Strata Painting in Metro Vancouver: A Guide for Property Managers and Councils

Painting is one of the largest recurring maintenance expenses for a strata, and one of the most visible to residents. When the work is good, it protects the building and keeps owners happy. When it is bad, it means complaints, callbacks, and paying twice.

How strata painting actually works

A strata job has to happen around people lives. Work moves in phases, floor by floor or building by building, so nobody is displaced. Most stratas limit noisy work to weekday daytime hours, and the schedule has to respect that.

Residents need to know what is happening before it happens. Notices go out before work starts on each phase, with dates, affected areas, and what to expect. Elevator bookings, parking for equipment, protection on lobby floors and landscaping. All of it is part of the job, not an afterthought.

What to ask any painting contractor

Ask for examples of completed strata projects, not just houses. A crew that paints single family homes all year may never have run a phased job in an occupied tower.

Get the scope in writing. Every surface, every coat, every product. Vague quotes become disputes, and a strata council does not want to argue about what was included after the crew has left.

Verify insurance and WCB coverage before anyone sets foot on the property. Ask what products are specified and why. Common areas need durable, scrubbable, low odour coatings that stand up to constant traffic. Talk to a reference too. Another manager or council that hired them will tell you more than any brochure.

Budgeting: what drives the cost

Scope comes first. Hallways only, or parkade, lobbies, exterior and balconies too? Condition is next. Drywall repairs, water damage and failed exterior paint all add prep labour. Access matters as well. High ceilings, stairwells and parkades need lifts and more setup time.

Occupancy slows everything down. Working around residents costs more per square foot than painting an empty house, and that is normal. Phased work, protection, cleanup every night. It is the price of keeping a building livable while it gets repainted.

Build painting into the depreciation report cycle. In our coastal climate, exterior repaints generally come due every 7 to 10 years, and high traffic common area interiors every 5 to 7 years. Planning ahead beats emergency spending every time.

Our approach to strata work

Phased plans are built around your building schedule and bylaws. One point of contact for the manager or council, so nobody chases crews. Low odour products so residents can stay in their homes. Common area protection every day, floors, elevators and fixtures covered, and cleaned every night.

Our crew has repainted full high rise towers and handled ongoing maintenance for hotels and commercial buildings across Metro Vancouver. See the Bayshore Towers case study or browse our strata projects for what that looks like in practice.

Get a strata quote

Send us your building scope, or just the address and what needs painting. We will walk it, measure it, and give you a written fixed quote. Call Exceptional Painting at (236) 995-6777. We work across Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Langley and New Westminster. Our workmanship carries a 3 year warranty, we are WCB covered, and we carry $5M in liability insurance.