Calgary is hard on exterior paint — chinooks swing temperatures 20 degrees in hours, freeze-thaw cycles work every seam, and high-elevation UV fades south and west walls first. We choose coatings and prep for this climate, not a generic one, and we schedule the work around it.
Exterior season runs roughly late May to early September — but the forecast decides the day, not the calendar. We follow each product's data sheet: minimum surface and air temperatures, the required margin above dew point, substrate moisture, and a curing forecast. If conditions turn questionable, we stop and come back. We never paint over a bad forecast to keep a schedule.
What's included
- Body, trim and soffits — the full exterior, washed first so paint bonds to siding, not dirt.
- Condo colour rules? I check your board's approved colours before we pick.
- Scraping and sanding quoted honestly — prep is most of the labour on a repaint, and we quote it that way instead of skipping it to win the job.
- Lead-safe prep on older homes: per Health Canada guidance, homes built before 1960 very likely contain lead-based paint, and 1960–1990 homes may as well, especially on exteriors. We test before we scrape and contain the work area while we do.
- Bare wood and problem spots primed with the right primer for the substrate — not one primer for everything.
- Two finish coats over the prepared surface, matched to your siding, stucco or wood — our standard repaint system, unless the written coating spec says otherwise.
- Landscaping, decks and walkways protected; full cleanup daily. GST is the only thing added on top of your written price.
What's not included
- Rotten siding, trim or structural repairs — if we find them, they're flagged in writing before we touch anything. We paint sound surfaces.
- Roofing, gutters, windows and concrete work — outside our scope.
- Painting in weather the product's data sheet doesn't allow. We reschedule instead.
How the job runs
- Assessment & written scope
We walk the whole exterior, check siding, stucco, trim and existing paint failure, test for lead where the home's age calls for it, and put scope and price in writing.
- Wash
The full exterior gets washed so coatings bond to the surface — not to chalk, mildew and dirt.
- Prep
Scrape, sand, caulk and prime — with lead-safe containment on older homes. This is most of the job, and it's quoted as such.
- Paint
Two finish coats, brushed and rolled where each belongs. Every morning starts with the forecast: surface temp, air temp, dew point, curing window.
- Detail & cleanup
Trim lines, touch-ups, full grounds cleanup — then a final walkaround with you.
Can you paint the exterior during a chinook?
Products & coating specification
Exterior coatings are chosen for Calgary: UV resistance for south and west exposures, flexibility for freeze-thaw movement, and breathability where the substrate needs it. The exact products are named on your written estimate.
Application follows the manufacturer's technical data sheet — minimum and maximum surface and air temperatures, the required margin above dew point, maximum substrate moisture, and recoat windows. There is no single magic temperature: a product rated for the conditions, applied inside its stated limits with a sound curing forecast, is what counts.
Two finish coats over a properly prepared surface is our standard repaint system, unless the written coating specification for your project calls for something different.
Typical timeline
Most homes take about a week of work days. Book the estimate early in the season — the calendar fills first, and late-summer slots go to whoever called in May.
Weather days are built into the plan, not billed as surprises: if we lose a day to rain or cold, the timeline shifts and you hear it from us the same morning.
How pricing works
Exteriors are priced on condition more than size — a sound bungalow can cost less to paint than a smaller two-storey that's peeling, because prep is the job.
The estimator gives you a preliminary range in about a minute. Because no photo shows how paint is failing, exteriors almost always need the free site visit for a firm written price — we check every side in person.
What moves the number: how much scraping and priming the existing paint needs, height and access, the number of colours, and the finish level you choose. The $500 minimum job charge applies; GST is added on top; the approved price stays fixed unless you approve a written change to the scope.
More money questions? How much does it cost to paint a house in Calgary? Do you take a deposit?
Common questions
When can you paint the outside of my house?
Roughly late May to early September in Calgary — but the forecast decides, not the month. We work inside each product's data-sheet limits on temperature, dew point and curing, and we book early-season estimates first because the calendar fills.
My house was built in the 1970s — is the old paint dangerous?
Possibly. Per Health Canada guidance, pre-1960 homes very likely contain lead-based paint, and 1960–1990 homes may as well, especially on exteriors. We test paint of that age before scraping, then work lead-safe: containment, no dry scraping into the yard, proper cleanup.
What if the weather turns mid-job?
Every morning starts with the forecast measured against the product's limits. If conditions go bad, we stop and come back — the timeline shifts and you hear it from us the same morning. We never paint over a questionable forecast to keep a schedule.
Do I need to be home?
No. We need outdoor water access and a way to reach you if anything comes up — you don't need to be there.
How long will the paint last?
It depends on exposure, prep and product — south and west walls age fastest in Calgary. What we can promise is the process: proper prep, the right primer, two finish coats applied inside the product's stated limits. That's what makes paint last; anyone quoting you a year count without seeing the house is guessing.
One coat or two?
Two finish coats over a prepared surface is our standard — one coat rarely covers evenly or builds enough film for Calgary weather. If a product's data sheet specifies something different, we follow the data sheet and it's in your written scope.
Book the estimate early — the season is short.
Exterior slots fill from May. Get a preliminary range from the estimator in about a minute, then a free site visit for your firm written price. Or call (825) 964-4310.