House painting for University Place (98467) homes and HOAs
University Place sits west of Tacoma along the Puget Sound shoreline, with Chambers Bay, the golf course built on an old gravel mine that hosted the 2015 U.S. Open, at its south end and Day Island off its northwest corner. Bridgeport Way is the main road through town, and Curran Apple Orchard Park keeps a piece of the area's farm past. Most houses here went up from the 1950s through the 1990s: ramblers and split-levels in the older neighborhoods, then larger two-story homes and view houses in later HOA developments that climb toward the water.
At a glance
- ZIP
- 98467
- County
- Pierce County
- Part of
- University Place, WA
- Best exterior window
- Late May to mid September
- Phone
- Answered 24/7
Because so many University Place neighborhoods have HOAs, color approval is often the first step. We help owners pick colors from approved lists or submit new schemes to the board, then plan the work. After that, the job depends on the siding: cedar lap and shingle on many 1970s and 1980s homes, T1-11 on some, and fiber cement on newer houses. A full exterior house painting is the most common request, often paired with color consultation to land on a scheme that gets approved and still looks fresh.
How do you get HOA approval for new exterior colors in University Place?
Start with the rules. Most HOAs here have an approved color list or a design guide, and many require a written request with color chips before work starts. We help you pick colors that fit those rules, paint large sample boards on the house so you and the board can see them in daylight, and give you the paint names and numbers for the request. Some boards approve in a week, others meet monthly, so we plan the start date around their schedule.
If you want something outside the standard list, we can help make the case with photos and samples of similar homes nearby. Once approved, we schedule during the dry season and follow any HOA rules on work hours, parking and signage. Many owners also time the job with neighbors, since an HOA that sees several homes painted in a coordinated set of colors is often quicker to sign off on the next request. A coordinated look also helps the whole street feel cared for.
What we watch for here
- HOA color approval and schedule rules in many neighborhoods built from the 1970s on.
- Cedar siding with tannin bleed if bare spots are not primed with a stain-blocking primer.
- Wind and salt air on homes facing Puget Sound and the Narrows.
- Tall firs and maples that shade north faces and grow moss on siding and decks.
- Large decks on view homes that need regular stain upkeep.
Houses common in University Place and how we prep them
1950s-1960s ramblers
Single-story homes with wide eaves and lap siding. We clean, prime bare spots and repaint, with fascia and trim checked for rot first.
1970s-1980s split-levels and two-stories
Cedar lap, cedar shingle or T1-11 siding. We use stain-blocking primer on cedar and seal plywood edges before two coats of acrylic.
1990s HOA homes
Larger houses with cedar or early fiber cement siding. We follow HOA color lists, recaulk trim joints and repaint body, trim and doors.
Waterfront and view homes
Homes facing the Sound and the Narrows with big decks and windows. We wash off salt film, mask glass and stain or paint decks separately.
Painting jobs we do most in University Place
Exterior House Painting
Exterior house painting in Tacoma means washing off mildew and dirt, checking that the siding reads about 15% moisture or less, scraping and sanding loose paint, fixing rot, caulking, priming bare wood, then applying two coats of exterior acrylic.
See exterior house paintingColor Consultation
A color consultation in Tacoma is an in-home visit where we look at your house, its light and its fixed finishes, then build a color plan with large sample boards tested on site.
See color consultationCedar Siding Staining
Cedar siding staining in Tacoma involves soft washing off mildew and gray fibers, brightening the wood, letting it dry to about 15% moisture, then applying one or two coats of penetrating semi-transparent or solid stain.
See cedar siding stainingDeck Staining
Deck staining in Tacoma means cleaning off moss and gray wood, sanding rough or failing areas, brightening, then applying a penetrating stain to the boards, rails and stairs once the wood reads about 15% moisture.
See deck stainingSiding Painting
Siding painting in Tacoma means matching the prep and paint to the material: fiber cement gets cleaned and primed at cut edges, T1-11 plywood gets its bottom edges sealed, vinyl needs a vinyl-safe color, and wood lap needs scraping and spot priming.
See siding paintingInterior Painting
Interior painting in Tacoma covers moving and covering furniture, filling nail holes and dings, sanding, spot priming, cutting in edges by hand and rolling two finish coats on the walls, with ceilings and trim as add-ons.
See interior painting
Painting questions from University Place
What is the best season to paint a house in University Place?
Late May through mid September gives the most reliable dry weather. Mornings can still have heavy dew, so we usually start on shaded sides after the sun has dried them. Homes facing the water may have more wind, so we plan spray work for calm hours. Booking in early spring gives the best start dates.
My cedar siding has dark streaks coming through the old paint. What causes that?
That is usually tannin bleed, where natural oils in cedar come through the paint, often after moisture gets in. We clean the siding, spot-prime the stained areas with a stain-blocking primer and then repaint. Fixing the moisture source, like a leaky gutter, keeps it from coming back.
Can you paint my deck and siding in the same visit?
Yes. We usually wash everything on the same day, paint the house, then stain or paint the deck last so drips on the deck surface get covered. That order saves time and setup cost. Decks may need an extra drying day after washing before stain goes on.
Neighboring areas we paint
Painting a home in University Place?
Call and tell us what you are painting. We answer 24/7 and set up a walk-through at a time that suits you.