Choosing painting contractors for a complex, office block, shop, school or factory is different from hiring a painter for a house. There are trustees or managers to approve the work, owners, staff or customers on site, access at height, and often more than one quote to put in front of a committee. The answer is a clear scope of work that every contractor prices on the same basis. Describe the buildings and what needs doing, and commercial painting contractors near you quote you directly. Asking is free and you are not bound to any quote.
Write a scope of work first
A scope of work lets you compare quotes line by line. It should list:
- Each surface: walls, ceilings, balconies, railings, steel, roofs, floors, road markings.
- The preparation: washing, crack repair, rust treatment, damp work, priming.
- The product type and grade, colours and number of coats.
- Access: ladders, scaffolding, cradles or boom lifts, and where they may stand.
- Working hours, phasing, site rules and clean-up.
- What guarantee is wanted, in writing, and how payments are staged.
Complexes and body corporates
A complex repaint usually needs the trustees' approval and often the owners' agreement on colours and cost. Give owners notice in writing, plan which blocks are done when, keep one block as a sample for the trustees to sign off, and agree how balconies, washing lines, parked cars and pets are dealt with. Ask the contractor to inspect with a trustee, name a site supervisor and report weekly. Fix roof leaks and waterproofing problems before the walls are painted.
Offices, shops and factories that stay open
Most businesses cannot close for a repaint. Contractors can work after hours, over weekends or floor by floor, use low-odour water-based paints indoors and keep exits and fire routes clear. Factories often need steel enamelled and floors coated as well: see enamel paint and epoxy floor paint. On big walls, spray painting can save time.
How commercial painting is priced
Commercial painting is quoted per m² or per job after a site visit, because access, phasing and preparation vary so much. Price drivers include the height and the access method, the amount of crack, rust and damp repair, the coating grade, night or weekend work and how many phases the job is split into. Put the quotes side by side against your scope and query any line one contractor left out. Ask whether they carry public liability cover, what safety paperwork they bring to site and for references from similar buildings.
What to include in your request
- Type of building and number of blocks or floors
- A scope of work, or what needs painting
- Access: height, cradles, scaffolding
- Working hours and whether the site stays open
- Who approves the quote and when
Commercial Painting Contractors for different clients
- Homeowners: a homeowners' association repainting guardhouses, walls and gates on one contract
- Landlords and sellers: a block of flats or a row of rental units repainted in one programme
- Body corporates and estates: a full complex repaint with trustees' approval, a scope and a site supervisor
- Shops, offices and restaurants: offices, shops and restaurants painted after hours or at weekends
- Factories, farms and mines: factory walls, steel and floors painted in phases around production
- Builders and developers: painting subcontractors for new builds, from priming plaster to final touch-ups
- Schools, churches and public buildings: schools, clinics, churches and municipal buildings painted to a tender scope
- Painters and contractors: painting contractors pricing large jobs or teaming up for big sites
Frequently asked questions
How do I find painting contractors in Cape Town, Johannesburg or Pretoria?
Do painting contractors work for builders on new construction?
Can our office stay open while it is painted?
Is WallPaint a painting contractor?
Commercial Painting Contractors by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg