Exterior Painting in Tuscaloosa
Siding, trim and soffits. Prep to the federal rules, which outside are stricter.
You call us, we do the work, and you deal with one company from the first look to the last coat. One call, one contractor, somebody actually answers.
What you should know before you book
Checkable facts about this work in Tuscaloosa, with sources. Not sales copy.
- The federal lead rule has two different thresholds and the outdoor one is more than three times the indoor one. EPA’s minor repair and maintenance exemption covers work that disturbs “6 square feet or less of painted surface per room for interior activities or 20 square feet or less of painted surface for exterior activities.” A single wall of a pre-1978 house blows through 20 square feet before you have finished scraping it. source
- Outside, the containment requirement is measured in feet of ground, not sheets of plastic. The rule is to “cover the ground with plastic sheeting or other disposable impermeable material extending 10 feet beyond the perimeter of surfaces undergoing renovation or a sufficient distance to collect falling paint debris, whichever is greater.” If nobody has covered ten feet of your yard, the job is not being done to the rule. source
- Three prep methods are restricted or banned outright on painted surfaces. “Open-flame burning or torching of painted surfaces is prohibited.” A heat gun is “permitted only at temperatures below 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit.” And machine sanding, grinding, power planing, needle gunning or abrasive blasting is prohibited unless the machine has a shroud or containment system and a HEPA vacuum attachment collecting at the point of generation. Torching old paint off siding is the fastest way to strip it and it is not legal. source
- Exterior painting needs no permit in Tuscaloosa — “Painting, carpet, trim work” is named on the city’s exempt list. So is “Siding Replacement.” But “Window replacement other than maintenance of broken glass” does need one, which is the trap on an exterior job: the paint and the siding are free of paperwork and the window you decided to replace while the scaffold was up is not. source
- On a pre-1978 house you are owed a pamphlet before anyone starts. The RRP rule requires delivery of EPA’s “Renovate Right” guide to the owner and occupants, and the renovation has to begin within 60 days of the date it was delivered. If a contractor has not given you one, that is a checkable failure rather than a matter of opinion. source
What it costs
You get the price before we start.
From $1,650
“From” is a floor, not a quote. It is the least a job of this kind costs us to do properly — it is not what your job will cost, and most jobs land above it. The figure is derived from national market data for the smallest realistic job in this trade, adjusted for Alabama, and it is published so you can rule us in or out before filling in a form rather than after. Your actual number is set in writing once we have looked at the work, and it does not change unless the job does.
- We quote the job, not an hourly rate.
- The number you agree to is the number you pay, unless the job itself changes.
- No trip fee inside 25 miles.
What moves the number
- How much prep the siding needs. Scraping, sanding and priming bare wood is most of the labor; painting sound siding is the quick part.
- The age of the house. Pre-1978 means the federal lead rules, and outside those rules mean ten feet of ground covered, no torching, and no machine sanding without a shrouded HEPA tool. That is setup time, not markup.
- Height and access. Anything above the first story needs ladders or staging and slows every coat down.
- Weather. Humidity here stretches the time between coats, and a wet week is a week the job cannot be rushed through.
- How many colors and how sharp the lines are. Trim in a second color against siding is cutting in, and cutting in is slow.
| Distance from Tuscaloosa | Trip fee |
|---|---|
| 0-25 miles | No trip fee |
| 25-45 miles | $65 |
| 45-60 miles | $110 |
Trip fee is waived on any job over $1,500.
How you get a price
- Send photos. Send photos with the form and you get a range the same business day, usually without anyone needing to drive out. That is faster for you, and it is why the form asks for pictures.
- We come out when the job needs it. Some jobs cannot be judged from a photo. Anything structural, anything still wet, decks, and whole-house work get looked at in person before we put a number on them.
- Then you get a firm number, in writing. No charge to come out inside 25 miles. Past that the trip fee above applies, and it comes off the job if you book it.
About the prices on this page. The figures shown are typical national ranges for this kind of work. They are not quotes, not offers, and not a promise that your job falls inside them — material prices, labor hours, access, hidden damage and permit requirements all move the number, in either direction. Your actual price is set in writing after we look at the work, before anything starts. About the permit and regulatory information. Current as of August 2026 and offered as general guidance, not legal, code or compliance advice. Requirements change, and how they apply depends on the specifics of your property and your job. Confirm anything you plan to rely on with the City of Tuscaloosa Building & Inspections, or the relevant agency, before acting on it.
Worth reading before you book
Outside, the lead rules are stricter than most people expect, and the prep is the job.
Tell us about the job
Tell us what is going on and send a photo if you can.
Water or damage: we call you back within 2 hours, any day. Everything else: a real answer the same business day.
We are insured — general liability coverage, so damage we cause while working in your home is covered.
Office hours
- Mon-Fri
- 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday
- 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Send the form whenever suits you — outside those hours it lands in the same inbox and we pick it up when we open. Water or damage should not wait on the form: call, any day.
Would rather talk? Call (205) 723-3595 or send a text.