Santa Paula's oldest houses stand around downtown Main Street, so house painting in Santa Paula often means caring for older bungalows, cottages, Craftsman homes and Victorian-style houses. More than 15 percent of the city's homes predate 1950, and the median home was built in 1970.
We paint homes in Santa Paula from our Simi Valley base and have been painting homes since 1988. Each estimate is written and itemized after a walk around your house.
Orchard Country Heat and Valley Wind
Santa Paula sits on the north bank of the Santa Clara River at 279 feet, surrounded by orchards and far enough inland to get real summer heat. August averages 82.7°F, and the record is 110°F. Winter swings the other way, with January lows around 41°F. Wood siding and trim take the brunt of that cycle, swelling and shrinking through the year until joints open and paint cracks along them.
Most of the roughly 17 inches of annual rain falls between November and March, which leaves late spring through fall as the main exterior season. Even then, summer afternoons are too hot for south and west walls, so we paint those early and leave shaded sides for later in the day.
The valley also funnels Santa Ana winds. The 2017 Thomas Fire started near Steckel Park, north of town, and in 2019 the Maria Fire grew past 4,000 acres within hours atop South Mountain on 20 to 30 mph canyon winds, with mandatory evacuations covering more than 1,800 homes. We hold exterior spraying on windy days.
House Painting in Santa Paula, From Main Street to the East Edge
Downtown around Main Street
Downtown holds the oldest housing, along with landmarks such as the Glen Tavern Inn from about 1910, the 1887 Southern Pacific depot and the 1905 Odd Fellows Town Clock. About 8.8 percent of the city's homes were built in 1939 or earlier.
Postwar neighborhoods
Homes from 1950 to 1979 make up 57.6 percent of the city. These usually call for the standard repaint routine of washing, recaulking and two finish coats, plus attention to any trim that has gone soft.
East Area One
On the eastern edge, construction began in 2016 on a 500-acre master-planned community of 1,500 homes. Newer houses there need lighter prep, and their first repaint is a good time to settle on colors that will hold up in the sun.
Services That Fit Santa Paula Homes
Older wood, inland heat, fire history and historic rules shape these services.
Victorian and Craftsman Exteriors Near Main Street
Santa Paula's oldest houses, many of them bungalows, cottages, Craftsman homes and Victorian-style houses, cluster around downtown Main Street. Their wood siding, layered trim and porch details call for hand scraping and sanding, gaps filled and bare wood primed before it can gray. Our exterior house painting plans that prep house by house and finishes with two coats on body and trim.
Sill and Fascia Dry Rot Repair on Older Wood
On houses that predate 1940, decades of winter rain often find the window sills, fascia ends and porch trim first. Our dry rot and trim repair probes for soft wood during the estimate, fills what can be saved with epoxy and replaces the rest, always as part of painting the house so the new coats go onto sound wood.
Color Consultation for Historic District Homes
Craftsman and Victorian-style houses often carry a body color, a trim color and an accent for doors or window sashes. Our color consultation, offered case by case, tests sample patches on the siding in your own light. For a house in the Historic District, you can take the final list to planning staff before any paint is ordered.
Deck and Fence Staining in Orchard Country Heat
Inland summers that have reached 110°F are hard on bare wood. Decks and fences in full sun gray, check and split faster than shaded boards. Our deck and fence staining starts with cleaning and brightening, then a transparent, semi-transparent or solid stain chosen for each surface's sun exposure and how much grain you want to see.
Smoke Damage Repainting After the Thomas and Maria Fires
Two recent fires started just outside Santa Paula: the 2017 Thomas Fire to the north and the 2019 Maria Fire atop South Mountain. Smoke and ash from fires like these can leave a film on siding, eaves and window trim that discolors new paint. Our smoke damage repainting washes that residue off, seals any staining with a stain-blocking primer and then repaints.
Santa Paula's Historic District and Permit Offices
The City of Santa Paula Building & Safety Division is at 200 S 10th Street (805-933-4218), and its offices close every other Friday, so call ahead. The Planning Division (805-933-4214) can tell you if a project needs land use or design review, which depends on zoning and use.
Historic homes carry an extra layer. The Historic Preservation Commission, advised by a five-member Design Assistance Committee, oversees the city's preservation ordinance, Ordinance 816. If your house is in the Historic District or on the city's landmark list, here is the order we suggest:
- Ask first. A certificate of appropriateness is required for any alteration in the Historic District or to a Landmark, so ask planning staff if your color change or trim work counts.
- Look for a staff approval. Some minor items, such as replacing an exterior feature in kind, can be approved by staff.
- Then schedule. We set your start date once the city has answered.
