Commercial painting contractors in St. Petersburg

Commercial painting, planned around your business

A commercial paint job has a second customer: the people who use the building. Tenants, staff, shoppers and residents all need to get in and out while the work happens. The planning matters as much as the painting.

The buildings commercial Pinellas is made of

Much of the commercial property here is concrete block or tilt wall, often finished in stucco, and a lot of it sits close to the water. That means the same enemies as a house, at a bigger scale: salt on every surface, sun on long unshaded walls, mildew on the north sides, and rust bleeding from railings, fasteners and fixtures.

• Offices and professional buildings
• Retail storefronts and plazas
• Condo and apartment buildings and their common areas
• Restaurants and hospitality

Scheduling around tenants and customers

Good commercial work starts with a plan everyone can see: which areas are being worked on, on which days, and how access is kept open. Some work is best done early, late or on weekends. Tell us what your building needs and the schedule starts there.

Coatings for masonry on the coast

Block and stucco walls on commercial buildings take the same punishment as homes, with more surface and less shade. Prep follows the same rules: wash off salt and chalk, deal with mildew, seal cracks, treat rust, and use coatings made for masonry and the exposure. On larger walls, elastomeric coatings are a common choice because they bridge hairline cracks and shed water.

Condo associations and HOA boards

For condo and HOA buildings, the paint job is a board decision. Colours, scope, timing and budget usually go through a meeting, and the repaint is often part of the association's longer term reserve planning. Getting a painter involved early means the board can decide with real numbers in front of it.

Signs a commercial building is due

• Faded or chalky walls on the south and west sides, where the sun hits hardest
• Hairline cracks opening in stucco, or stains running down from them
• Rust streaks below railings, light fixtures, signs and fasteners
• Mildew that returns quickly on north walls and shaded walkways
• Peeling at the base of walls, around downspouts or along parapets, which usually means water is getting in
• Scuffed, patched and mismatched walls in lobbies, hallways and stairwells

Catching these early keeps a repaint a repaint. Left long enough, water behind failed paint turns into stucco repair, and that costs more than the paint ever did.

How a commercial repaint gets planned

1. Walk the property. Surfaces, condition, height and access, and anything that needs repair before paint.
2. Agree the scope. Which buildings, which elevations, which interior areas, and what is left alone.
3. Pick the coatings and colours. With board or owner approval in writing where it is needed.
4. Build the schedule. Around tenants, customers, deliveries, parking and the weather, with notices going out ahead of each phase.
5. Do the work in sections. So most of the property stays open and usable at any time.
6. Walk it again at the end. With the manager or board representative, before the job is closed out.

Paperwork property managers ask for

• Certificate of insurance naming the property or association.
• County licence number.
• A written scope and schedule

What commercial painting costs

Commercial pricing depends on square footage, height and access, surface condition, the coating, and when the work has to happen.

Also see exterior painting for more on how coastal masonry is prepped.

Questions people ask