Strata Painting
Repainting a strata block is a project with an audience. The committee has to approve it, the manager has to report on it, and forty households have to live through it. We run it like a project, not a paint job.
what a strata repaint actually involves
Most of the work on a strata repaint happens before anyone opens a tin. Common property has to be assessed building by building — render, balustrades, soffits, stairwells, car park lines, the bits of the facade nobody looks at until they fail. What we find there decides the scope, and the scope decides whether the committee is approving a cosmetic refresh or a remedial job with painting on the end of it.
We write the scope so it can be read at a general meeting. Line items, quantities, the product and the number of coats for each surface, and what we have deliberately excluded. A committee can’t compare three quotes that each describe the building differently, and a manager can’t defend a variation that was never written down.
living in the building while we paint
Residents are the part of a strata repaint that goes wrong. We issue a written schedule before we start, notice on the noticeboard and in the lifts, and a rolling programme so no resident loses access to their own front door without knowing about it days in advance.
Balcony work is booked with the individual lot, not announced to it. Access equipment goes up on a Monday and comes down when that elevation is finished, rather than sitting on the lawn for a month. Car parks are painted in halves. None of this is complicated — it’s just the part contractors skip.
specification and product
Coastal Sydney, western Sydney and an inner-city block are three different exposure problems. Salt, UV and pollution each attack a different part of the coating, and a membrane that performs on a Bondi facade is the wrong spend on a sheltered courtyard in Burwood.
We specify against the substrate and the exposure, not against a brochure, and we put the product name and the coat count in the quote so the committee can hold us to it. Where a building has a history of render cracking or efflorescence we’ll say so in writing, and recommend the remedial work even when it isn’t ours to do.
what decides the price and the timing
Best suited to owners corporations, strata committees and strata managers, from small walk-ups to larger residential blocks.
the price depends on
- How many buildings, elevations and storeys are in scope
- How the building is reached: ladders, scaffold, boom lift or rope access
- The condition of render, sealant, balconies and balustrades, and the repairs needed before paint
- Whether stairwells, corridors, doors and car park lines are included
- The coating system and the number of coats on each surface
- Working restrictions: hours, resident access, car spaces and deliveries
the timing depends on
- The size of the building and the number of elevations
- Weather: exterior coatings cannot go on in rain or onto wet surfaces
- Committee approval, including any special resolution for a colour change
- Access bookings and notice periods for residents
- Repairs found once the old coating comes off
That is why every quote is written and itemised after a site walk, never a number over the phone. Ask for a quote or call 0423 533 883.
how the job runs
- 01Building inspectionWe walk every elevation, stairwell and common area with the manager or a committee member, and photograph the defects.
- 02Written scope and itemised quoteLine by line, by building and elevation, with products, coat counts and exclusions stated. Formatted to be tabled at a meeting.
- 03Documentation packLicence, public liability certificate and a traffic or access plan where the site needs one, supplied before we mobilise.
- 04Resident notificationWritten programme, noticeboard and lift notices, and individual booking for any work that needs access to a lot.
- 05PreparationPressure clean, treat mould and chalking, grind and fill cracks, spot-prime bare and repaired substrate.
- 06CoatingApplied to the specified system, elevation by elevation, with the programme updated as each is completed.
- 07Progressive handoverEach elevation is inspected and signed off as it finishes, so the defects list at the end is short.
- 08Final inspection and guaranteeWalk-through with the manager or committee, written defects list closed out, guarantee issued.
what is included, and what isn’t
included as standard
- Full site inspection and written condition report
- Itemised scope by building and elevation
- Licence and public liability certificate supplied up front
- Resident notices and a written works programme
- Access equipment — scaffold, swing stage or EWP as the building requires
- Pressure cleaning and mould treatment of painted surfaces
- Crack repair and filling to painted render
- Spot priming of bare and repaired substrate
- Premium exterior membrane or low-sheen to the specified system
- Daily clean-down and full site clean on completion
- Progressive sign-off and a written defects close-out
- Five-year workmanship guarantee in writing
not included
Quoted separately if your job needs it, so nothing arrives as a surprise variation.
- Structural or waterproofing remedial work — quoted separately if found
- Concrete cancer and spalling repair
- Roof replacement, gutter replacement or tiling
- Work inside individual lots unless the scope names it
- Asbestos testing or removal — we’ll refer you to a qualified assessor or licensed removalist
- Council permits or road occupancy fees, which we’ll arrange at cost
why you can believe any of this
frequently asked questions
How long does a strata repaint take?
A small block of six to twelve lots is usually two to four weeks. A medium block doing the full exterior is typically six to twelve weeks. Weather is the variable nobody controls — we build wet days into the programme rather than pretending they won’t happen.
Do you supply documentation the committee can approve?
Yes. The quote is itemised by building and elevation with products, coat counts and exclusions written out, so it can be tabled at a general meeting and compared against other quotes line for line.
What insurances and paperwork do you provide?
Public liability certificate of currency, workers compensation, NSW painting licence and safe work method statements, all supplied before we mobilise rather than after you ask.
How do you handle residents and access?
A written programme goes out before we start, with noticeboard and lift notices. Any work needing access to a lot is booked directly with that resident. We work one elevation at a time so nobody is surrounded by scaffold for longer than they need to be.
Can you work around a building that's fully occupied?
Every strata building we paint is occupied. We stage the work, keep at least one clear path to every entry, and clean down at the end of each day rather than at the end of the job.
What happens if you find render cracking or concrete spalling?
We stop, photograph it and tell you in writing before we coat over it. Painting over a live defect hides it for eighteen months and costs the owners corporation more later. Remedial work is quoted separately and you’re welcome to use another trade for it.
Do you paint balconies and inside stairwells?
Yes, where the scope names them. Stairwells, lobbies, car parks, letterbox surrounds and balcony soffits are all common property and all commonly forgotten in the original quote — we list them so they’re a decision rather than a variation.
What is covered by the guarantee?
Five years on our workmanship. If the coating fails because of how it was prepared or applied, we return and rectify it. It’s written into your quote.
Do you work with strata managers directly?
Yes, and we’d rather. Managers get the condition report, the itemised scope, progress updates they can forward without rewriting, and one point of contact who answers the phone.
get a quote
tell us about the job.
Two minutes now, a proper answer within one business day — from a person, not a call centre.
- 1we come back to youwithin one business day, with the questions a quote needs
- 2site walkwe measure, check the surfaces and test the existing paint
- 3written, itemised quoteroom by room, product by name — the price on the quote is the price on the invoice
