Planning Your Calendar Around a Repaint
By Lemoon's Painting
Plan a repaint backwards from the date that matters to you, such as guests arriving or a sale. Allow time for the estimate, color decisions and any HOA approval before the work itself, which for a home runs one to ten days. Leave a few days of slack for weather and cure time, and book other trades so the painter comes after the roofer and before the new furniture.
A repaint is usually planned around something: family flying in for a graduation, the holidays, a house going on the market, an HOA notice with a deadline. The painting itself is the short part. What decides whether it is finished in time is everything that has to happen before the first brush is opened, and how much room you leave around it.
The way to plan it is backwards, from the date that matters.
How far ahead should I start?
Start as soon as you know the date. The estimate visit, a decision, color sampling and any HOA approval all come before the work, and the approval can take weeks on its own. The painting itself takes one to ten days for a home, and a few spare days for weather and touch-ups turn a tight schedule into a comfortable one.
Working back from the date
| Before your date | What to do |
|---|---|
| As early as possible | Ask for estimates; find out whether your HOA requires approval |
| Once you have chosen a painter | Sample colors on the wall; submit the HOA application if needed |
| After approval | Book the start date with weather slack built in |
| The week before | Clear walls and patios, arrange the gardener, sprinklers and pets |
| The work days | One to ten days for a home, depending mostly on preparation |
| After the last coat | Walk-through, touch-ups, and cure time before furniture goes back |
In master-planned communities such as Eastlake and Otay Ranch, the approval step is the one people underestimate. Many associations want a submitted color scheme and a committee decision before anyone starts, and body, trim and front door may be approved separately. Put the application in early and the rest of the calendar stays yours. There is a separate guide to HOA paint approval.
What each work day means at home
It helps to know what the days look like from inside the house, so you can plan around them.
Wash day
The exterior is power washed first. Windows and doors stay shut, cars come off the driveway, and anything on the patio is moved or covered. Stucco then needs to dry before any coating goes on, so the wash day is often followed by a day of repair work rather than painting.
Repair days
Cracks are opened and filled, soft wood is dealt with, and repairs are primed. On an older home this is where most of the days go. You may hear scraping and sanding; you will not see much color yet.
Masking days
Windows, floors, fixtures and plants are covered. While windows are masked, they stay closed, which matters on a warm afternoon. Plan to keep the house cool in the morning.
Painting days
Color goes on, by spray or by brush. The first section is a good moment to come out and look at it on the wall in daylight.
The walk-through
You and Ebenezer walk the house together and look at it closely. Anything that is not right is marked and put right.
The household checklist
- Sprinklers off for the wash and painting days, and set back on once the paint has dried.
- Gardener and pool service told which days to skip or which side of the house to avoid.
- Pets kept indoors or away from the work area, with gates kept shut.
- Vehicles parked away from the house on wash and spray days.
- Deliveries redirected or scheduled for another week if the porch is being painted.
- Wall items such as hose reels, house numbers, lights and planters, discussed in advance: removed, masked or painted around.
On large, leafy lots such as many in Bonita, trimming branches away from the walls before the start date saves time on the first morning and keeps debris off fresh paint.
Coordinating other trades
Paint should usually come after the work that would damage it. If a new roof, new windows, a stucco repair by another trade or electrical work that cuts into walls is on the list, put those first. Inside, new furniture, rugs and wall art come after the walls have had time to cure; the label gives the window, and full cure takes longer than dry to the touch. Ask each contractor what they need before and after, so nobody undoes another’s work.
Leave slack
The short winter rainy season, a stubborn marine layer on the coast and Santa Ana wind days can each move a day. A plan that ends the work several days before your date absorbs them without stress. For the weather side of the calendar, see the best season to paint outside.
Put a date on it
Ebenezer starts as soon as he is available and works weekends when the project needs it, but the most useful thing you can do for a deadline is call early. Ask for a free estimate, tell him the date you are working toward, and he will tell you honestly whether it fits and what the calendar looks like. More about exterior painting is here.
Common questions
How far ahead should I plan a house repaint?
Work back from the date that matters and add the steps before the painting: the estimate visit, a decision, color sampling, any HOA approval and the painter's schedule. In an HOA community the approval alone can take weeks. The painting itself is one to ten days for a home, plus slack for weather.
Do I need to be home while my house is painted?
Not every hour, but being reachable matters, especially on the first day and at the final walk-through. Someone needs to confirm colors on the wall, answer questions if a repair turns up, and look over the finished work. Ebenezer manages every project personally, so there is one person to talk to throughout.
Should I paint before or after other home projects?
As a rule, finish anything that will damage paint first: roofing, window replacement, stucco or drywall work by other trades, and electrical work that cuts into walls. Plan new furniture, rugs and wall art for after the paint has had time to cure. Talk through the order with each contractor so nobody undoes someone else's work.
Can a repaint be finished before guests arrive for the holidays?
Usually, if it is planned with room to spare. Book the work so the last painting day falls at least several days before the guests do, which leaves space for a rain delay, touch-ups and the final walk-through. Weekend work is possible when the project requires it, which can help a tight schedule.