Pasadena, California
Painting & Stucco in Pasadena, CA
Exterior and interior painting and stucco repair, where the prep and finding the water source decide how long the coat lasts. Serving Pasadena and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley.
The short answer
Yes, MKW Homes paints homes and repairs stucco across Pasadena, and here is the fact worth knowing first: a straight repaint does not need a permit, but if your house is a designated landmark or sits in a historic district and you are changing a street-facing color, the City may want it reviewed. On exterior work here the prep is the job. The paint is the easy part, and it is the part people wrongly shop on.
PermitsWho signs off in Pasadena.
Permits for Pasadena go through City of Pasadena Planning & Community Development.
Local detail
Parts of Pasadena sit inside landmark districts where exterior changes visible from the street go through design review. It does not stop a project, but it changes the drawings and the schedule.
Housing stockWhat we find in Pasadena.
Craftsman bungalows, Spanish Colonial Revival and mid century post and beam, much of it built between 1900 and 1940.
Neighborhoods we work in
The buildPainting & Stucco in Pasadena.
What actually decides the price
The paint is a small part of the number. What moves it is the prep and the access. We wash the walls down, scrape what is failing, cut out and repair bad stucco and any soft wood behind it, then caulk and prime the bare spots before a finish coat goes near the house. A single-story Craftsman with sound stucco is quick. A two-story home on a tight Bungalow Heaven lot, where ladders and staging go up by hand between the houses, is not. The amount of failed stucco we find, the number of colors, and how many coats a deep color needs all push the figure. We price what your house actually needs after we walk it, not off a square-foot guess.
Read the cracks before anyone paints
There are two kinds of stucco cracks and they are not the same job. A hairline cosmetic crack just needs an elastomeric patch and a coat over it. A crack that keeps coming back is a symptom, usually movement in the structure or water getting into the wood framing behind the stucco. Paint over that second kind and it opens right back up within a season, and the damage keeps spreading where you cannot see it. Pasadena's older housing stock, much of it built between 1900 and 1940, sits on original wire-and-plaster stucco that tells you plenty once you know how to read it. So we sort out which crack you have before we buy a single gallon.
Dark streaks and bubbling mean water, not paint
Dark streaks running down under a window, paint that bubbles, and spots that sound hollow when you tap them all point to the same thing: water is getting behind the wall. Fresh paint hides it for a season, then it comes back worse, because the wood behind is still wet. In older Pasadena homes the usual culprits are tired flashing, gutters that overflow toward the foothill runoff, and a failed seal at a window or a wall penetration. The common mistake is painting over the symptom. We trace the source, fix it, let the wall dry, and only then patch and coat. That order is the whole game.
The historic-district color question
Pasadena runs its own counter through the Planning and Community Development Department, and that is what shapes how a repaint starts here. Interior painting is exempt, and a plain repaint of a house in its existing palette generally needs no review at all. The wrinkle is the landmark and historic districts. On a designated landmark, or a contributing home in a district like Bungalow Heaven or Madison Heights, changing a street-facing color can go through design review, and that adds time you want to know about up front. We check your address against those districts before you fall in love with a color, not after.
How we actually do it, in order
The order is what makes a paint job last. We pressure wash the whole exterior so the coat has clean, sound stucco to grab. We repair the stucco and any wood behind it, then caulk the joints and gaps that would otherwise let water track in. Bare and patched areas get primed so the finish reads the same across the wall instead of flashing dull where the repairs were. Then two finish coats. Plants, walkways, windows and light fixtures get masked and protected before anything is sprayed or rolled, and we pull the masking and tidy the site at the end of each day rather than living behind tape for a week.
How long it takes and what the week is like
Most Pasadena exteriors run a few days to a little over a week, driven by the size of the house, how many stories, and how much stucco and wood we are repairing before we coat. The loud part is short, mostly the pressure wash at the front end. After that it is quiet work: scraping, caulking, priming and coating. You can live in the house the whole time. We keep the access path clear, protect your planting and hardscape, and clean up each evening so you are not stepping over gear and drop cloths for the duration.
How long it lasts and what keeps it there
A properly prepped exterior with a quality coat holds up for years. The first place it shows age is the south and west elevations that take the hard Pasadena afternoon sun, and darker colors fade faster there than they do on a shaded north wall. Keeping it good is light work: rinse the walls now and then, keep an eye on the caulk at windows and trim, and touch up the sun-facing sides before they get chalky. Fix a small water intrusion the day you notice a streak rather than the year you repaint, and the coat you paid for lasts the way it should.
The mistake, and what to ask before you hire
The mistake that costs the most is painting over a water problem instead of finding it first. A cheap bid that skips the prep is selling you two good years and a bigger repair after that. Before you hire anyone, ask how they prep and whether that includes repairing stucco and wood, not just washing and coating. Ask how they tell a cosmetic crack from a structural one, and what they do when they find the second kind. Ask whether your home is pre-1978 and how they handle lead-safe work if it is. Then ask for their CSLB license and a couple of local exteriors you can go and look at.
QuestionsPainting & Stucco in Pasadena.
Do I need a permit to paint my house in Pasadena?
For a straight repaint, no. The catch is historic. A designated landmark or a contributing home in a district can need design review for a street-facing color change, handled through the Planning and Community Development Department. Interior painting is exempt. We check your district before we start.
My stucco keeps cracking in the same spot. Why?
A crack that returns is a symptom, not a surface flaw. It is usually movement in the structure or water getting into the wood framing behind the stucco. Patch and paint over it and it opens again in a season. We find the cause and fix it before we coat, so the repair actually holds.
How can I tell if my stucco has water damage?
Watch for dark streaks under windows, paint that bubbles, and spots that sound hollow when you tap them. The stucco is the symptom; the wet wood framing behind it is the real problem. We trace the water source, fix it, let it dry, and only then patch and coat.
How long will an exterior repaint last in Pasadena?
Eight to twelve years with real prep and a quality coat. The first place it shows age is the south and west walls that take the afternoon sun, and darker colors fade faster there. Touching up those sun-facing elevations before they chalk keeps the rest of the house looking right.
Do you handle lead paint on older homes?
Homes built before 1978 can have lead paint, which is common in Pasadena's pre-war stock. That changes how we prep, contain and dispose. We follow lead-safe practices rather than sanding old paint into your yard, so the prep does not become a health problem.
Can you match my existing stucco texture?
Usually, yes. Matching a dash, a lace, or a smooth finish is part of a proper repair, and it is what keeps a patch from standing out under fresh paint. On older hand-applied Pasadena finishes we work the texture back in by hand so it disappears into the wall.
ReviewsWhat clients say.
Hired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewHired Mike and his crew to redo our entire backyard and driveway. Removal of the asphalt and existing landscaping, running water lines and electrical, artificial grass, plant borders, a paver driveway, raised the patio gazebo, added a paver patio, landscaped borders, irrigation and outdoor lighting.
Teri CraftLocal Guide · 33 reviewsFrom start to finish the job was handled with the utmost professionalism and attention to detail. What stood out most was their communication. Mr. Ward kept me informed every step of the way.
Angela Adams5 reviewsMKW Homes just painted our home. We are very satisfied with the work. During the process everything was clean and organized.
Jake Baloian3 reviewsMike and his crew were great. They did a wonderful job on the stucco patching and painting, and we were very pleased with the results.
Jen B1 reviewNearby citiesPainting & Stucco near Pasadena.
Free estimatesIn Pasadena.
Michael usually gets to the property the same week.