DC

Georgetown, Capitol Hill, Cleveland Park, Chevy Chase DC, Spring Valley, Petworth, Dupont Circle

Rowhouses, semi-detached brick and large pre-war colonials. Painted brick facades, pressed-metal cornices and wood porches are the usual exterior work. Inside, it is horsehair plaster, tall baseboards and radiators that need to be painted without drips pooling in the fins.

• DC exempts painting and paint color from historic preservation review, with one exception: painting unpainted masonry on a historic landmark.
• Street parking and alley access decide staging on most DC jobs. We plan ladder and lift placement, and any public-space permits, before the start date.

Common requests: exterior painting, drywall and plaster repair, trim carpentry and rot repair, hospitality painting

Prince George's County, Maryland

College Park, Hyattsville, University Park, Greenbelt, Bowie, Laurel, Upper Marlboro

Bungalows and four-squares in Hyattsville and University Park, 1930s block construction in Old Greenbelt, and newer subdivisions around Bowie and Upper Marlboro. A lot of the rental housing near College Park was built before 1978, which puts it under the Maryland lead law.

• Pre-1978 rentals need a lead risk reduction certificate at every change in occupancy, so turnover painting has to be scheduled around the inspection.

Common requests: property management painting, interior painting, religious institution painting

Howard County, Maryland

Columbia, Ellicott City, Clarksville, Elkridge

Columbia's village neighborhoods from the late 1960s onward, where exterior changes go through the village architectural committee, and the stone and frame buildings of historic Ellicott City.

• Columbia village covenants cover exterior colors. Bring us the approval letter, or we can prepare the color samples the committee asks for.

Common requests: exterior painting, deck and fence staining, cabinet painting

Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Annapolis, Crofton, Severna Park

Waterfront and near-water homes where wind-driven rain and salt air shorten the life of exterior coatings, especially on south- and water-facing elevations.

Common requests: exterior painting, trim carpentry and rot repair, deck and fence staining

Frederick County, Maryland

Frederick, Urbana

Fast-growing new construction around Urbana and Frederick, plus downtown Frederick commercial space. Builder-grade flat paint on new drywall is the most common thing we replace here.

Common requests: new construction painting, interior painting, garage floor coatings