The biggest job we have ever done is not a mansion. It is a commercial building on North Highway 67 in Florissant, and it came to $53,289.
Here is what that money actually bought, because commercial exterior work is nothing like painting a house and most people have no idea what goes into it.
The main building — $28,603
All body walls, front and sides. The prep list is the same discipline we bring to a house, just at a different scale: pressure wash the entire envelope, scrape and sand every loose or peeling area, caulk the cracks and holes, spot prime the bare substrate, trench the perimeter where grade had risen against the wall, and seal every crack with elastomeric stucco patch.
Then prime the whole thing with Loxon Conditioner and coat it in Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint.
The back of the building — $9,752
Stucco and concrete block behind the main structure, including the doors.
This is the line I want to point at, because it is written into the signed quote: we would not warranty the doors against rust coming from the inside.
Those were metal doors already rusting from within. We can paint over that and it will look right on day one, but the rust is going to come back through, and it is not a coating failure when it does. So we said so in writing before anybody signed anything. A contractor who promises you a warranty on that is either not paying attention or hoping you will not notice in two years.
The long ceiling — $3,183
Covered walkway ceiling running the length of the building. On a commercial property this is the surface everybody walks under and nobody quotes.
Drywall and stucco repair — $75 per hour
Repair work was billed at $75 an hour per man plus materials rather than a flat number, because you cannot see how far the damage runs until you open it up. Quoting a fixed price on unknown repair is how contractors end up cutting corners to protect their margin.
Later in the project that became a $8,475 change order covering drywall repair, mud, sanding, and removing an awning that was in the way.
The upgrade that actually matters — $5,202
The owner took the upgrade to Rain Refresh / Loxon self-cleaning coating.
On a commercial building facing a highway, the surface collects road film and exhaust grime constantly. A self-cleaning coating sheds most of it with rainfall instead of requiring somebody to come wash the building every year. On a house that is a nice-to-have. On a 30,000-vehicle-a-day frontage, it is the difference between a building that still looks painted in year six and one that does not.
What commercial owners should take from this
The three things that made this job work were not the paint. They were the trench detail at grade, the honest exclusion on the rusting doors, and pricing repair by the hour instead of guessing.
If you are getting commercial exterior quotes in North County and one of them is a single number with no prep list, no exclusions and no repair terms, that is not a cheaper quote. It is an incomplete one.
Common questions
Do you paint commercial buildings in Florissant?
Yes. Our largest project to date is a commercial exterior on North Highway 67 in 63033, at $53,289. We have completed 47 projects in Florissant overall.
What does a commercial exterior paint job cost?
It depends entirely on square footage, substrate and how much repair is needed. On this project the main building elevation was $28,603, the rear stucco and block was $9,752, and repair work was billed at $75 an hour per man plus materials.
Can you paint over rusting metal doors?
We can, and it will look correct initially, but we will not warranty it. Rust originating inside the metal will eventually push through any coating. We put that exclusion in writing before the job starts rather than arguing about it later.
What is a self-cleaning exterior coating?
Coatings like Rain Refresh and Loxon self-cleaning are formulated so that rainfall carries off most surface dirt instead of letting it bond. On a building facing a busy highway that collects road film, it meaningfully extends how long the finish looks new.
Commercial property in North County?
We will walk the building, write out the prep, name the products, and tell you in writing what we will not warranty.
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