Painting
Painting in Vancouver
Almost every painting failure is a preparation failure. The paint is rarely the variable that decides whether a job still looks right in five years — what happened to the surface before the first coat went on is.
Interior and exterior seasons
Interiors can be painted year round. Exteriors here cannot, and anyone who tells you otherwise in January is planning to be gone before it fails. Coatings need surface temperature and dry time within the manufacturer's stated range, and a Vancouver winter reliably provides neither.
The practical exterior window in this region runs roughly May to September, with the shoulder months workable if the forecast cooperates. We book exterior work well ahead for that reason, and we will move a date rather than paint into weather — repainting a failed coat costs more than waiting did. Exterior repaints run $12,000–$38,000 depending on cladding, height and access.
Surface preparation standards
Preparation is where the money and the time go, and it is the first thing cut by a cheap quote. Filling and sanding, cleaning off the chalk and mildew that Vancouver puts on every north elevation, spot-priming bare patches, caulking gaps that have opened, and masking properly all happen before a finish coat is opened.
This is why two quotes for the same room can differ by a factor of two and both be honest. When you compare painting quotes, the useful question is not the price per room — it is how many hours of preparation are in it and what specifically is being done. Ask, and compare that.
Paint products and coverage
Two coats over a properly prepared surface is the standard. One coat is a touch-up, not a paint job, and any strong colour change or bare filler needs a primer coat underneath regardless. A single room in sound condition runs $950–$2,400; a whole-home interior $7,500–$22,000.
On product, mid-range and premium paints differ mainly in coverage and durability rather than in how they look on day one — which matters most on the surfaces that get cleaned, touched or weathered. We are happy to work with paint you have bought, though we will tell you honestly if it is the wrong type for the surface before we open it.
Painting pricing
$950–$2,400 a room · $7,500–$22,000 whole-home interior
Prep is the variable, not the paint. A sound room in good condition sits near $950; heavy filling, stripping or three-coat colour changes push it up. Exterior repaints run $12,000–$38,000 depending on cladding and access. All figures exclude GST. See the full rate card.
Common questions
When can exteriors be painted in Vancouver?
Realistically May to September, with the shoulder months possible if the forecast holds. Coatings need surface temperature and dry time within the manufacturer's range, and painting outside that window produces a finish that fails early. We will move a date rather than paint into bad weather.
How much prep is included?
Filling, sanding, cleaning, spot-priming and caulking as the surface requires — it is the majority of the labour on most jobs, not an extra. When comparing quotes, ask each painter how many hours of preparation are in theirs; that single question explains most of the price difference between them.
Do you supply the paint?
We can, passed on at cost, or you can supply your own. If you are buying it yourself, tell us the surface and we will tell you what type it needs before you spend the money — the most common problem we meet is good paint bought for the wrong substrate.