Questions We Hear
Painting FAQs
The questions we get asked most — cost, prep, paint brands, scheduling, lead-safe protocols.
How much does it cost to paint a house on Long Island?+
Full exterior repaints run $3,500 to $8,000 on most Long Island homes depending on square footage, siding type, prep condition, and paint grade. Interior whole-house repaints run $4,500 to $12,000 for 8–12 rooms with full prep and two coats. Kitchen cabinet refinishing runs $1,800 to $4,500. All estimates are free and itemized.
Are you licensed and insured?+
Yes. Nassau County HIC #H2256800, Suffolk County #51009-H, $1M general liability, full workers comp, and EPA RRP lead-safe certified. We provide certificate of insurance naming you as additional insured on request before the job starts.
What paint brands do you use?+
We are a Sherwin-Williams Preferred Contractor and a Benjamin Moore Certified Applicator. Our default systems: Sherwin-Williams Duration and Emerald Exterior for siding, Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior for coastal homes. Interior: Regal Select walls, Aura for high-traffic, Advance for doors and trim, Emerald Urethane for cabinets. We do not use box-store contractor grades.
Is prep work included or extra?+
Prep is included in every quote — it is the job. Pressure washing, scraping failed paint, sanding glossy surfaces, caulking gaps, spot-priming bare wood, patching drywall, masking floors and fixtures. We do not price prep as a separate line item you can delete. Without prep, the paint fails.
Can you paint kitchen cabinets instead of replacing them?+
Yes — cabinet refinishing is a specialty. We remove all doors and drawer fronts, spray them in the shop with Benjamin Moore Advance or Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane for a factory-smooth finish, and brush the boxes on-site. A typical kitchen runs about a week. Most clients spend $1,800–$4,500 — roughly a quarter of what replacement costs.
When is the best time to paint the exterior of my house?+
Two Long Island windows: mid-April to late June before humidity climbs, and mid-September to late October after dew points drop. We avoid painting exterior siding when humidity is above 85% or overnight temperatures drop below 50°F. Interior work runs year-round.
Do you paint older homes with lead paint?+
Yes — we are EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair & Painting) certified for lead-safe work on any home built before 1978. Full containment, HEPA vacuums on all sanding, plastic barriers, certified waste disposal. Most Long Island homes built before 1978 fall under this protocol; we treat every one of them the same way.
How long does an interior repaint take?+
Single room: 1–2 working days. Whole house 10–12 rooms: 5–8 working days depending on prep, ceilings, and sheen choices. We schedule in clean blocks so we are not in your house for 3 weeks.
How long does an exterior repaint last?+
With Sherwin-Williams Duration or Benjamin Moore Aura Exterior and proper prep, 10–15 years on siding. Trim and south-facing faces typically go 7–10 years because of sun exposure. Coastal homes with salt-air exposure run slightly shorter cycles; we add a second windward-face coat on those jobs at no extra cost.
Do you paint cedar shingle?+
Yes — cedar is a Long Island staple. We use an oil-based primer to block tannin bleed, then switch to a breathable acrylic topcoat. Solid stains work when you want the texture to show but need color; full paint covers fully. We do not put straight acrylic on raw cedar — it will bleed within a year.
Do you move furniture?+
Yes. We move everything to the center of the room or to an adjacent space, cover it, and put it back at the end. Heavy pianos, wall art, and breakables are the only exceptions — we discuss those in advance.
Can you match my existing paint color?+
Yes. Bring us the can or color name and we match exactly. No label? We pull a 1-inch chip and use Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap or Benjamin Moore Color Capture to scan-match within 24 hours.
Do you do commercial painting?+
Yes — offices, retail, multi-unit residential, medical. We schedule weekend and off-hour work to avoid business disruption. Low-VOC systems on request for occupied spaces.
What areas of Long Island do you serve?+
All of Nassau and Suffolk County — from Glen Cove and Great Neck on the North Shore to Babylon and Bay Shore on the South Shore, and central towns like Hicksville, Levittown, Smithtown, and Commack. If your ZIP is on Long Island, we paint there.
Do I need a deposit?+
No deposit to get an estimate. For booked work, a small scheduling deposit may apply on larger projects — never more than 10% of the quote, and always credited against the first invoice.
Didn’t see your question? Call Kevin directly.