Historic building painting · Monroe County
Historic building painting in Key West and the Keys
An older Key West building asks different questions from a plain block store. Who has to approve the color? Is the siding original wood? What is under six coats of paint? The answers decide the sequence, and they come before the first scraper touches a wall.
In Key West's historic district, the city's Historic Architectural Review Commission, known as HARC, reviews exterior changes. Its Minor Projects application for a Certificate of Appropriateness has a table for painting or repainting, listing each element, its current color and its proposed color. We start from that table and ask the city's staff what the project needs.
Preparation is slow on purpose. Old wood siding, porch rails, gingerbread trim and shutters are scraped, repaired and primed, not just covered. Where paint predates 1978, it may carry lead, and federal rules on lead-safe work apply in some settings, so we check the building's use and age first.
Many of these buildings are guesthouses, shops and restaurants that stay open. Porches are used, sidewalks are narrow, and staging takes space that does not exist. We plan scaffolds and lifts around the street. Send photos of every side and any approval you already hold, and we will scope the job.
Order of work
- Confirm whether the building is in the historic district and what review applies.
- Check the building's age and use against the federal lead-safe rules.
- Photograph every element and record current colors.
- Scrape, repair and prime wood, masonry and metal separately.
- Apply the approved colors, element by element.
- Walk the building, compare it against the approved application and close the punch list.
Where it goes wrong
What tends to go wrong, and how it is held in check
Color approval that has not happened
A color change in the historic district goes to the city before it goes on the wall. We ask for the approval, or help assemble the application's color table, before we schedule.
Lead in old coatings
Pre-1978 paint can contain lead. We check the building's age and use, work lead-safe where federal rules apply, and keep scrapings off the ground.
Wood that is not what it seems
Rot and insect damage hide under paint. Soft spots are found during prep, listed with photos and repaired by the right trade before painting resumes.
The limits
Whether a color is approved is the city's decision, not ours. Carpentry, rot repair and window restoration are separate trades. We do not promise an approval or a review date.
Questions
About historic building painting
Does repainting in Key West's historic district need city approval?
The city's HARC application includes a section for painting or repainting. Ask the city's historic preservation staff whether your exact change needs a Certificate of Appropriateness before you order materials.
Do older Keys buildings have lead paint?
Some can. Paint from before 1978 may contain lead, and EPA's lead rule covers certain work in older housing and in child-occupied facilities. We check what applies before the scope is written.
What does a Keys commercial painting job cost?
There is no rate card. We build a quote either after walking the building or, when they show enough, from photos and drawings. It reflects the surfaces and how much repair they need, the coating system, how the crew reaches each wall, whether the place stays open, and what a delivery over US 1 involves. Two buildings that look alike seldom quote alike.
What size of painting job will you quote in the Keys?
Any size. A single storefront, one stairwell or a tenant suite is as welcome as a motel, a marina or a condominium. Tell us the building and the surfaces, and we scope the work as described.
Is Romco Builders licensed in Florida?
Yes. Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. Ask for the license details when you request a quote.
How a job runs
Six steps, in this order
Send the address and the surfaces
Phone us or use the quote form, with photos or drawings if you have them. Say what is to be painted, who is inside and which dates matter.
We walk the building
We study the walls and their condition, how each side is reached, and what has to stay covered or out of the way.
Written scope and quote
The quote spells out prep, coating system, how each wall is reached, the phasing, and each step that waits on an approval.
Approvals and paperwork
Historic or color review, association or landlord sign-off, any permit the work triggers and airport or site clearances come first.
Prep and coating
Washing, repair, primer and finish follow the agreed order, with people, boats and vehicles below kept clear.
Punch list and handover
Together we go over the finished work, clear the punch list, and you keep the coating record for the building file.
Historic building painting across Monroe, including Key West, Stock Island, Marathon, Islamorada, Key Largo, Ocean Reef, Tavernier, Duck Key and Conch Key, Key Colony Beach, Big Pine Key, and every other Monroe city.
Other painting work
More commercial painting we quote, including
- Interior commercial paintingShops, offices, lobbies and corridors, painted while the doors stay open.Interior commercial painting in Monroe →
- Exterior commercial paintingBlock, stucco and metal exteriors, prepared for salt spray, sun and wind.Exterior commercial painting in Monroe →
- Marina and waterfront building paintingMarina offices, boat sheds, dockside rails and waterfront metal, with runoff controlled.Marina and waterfront building painting in Monroe →
- Warehouse and industrial paintingMetal buildings, block shops, roll-up doors and floor markings, kept in operation.Warehouse and industrial painting in Monroe →
- Airport and transportation paintingTerminals, hangars and service buildings, quoted with badging and phasing planned.Airport and transportation painting in Monroe →
- Retail, restaurant and office paintingShopfronts, restaurants, offices and tenant spaces, on a short clock.Retail, restaurant and office painting in Monroe →
- Condominium and association repaintsCondos, townhomes and apartments, scoped for the board and the owners.Condominium and association repaints in Monroe →
- Hotel, motel and resort paintingHotels, motels, guesthouses and resorts, painted around the stay calendar.Hotel, motel and resort painting in Monroe →
- Clinic, school and public building paintingClinics, schools and public buildings, phased around patients, students and the public.Clinic, school and public building painting in Monroe →
- Elastomeric and waterproofing coatingsBlock walls and low roofs sealed against wind-driven rain.Elastomeric and waterproofing coatings in Monroe →
- Pressure washing and prepSalt, mildew and chalk removed before any coat, with wash water kept out of drains.Pressure washing and prep in Monroe →
- Something else?Any commercial building and any size gets a quote from us. If yours is not listed, tell us about it.Call (239) 510-4206 →
Every key from Key Largo to Key West
Tell us what needs paint and where it stands. A written scope and a quote follow.
Romco Builders is a licensed Florida general contractor, headquartered in Fort Lauderdale. One storefront or a whole resort: every job gets a written scope and a quote.