660 reviews
Wood & Trim Painting Built on Prep
Paint on wood is only as good as what's under it. Our crews scrape to a sound edge, prime every bare spot, and hand off rotted boards to our own carpenters instead of painting over them. It's how 22+ years and 10,000+ Metro Detroit homes get done right.
Prep-first wood and trim painting, with in-house rot repair.
Wood siding, fascia, soffits, and window trim are the surfaces paint was invented for — and the ones that need it most. On wood, paint isn't decoration; it's the weather barrier. Homeowners repaint wood because the alternative is watching sills split, fascia soften, and trim boards turn into carpentry bills. A repaint done on schedule costs a fraction of the repairs a neglected one leads to.
Southeast Michigan is a hard place to be a painted board. Wet springs push moisture into the wood, July sun cooks the resin out of the paint film, and then winter freezes whatever water found its way behind a cracked caulk joint. Around here, the caulking and priming matter as much as the color coats — which is why our crews treat them as the job, not the warm-up.
Why Wood Fails in Michigan
End grain drinks water
The cut ends of boards absorb water many times faster than the face. Miters, butt joints, and board bottoms are where failure starts — and where careful priming and caulking pay off most.
Freeze-thaw jacking
Water that slips behind a cracked paint edge freezes, expands, and pries the film further open. One neglected winter can turn a hairline crack into a peeling patch.
Sun load isn't equal
South- and west-facing walls take far more UV than the rest of the house, so the same paint ages at two different speeds. Those elevations deserve the most prep attention and the best product.
Paint can hide rot
A paint film can bridge over wood that has already gone soft underneath. It looks fine from the driveway — until a scraper or a probe goes through it. That's why we test suspect boards instead of trusting the surface.
Pro tip from our crews
South- and west-facing wood takes roughly double the UV load of the north side of the same house. If your budget forces choices, those elevations are where premium paint (and an extra coat) earns its keep.
How We Do It Right
- 1Inspection and estimateWe walk the house and physically check the usual failure points — sills, fascia bottoms, corner boards, miters. Anything soft gets written into the free estimate as a wood replacement line item, so the number you see covers the real job, not just the paint.
- 2Wash and dry-downPower washing is included free with every full paint job. We wash off dirt, mildew, and chalk at low pressure, then give the wood time to dry — and verify it with a moisture meter, because coating damp wood is how paint jobs fail early.
- 3Carpentry before colorOur in-house carpenters replace rotted boards before the painters take over. New wood gets primed before and during install so the end grain is sealed where you'll never see it again — the difference between a repair that lasts and one that rots from the inside.
- 4Scrape, sand, featherFailing paint comes off back to an edge that holds. We feather-sand the transitions so old and new film meet flush, and dull any glossy areas so the next coat has tooth. On heavily alligatored fields, we lock the surface down with Peel Bonding Primer rather than chasing every crack.
- 5Prime and sealEvery bare or repaired spot gets Fresh Start Primer before finish paint. Then we re-caulk open joints, butt seams, and trim-to-siding gaps with flexible exterior sealant — closing the doors moisture uses to get behind the film.
- 6Finish coatsRegal Select is our standard wood topcoat; Aura steps in for dark or vivid colors on sun-hammered elevations, and WoodLuxe stain covers homes staying with a stained look. First coat gets worked into the grain, not just laid over it, before the final coat goes on.
What We Put On It
Every product below links to its full page — real technical specs from the manufacturer, not marketing copy.
Regal Select© EXTOur workhorse for painted wood siding — premium durability and mildew resistance with a finish for every look.Specs & details →Aura© ExteriorThe step-up for dark or vivid colors on sun-exposed elevations: best-in-class fade resistance and color depth.Specs & details →WoodLuxe© StainWhen you want wood to look like wood — penetrating stain protection in solid, semi-solid, and translucent finishes.Specs & details →Fresh Start PrimerThe adhesion foundation on every bare or spot-repaired area before topcoating.Specs & details →
What Drives the Cost
How much paint is failing
Scraping, feathering, and priming hours are the biggest variable on wood. A house with tight, sound paint preps fast; one with widespread peeling takes real labor before color ever comes out.
Rot repair scope
Replaced boards are itemized in your proposal. A few sills is a small add; a wall of failed siding is carpentry work, and we quote it so you see exactly where it lands.
Height and access
Two-and-a-half stories, steep grades, and landscaping tight to the house all slow ladder work down. Same paint, more hours.
Color change and product tier
A dramatic color change can take an extra coat to cover cleanly, and stepping up from Regal Select to Aura for dark colors on sunny elevations affects material cost.
See finished wood and trim repaints from your area — real homes, real colors, and real project costs — in our Cost & Color Gallery.
Browse Real Projects & CostsFrequent Questions
Straight answers about wood siding & trim from the crews who do the work.
Answer
With thorough prep and premium coatings, our exterior paint jobs typically run 7–15 years depending on the surface and its exposure — south-facing wood ages faster than a shaded north wall. Our work carries a 2-year standard warranty, extendable to 4 years.
With thorough prep and premium coatings, our exterior paint jobs typically run 7–15 years depending on the surface and its exposure — south-facing wood ages faster than a shaded north wall. Our work carries a 2-year standard warranty, extendable to 4 years.
Answer
Our painting season runs roughly March 15 through November 15. The premium paints we use apply at temperatures as low as 35 degrees, so early spring and late fall are workable — what matters more is that the wood is dry, which is why we check moisture before coating, not just the forecast.
Our painting season runs roughly March 15 through November 15. The premium paints we use apply at temperatures as low as 35 degrees, so early spring and late fall are workable — what matters more is that the wood is dry, which is why we check moisture before coating, not just the forecast.
Answer
No — paint over rot is wasted money, and it's usually peeling within a season or two. We replace damaged boards with our in-house carpentry crew before painting, and it's written into your estimate. If hidden damage turns up once work starts, you get a change order before we proceed, not a surprise on the invoice.
No — paint over rot is wasted money, and it's usually peeling within a season or two. We replace damaged boards with our in-house carpentry crew before painting, and it's written into your estimate. If hidden damage turns up once work starts, you get a change order before we proceed, not a surprise on the invoice.
Answer
You can, and for a single small area it may make sense. What homeowners underestimate is the prep: the scraping, feathering, spot-priming, and caulking that make up most of a professional job's hours. Skipping that work is why DIY wood repaints often peel in a couple of years while a properly prepped one goes a decade.
You can, and for a single small area it may make sense. What homeowners underestimate is the prep: the scraping, feathering, spot-priming, and caulking that make up most of a professional job's hours. Skipping that work is why DIY wood repaints often peel in a couple of years while a properly prepped one goes a decade.
Answer
Paint forms a film on the surface; stain penetrates into the wood. Paint offers more color choice and hide, while stain shows grain and recoats with less prep. If your house is currently stained, crossing over to paint is a bigger commitment than staying with stain — we'll walk you through both during your free estimate.
Paint forms a film on the surface; stain penetrates into the wood. Paint offers more color choice and hide, while stain shows grain and recoats with less prep. If your house is currently stained, crossing over to paint is a bigger commitment than staying with stain — we'll walk you through both during your free estimate.
Ready for a Straight Answer on Your Wood Siding & Trim?
Free estimate, written surface-by-surface plan, and a free color consultation with every project — no pressure, ever.