Painting contractors in Cape Town
Paint is the last five percent of a painting job. The other ninety-five is preparation, and it is where most repaints fail.
Why repaints fail in one season
A coat of paint over a damp wall will blister. Paint over chalky, powdery plaster will peel in sheets. Paint over a crack that is still moving will crack again, in the same line, within months. None of these are paint problems. They are preparation problems, and Cape Town's coastal air and winter rain find every one of them. We prepare before we paint. That means washing and degreasing, scraping back anything loose, cutting out cracks and filling them with something that can move, sealing bare plaster with the right primer, and only then applying a system matched to the surface. On exterior work it also means waiting for the wall to be dry, which in winter can mean rescheduling a day rather than painting wet masonry and hoping. We also do the work that sits between painting and building: repairing blown plaster, replacing rotten window beads, re-puttying glass, sealing joints that have opened, and coating roofs that are sound but have lost their protection.
What we paint and prep
The surface decides the system. Enamel on a wall that needs a breathable coating is a mistake that shows up in the first wet winter.
Interior walls and ceilings
Crack repair, skimming where needed, primer and two coats, with sheeting and daily clean-up.
Get estimate →Exterior walls
Crack cutting, plaster repair, fungicidal wash and a coating chosen for the exposure.
Get estimate →Roof coating
Cleaning, priming and a reflective or protective coating where the roof is sound but unprotected.
Get estimate →Kitchen cabinets
Doors and frames removed, degreased, sanded, primed and sprayed or brushed, then rehung.
Get estimate →Doors, windows and trim
Sanding back, filling, priming and enamel, including the bottom edge that weathers first.
Get estimate →Damp-affected walls
Only after the source is fixed. Painting a damp wall is a delay, not a repair.
Get estimate →What changes the price of a repaint
| Factor | Why it moves the number |
|---|---|
| Preparation required | A sound wall takes two coats. A wall with blown plaster, cracks and old enamel takes days before the first coat. |
| Surface area and height | Double-volume rooms, stairwells and exteriors above one storey need access equipment and more time. |
| Coating system | A standard acrylic, a breathable mineral paint and a roof membrane are three different products at three price points. |
| Number of colours | Feature walls, ceilings in a different colour and trim all add cutting-in time. |
| What is being moved | Furniture, blinds, air conditioners and light fittings all have to come down or be protected. |
We price painting per room or per elevation after seeing the surface, not per square metre on a phone call.
Get a written painting estimate
Get a written painting estimate that separates preparation from paint.
How we work
1. Assess the surface
Sound, chalky, damp or previously coated with something that will not accept new paint.
2. Prepare
Wash, scrape, cut out cracks, repair plaster, sand, and mask everything that is staying.
3. Prime
The right primer for bare plaster, masonry, timber or a glossy existing coat.
4. Apply
Two coats in the specified system, with the finish checked in daylight rather than under a work light.
5. Inspect together
We walk the job with you, mark anything that needs attention and fix it before we pack up.
- Preparation is the job: We would rather spend an extra day prepping than come back next winter to fix peeling paint.
- We repair before we paint: Blown plaster, rotten beads and open joints are fixed, not filled and hidden.
- Weathered in, not painted over: Exterior work is scheduled around dry walls, not around the calendar.
- Neat in a lived-in house: Furniture covered, floors protected, and a clean room at the end of each day.
The Plinth Standard
- Written scope + fixed price before we start
- Photo updates if you're not on site
- 12-month workmanship warranty on renovations
- Goodwood-based, fast response across Cape Town
Painting across Cape Town
We are based in Goodwood and cover Cape Town within about 25km.