What to Expect When You’re Expecting…to Paint
Paul Ignatowski, Premier Commercial Painting South Inc.
Community projects are always a big undertaking, but painting projects always seem to be one of the most difficult and intrusive HOA projects that need to be completed on a regular schedule. They typically require a varying degree of cooperation from the residents, and almost everyone has an opinion on colors. Painting is more of a teamwork project between the painting company and the community than most other projects. Here are some steps that can help alleviate the stress of taking on a paint project with your HOA.
1. Assess the scope of the project.
This is a great time to take a walk around and look at items that you want addressed. You will want to see if all the surfaces are in need of a new coat of paint, or if some items can wait until the next painting cycle. Also, this is a good time to check to see if any substrate repairs are needed such as wood and masonry repairs.
2. Create a budget.
This may seem like a given, but budgets and the HOA’s reserve studies should be checked before bids are requested. Doing this step first will give you the knowledge to decide if you need price breakdowns for certain areas that may or may not be itemized in the budget. While contractors will have most of the costs included in their pricing, you should allocate about 10-15% of your budget towards contingencies that may come up during the project. That could include services such as wood
4. Double check the wording and scopes in the estimates provided.
Most of the time, the estimates will list the items according to the manufacturer’s specification, but it never hurts to double- check to make sure one of the paint companies did not miss an item. You will also want to make sure that all contractors’ and sub-contractors’ insurance and certifications are up to date.
replacement that was not able to be seen during the job walk, or it could also be something as simple as a bee or wasp nest removal that is found during the painting process.
3. Get bids from multiple contractors.
A great place to start is a paint manufacturer. They have representatives who can write up a painting specification that uses materials that would work best in your community and also assist with color renderings to show what your community will look like with certain colors.
Consult the Chapter’s business partner directory (https://www.
caioc.org/membership-directory/painters) or your community manager for the painting companies that are most qualified to take on a project like yours in your area and then set up a job walk with them. Some companies may be better at servicing multi story buildings or structural repairs. Other companies may be better at pricing for a straightforward painting project.
18 September | October 2025
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