If you’ve ever compared estimates from more than one painting company, you may have wondered why the prices can be so different.
After all, paint is paint, right?
Not exactly.
Two homes can receive a fresh coat of exterior paint in the same summer and look nearly identical when the projects are finished. But five years later, one may still look great while the other is already peeling, fading, cracking, or showing bare wood.
The difference often comes down to three things: the quality of the paint, the quality of the preparation, and the quality of the supervision during the project.
For Colorado homeowners, these factors are especially important. Our homes are exposed to intense sunshine due to our elevation and number of sunny days, temperature swings, snow, moisture, wind, and hail. A quality exterior painting project needs to be designed to withstand those conditions.
Here’s why some paint jobs last for years while others fail far sooner than homeowners expect.
1. Better Paint Can Make a Big Difference
One of the easiest places for a painting company to reduce the cost of a project is the paint itself.
Unfortunately, that can also affect how the finished product performs over time.
Higher-quality exterior paints are generally designed to provide better adhesion, color retention, flexibility, and resistance to the elements. Those characteristics become particularly important in Colorado.
Better quality paint also dries thicker, providing a thicker barrier to protect the surface underneath it for longer.
Our intense sunlight can cause exterior colors to fade. Temperature changes cause building materials to expand and contract. Snow and rain introduce moisture. Your home’s paint needs to endure all of it.
Choosing a quality paint isn’t simply about making your home look better on the day the project is completed. It’s about protecting that appearance for years to come.
When comparing exterior painting estimates, homeowners should ask:
- What specific paint product will be used?
- What product line is it?
- Is the paint appropriate for Colorado’s climate?
- Is primer included where necessary?
- Confirm none of the material is watered down
If one estimate is substantially cheaper than another, the materials being used are one of the things worth comparing.
2. Great Exterior Painting Starts Before the Paint Can Is Opened
The finished paint gets all the attention, but some of the most important work happens before the first coat goes on.
Preparation can be the difference between an exterior painting project that lasts and one that begins failing within a few years.
Depending on the condition of the home, proper preparation may include pressure washing, scraping loose paint, sanding problem areas, repairing or replacing damaged wood, caulking gaps and joints, protecting surrounding surfaces, and priming exposed or problematic areas.
Painting over a poorly prepared surface doesn’t fix the underlying problem.
It covers it.
And eventually, that problem can show through the new paint…usually within a few years.
Imagine applying expensive paint over an area where the old coating is already separating from the wood. The new paint may adhere perfectly to the old paint—but if the old paint loses its bond with the surface underneath, both layers can come off together.
That’s why the preparation process matters so much and why the quality of the prep work is one of the major determining factors in how long your paint job will last.
3. Wood Repairs Shouldn’t Be Ignored
Older Colorado homes frequently have exterior wood that has been exposed to decades of sun, snow and moisture.
Fascia, trim, siding and other wood components may have areas that are cracked, deteriorated, soft or beginning to rot.
Simply painting over damaged material doesn’t solve the problem.
A good painting company should identify these areas before or during preparation and discuss the appropriate repairs with the homeowner. Ideally, the same company can handle both the necessary wood replacement and painting.
Replacing deteriorated material may add to the upfront cost of the project, but it can help protect the larger investment you’re making in your home’s exterior.
This is particularly important for homes that are 20, 30 or 40+ years old.
4. Even Great Painters Need Good Job Supervision
This is one of the most overlooked parts of hiring a painting company.
A contractor can specify excellent paint and write a detailed scope of work, but someone still needs to make sure that scope is actually being followed in the field.
That’s where job supervision becomes extremely important.
Exterior painting involves dozens of details. Was the surface properly prepared? Were problem areas scraped sufficiently? Were damaged materials identified? Was primer applied where specified? Were areas properly masked? Were the correct products used? Were missed areas addressed before the project was considered complete?
Without proper supervision, little shortcuts can turn into bigger problems.
A well-managed painting project should include someone responsible for quality control—not simply a crew being sent to the property and expected to figure everything out.
5. The Lowest Exterior Painting Bid Isn’t Always the Least Expensive
Imagine receiving two estimates.
One painting company offers to paint your house for $6,000. Another provides an estimate for $9,000.
It’s understandable to be attracted to the $6,000 option.
But suppose that project needs to be repainted four years later while the $9,000 project lasts nine or ten years.
Which one was actually less expensive?
Homeowners should think about exterior painting in terms of cost per year, not simply the initial price.
A less expensive paint job that needs to be repeated twice as often can ultimately cost considerably more—not to mention the inconvenience of having your home repainted again.
What Should You Ask a Painting Company Before Hiring Them?
Before choosing a contractor for your exterior painting project, ask more than just, “How much will it cost?”
Ask questions such as:
What paint are you using?
Get the manufacturer and exact product line rather than simply the brand name.
What preparation is included?
Ask specifically about washing, scraping, sanding, caulking and priming.
How do you handle damaged or rotted wood?
You want to know what happens when problems are discovered.
Who supervises the project?
Find out who is responsible for checking workmanship and making sure the scope is followed.
How will you protect my landscaping, windows, patios and other property?
Preparation isn’t only about paint adhesion. It’s also about protecting the rest of your home.
What happens if the weather changes during my project?
A professional painting company should have standards regarding acceptable painting conditions.
A Paint Job Should Do More Than Look Good on Day One
Almost any freshly painted house can look good from the street immediately after the project is finished.
The real test comes several years later.
A quality exterior painting project is the result of multiple things working together: good materials, thorough preparation, skilled application and consistent job supervision.
Skipping any one of those steps can potentially shorten the life of the finished product.
At Rocky Mountain Exteriors, we believe homeowners should know exactly what they’re paying for. Our goal isn’t simply to change the color of your house. It’s to complete the preparation, repairs, painting and quality-control work necessary to give you an exterior you can be proud of for years to come.
If you’re considering exterior painting for your Colorado home, Rocky Mountain Exteriors can inspect the condition of your exterior, identify potential problem areas and provide an estimate for the work.
Contact Rocky Mountain Exteriors today to schedule a free exterior painting estimate. To learn more visit https://rmext.com/services/painting/exterior-painting/