Lopes & Ferreira Painting

Painting itself rarely needs a building permit in Boston, but the lead and historic layers do the regulating. Exterior color and surface changes in designated districts like Back Bay, Beacon Hill, Bay Village, and the South End require approval from the Boston Landmarks Commission or the relevant architectural commission before you scrape or paint. Contractors doing repaints as part of a remodel must hold Massachusetts Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) registration, and any paint-disturbing work in pre-1978 stock requires EPA RRP certification, which the city and the Massachusetts Lead Law both expect.

Boston sits at the top of the state's painting price range because of labor rates, parking, and the difficulty of working older buildings. A whole-house interior repaint typically runs $6,000–$14,000 depending on size and how much plaster repair the walls need. An exterior repaint on a single-family lands around $8,000–$16,000, and triple-deckers or large Victorians push well past that because of staging height. Per-room interiors run roughly $500–$900. Lead-safe RRP containment on pre-1978 homes adds cost, and full deleading by a licensed deleader is a separate, larger expense.

Massachusetts requires a written contract and a Home Improvement Contractor registration for most residential painting work; ask for the registration number and check it before paying a deposit.

More on permits, costs, rebates and common questions, plus every other painting contractor serving the town, on the Painting in Boston page.