RG PAINTING & CONSTRUCTION INC.
Montecito Painting Contractor
Interior & Exterior House Painting in Montecito
RG Painting & Construction, Inc. provides professional interior and exterior painting for homes and residential properties throughout Montecito. Our services include detailed surface preparation, complete repaints, cabinet refinishing, specialty finishes, and the drywall, stucco, trim, and wood repairs needed before painting begins. Founded by Ray Guerrero in 2001, our licensed and insured local team provides clear written scopes and coordinates preparation, necessary repairs, and painting through one accountable contractor. CSLB #931758.
Family-Owned Since 2001 | CSLB #931758 | Licensed & Insured | 5-Star Rated on Google & Houzz | People Love Us on Yelp—3 Years
Montecito Painting Services
RG Painting & Construction, Inc. provides interior painting, exterior house painting, and cabinet refinishing for homes throughout Montecito. Our process emphasizes careful property protection, thorough surface preparation, clear written scopes, and coatings selected for the condition and use of each surface.
Interior painting in a Montecito home requires careful preparation, protection, and attention to architectural details. RG Painting & Construction, Inc. provides organized interior painting for individual rooms, complete-home repaints, and detailed finish work.
Complete interior repaints
Walls, ceilings, trim, doors, and crown molding
Drywall and plaster repair
Skim coating and texture matching
Cabinet painting and refinishing
Built-ins, shelving, and architectural woodwork
Limewash and Venetian plaster finishes
Accent walls and color changes
Careful masking and property protection
Organized daily cleanup
Exterior House Painting in Montecito
Montecito's exterior environments range from beachfront properties on Channel Drive exposed to direct salt air to hillside estates in the Cold Spring and Toro Canyon areas with intense UV exposure. Each situation demands a specific coating approach, not a one-size-fits-all solution.
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Exterior painting
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Full exterior estate repaints
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Stucco, wood siding, Hardie board
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Elastomeric coatings
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Marine-grade sealers for coastal trim
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Deck staining & weatherproofing
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Fascia, eaves & soffit painting
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Rust & stain blocking
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HOA & multi-unit painting
Cabinet Painting & Refinishing in Montecito
Update kitchens, bathrooms, built-ins, and storage areas without replacing otherwise functional cabinetry. We evaluate the cabinet material and existing finish before recommending painting or refinishing and preparing the surfaces for a durable finish.
Kitchen and bathroom cabinets
Doors, drawer fronts, and frames
Built-in shelving and storage
Surface preparation and priming
Color and finish updates
Our Montecito House Painting Process
We start with an on-site consultation to understand your goals, lifestyle, budget, and vision for the space. After walking the property, we develop a detailed project scope and transparent estimate so you know exactly what to expect before construction begins.
Preparation is the majority of the labor on an older Montecito exterior. We pressure wash to remove chalking, salt deposits, mildew, and loose material, then allow the substrate to dry fully before any coating goes on — longer during marine layer conditions, and we verify with a moisture meter rather than by eye. Failed and peeling coatings are scraped back to sound substrate, glossy surfaces are dulled, and bare wood is sanded. On coastal elevations we rinse salt residue rather than simply washing, because chloride left on the surface will undermine adhesion regardless of what is applied over it.
Because RG Painting & Construction, Inc. holds a Class B general building license rather than a painting-only C-33, these repairs are completed by our own crew under the same contract. Stucco patches are matched to the surrounding texture and allowed to cure before priming. Dry-rotted and termite-damaged fascia, trim, and siding are replaced rather than filled. Drywall and plaster damage is repaired and skim coated where the surrounding wall requires it. Anything concealed that we find once trim or stucco is opened up is documented, priced, and approved by you in writing before we continue.
Exterior joints are sealed with a flexible, weather-resistant sealant. Bare wood, stucco repairs, stains, rust, and other problem areas are primed with products suited to each surface. Full priming is used when the surface condition or color change requires it.
Coatings are selected and applied based on the surface condition, product guidelines, weather, and the written scope. The specific products, finishes, number of coats, and application methods may vary by project.
Daily cleanup and final walkthrough
Masking is checked each morning and the site is cleaned and reset at the end of every working day — driveways swept, materials staged, walkways clear. Daily cleanup is written into your scope rather than assumed. At completion we walk the property with you elevation by elevation, correct anything on your list, and provide the product names, colors, and sheens used so you have them for touch-up years from now.
Montecito Painting FAQs
How much does it cost to paint a house in Montecito?
Most Montecito exterior repaints vary due to condition and size. Surface area and story count drive the estimate first, followed by the condition of stucco, fascia, and trim, hillside or gated access that limits equipment staging, the amount of preparation and repair required before any coating goes on, and the products specified. A single-story stucco home in the Hedgerow with sound substrate prices very differently from a two-story estate off Toro Canyon Road with dry-rotted fascia and failing caulk joints. RG Painting & Construction, Inc. provides free on-site estimates in Montecito, and we spend three to five hours walking the property so the written scope reflects the actual condition rather than a square-foot formula.
How often should a house exterior be repainted in Montecito?
Most Montecito exteriors need repainting every five to ten years, but the spread within Montecito is unusually wide because the microclimates change sharply over a few miles. Ocean-facing elevations near Channel Drive and Butterfly Beach take constant salt air and marine-layer moisture, while hillside properties in Toro Canyon, Romero Canyon, and Cold Spring take harder UV load and wider daily temperature swings. South and west elevations almost always fail first, often years ahead of the north side of the same house. Chalking, fading, peeling, cracked or separated caulk joints, hairline stucco cracking, and exposed or soft wood are the signs an inspection is warranted.
How long does it take to paint a house in Montecito?
Most Montecito exterior repaints take one to three weeks and most whole-house interior repaints one to two weeks, depending on size, condition, and access. Preparation drives the schedule far more than paint application does, because pressure washing and dry time, stucco patch cure time, caulking, sanding, and priming account for the majority of labor hours on an older Montecito exterior. Coastal fog that extends dry times, repairs discovered mid-project, and gated-community work-hour restrictions can all lengthen the timeline. Your written estimate includes a projected start date and duration, and the schedule is confirmed in writing before work begins.
What kind of paint holds up best in Montecito's coastal climate?
Montecito's combination of salt air, marine-layer moisture, and strong UV exposure calls for high-resin 100% acrylic exterior coatings applied over properly prepared and primed substrate, and the preparation matters more to service life than the product does. On stucco, breathable masonry-grade acrylics let trapped moisture escape rather than pushing the film off the wall, while elastomeric coatings bridge hairline cracking but should be specified selectively, since they can trap moisture on walls that drain poorly. On wood trim, fascia, and doors, waterborne alkyd enamels hold gloss and resist chalking better on sun-exposed elevations. Deep, saturated colors on south and west elevations fade faster unless specified in a UV-stable colorant system. We specify the product line and sheen per substrate in the written estimate rather than applying one product everywhere.
How should I choose a painting contractor in Montecito?
Check the license classification first, because it determines what the contractor can legally do. A C-33 license covers painting and decorating only, while a Class B general building license also covers the stucco, drywall, carpentry, and dry-rot repair that older Montecito exteriors usually need before any coating is applied. Look up the license number on the CSLB website to confirm it is active, then verify general liability and workers' compensation coverage and ask for a certificate of insurance naming you as additional insured. Finally, require a written scope that itemizes preparation, repairs, materials by substrate, masking and property protection, on-site supervision, and daily cleanup, because a one-line bid to paint the exterior is not a scope. RG Painting & Construction, Inc. is a licensed California general contractor, CSLB #931758, working in Montecito since 2001.
Do you repair drywall, stucco, trim, and damaged wood before painting?
Yes, in house. Because RG Painting & Construction, Inc. holds a Class B general building license rather than a painting-only C-33, stucco patching, drywall and plaster repair, trim and siding replacement, and dry-rot and termite-damaged wood repair are handled by our own crew under one contract, with no second contractor, no separate scheduling, and no gap in accountability. Every estimate identifies the specific preparation and repairs included. Concealed damage discovered once trim or stucco is opened up is documented, priced, and approved in writing before we proceed, so nothing is added to your invoice without your signature.
Do I need HOA, MBAR, or County approval to repaint my Montecito home?
Usually not for routine repainting in the same or a closely similar color, but a color change on a publicly visible exterior can trigger review. Montecito is unincorporated Santa Barbara County, so exterior design review is handled by the Montecito Board of Architectural Review, known as MBAR, together with County Planning and Development, and MBAR's scope expressly includes exterior colors, materials, and their application. Many Montecito parcels also sit within the Coastal Zone, and gated and planned communities here maintain their own architectural committees and approved color palettes. Confirm requirements with Santa Barbara County Planning and Development and your association before finalizing colors. We prepare color and material sample boards for architectural committee submittals as part of the process.
What makes RG Painting different from other painting contractors in Montecito?
Two structural differences. First, RG Painting & Construction, Inc. holds a Class B general building license rather than the C-33 painting license most painting companies carry, so stucco, drywall, carpentry, dry-rot, and full remodels are completed by the same crew under the same contract. Second, Ray Guerrero — founder, licensed contractor, and the person who writes your estimate — runs the project himself rather than handing it to a crew you have not met. Sites are cleaned and reset at the end of every working day, and daily cleanup is written into the scope rather than assumed.
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Request a Montecito Painting Estimate
Planning an interior, exterior, or cabinet painting project in Montecito? Contact RG Painting & Construction, Inc. to schedule a free on-site estimate. We will review the surfaces, discuss your goals, identify visible preparation or repair needs, and provide a written scope for the proposed work.