The Vieux Carre
The French Quarter, bounded by Iberville, N. Rampart, Esplanade and the river. A paint permit is required before any exterior work.
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Painting contractors in New Orleans, Louisiana
The one city where painting the outside can need permission first. Free estimates on site or remote, and every quote is written for two coats.
What changes here
Painting in New Orleans
New Orleans is the only city we work in where painting the outside of a building can need permission first. In the French Quarter it always does, and across a dozen other local historic districts it often does.
Older stock
Old siding, old millwork and old paint mean most of the day goes into preparation. On an older frontage the finish is only ever as good as what was scraped, filled and primed underneath it.
On the ground
Where we work in New Orleans
Four parts of the city, and they are four different jobs.
The Garden District
Galleries, deep porches and detailed woodwork, inside an HDLC district where exterior work needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
Uptown
Shotguns, doubles and raised center halls. Wood siding and wood trim, mostly, which means the prep is the job.
Lakeview
Largely rebuilt since 2005, so the stock is newer and a modern exterior schedule actually applies.
Conditions
What New Orleans does to a paint job
Four things that change the work here, and what each one means for the schedule and the price.
The Quarter needs a permit to paint
A paint permit is required for all exterior painting in the Vieux Carre, whether or not the surface is visible from the street. Touch-ups are exempt. Everything else goes through the Vieux Carre Commission, and applications land two weeks before the meeting, which is the commonest reason a Quarter job starts later than its owner hoped.
Four coatings are banned in the Quarter
Sealers. Ceramic coatings. Elastomeric coatings, and waterproofing or water-repellent coatings. All prohibited on Vieux Carre exteriors, along with rotary sanders on the prep.
Outside the Quarter, the HDLC still reviews
Local historic districts run on a Certificate of Appropriateness, and every property carries a rating of Significant, Contributing or Non-Contributing that decides how much latitude there is. Establish it before colors get chosen.
Repainting too often is a symptom
The city puts exterior repainting at every 5 to 8 years. Much sooner and the paint is not the problem: it points at excess moisture, at a coat applied without adequate preparation, or at a product never compatible with what sits underneath.
What we run here
Every service, in New Orleans
Interior and exterior, in all twelve. Inside walls and outside surfaces run out of the same shop, so the crew that quotes your kitchen is the crew that quotes your siding.
On the houses people live in
Interior Home Painting
One room or the whole house, with floors and furniture covered before the first can opens.
Interior Home Painting in New Orleans
Exterior Home Painting
Curb appeal is the reason people call. Weather protection is the reason it matters here.
Exterior Home Painting in New Orleans
Cabinet Painting
A new kitchen look without replacing a single door. We degrease, sand and spray for a finish that survives daily use.
Cabinet Painting in New Orleans
Kitchen Remodel
Paint, cabinet upgrades and the finish work that ties the two together.
See the service
Deck Staining and Painting
Stains and coatings picked for wood that sits in full sun and heavy rain, so the boards stop drinking water.
Deck Staining and Painting in New Orleans
Pressure Washing
Dirt, grime and mildew come off before any paint goes on. It is also a service on its own, for storefronts, walkways and parking structures cleaned on a set schedule.
See the service
Wallpaper installation and removal
Hanging new paper, or stripping old paper and priming the wall flat before it takes paint.
See the serviceColor consultation
Unsure about the right palette? Our team can help you choose.
See the serviceOn the buildings they run
Office Painting
Color matched to your brand and scheduled around the working day.
Office Painting in New Orleans
School Painting
Non toxic, hard wearing coatings for classrooms and corridors, scheduled around the term.
School Painting in New Orleans
Hospital Painting
Hospital grade coatings that clean easily and survive repeated wipe downs.
Hospital Painting in New Orleans
Gym Painting
Durable color that holds up to humidity, equipment and constant foot traffic.
Gym Painting in New OrleansSee all ten servicesExterior and interior have their own pages: exterior and interior.
Why the quote says two
A coat and a job are different things
Painting a house here is a different job from painting one in a dry climate. Humidity changes how long a coat stays open, and it decides how much film you need on a wall before the weather starts taking it back.
First coat
Bond and coverage
The first coat is doing a different job from the second. It bonds to what is underneath and it tells us where the substrate is still drinking, which is information you only get once paint is actually on the wall.
Second coat
Color and film build
The second coat is where the color goes true and the film reaches the thickness printed on the tin. One coat over a sound wall looks fine from the driveway and looks thin on the north side by spring.
How a job runs
Three steps, from the call to the clean up
The same three whether the job is a bedroom in New Orleans or a whole building.
- 01
Scheduling
Book your free consultation by phone or through the form. Ask for references at any time.
- 02
Free Consultation
You get a project schedule and an accurate quote, whatever the size of the job.
- 03
Work Starts
Your painter starts, keeps you updated, and tidies up when the job is done.
2,500
Jobs finished
12
Cities covered
2
Coats quoted as standard
$0
Cost of an estimate
Rated by our satisfied customers
Questions we get asked
Before you book the estimate in New Orleans
The first four are about New Orleans itself. The rest come up on almost every estimate, wherever the job is.
Not answered here?
Ask it on the estimate call. No charge, no obligation.
Mon to Fri, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Sat and Sun closed.
View more FAQsDo I need a permit to paint my house in New Orleans?
In the French Quarter, yes, always, and it covers exterior painting whether or not the wall in question faces the street at all. Elsewhere it turns on whether the property sits inside a local historic district, where a Certificate of Appropriateness applies instead. Outside both, generally no.
What do you need from me for a Vieux Carre application?
Photographs of the areas to be painted. The existing colors documented. Paint chips naming the manufacturer, color name, color number and gloss level.
Can I choose any color I like in a historic district?
Within reason, and the review is what decides. This is the main practical difference between painting a house here and painting one in Kenner: the color is a conversation with a commission, not a conversation with your partner, and it is much cheaper to have that conversation before the paint is bought.
Does the permit apply to the back of the building?
Yes. In the Vieux Carre it covers the exterior whether the wall is visible from the street or not. People are caught by that one constantly.
Can you match the paint color already on the walls?
Yes. For most projects our paint specialists can match almost any color on your home from a chip or a wet sample. If an exact match is not possible we will talk you through the next best option.
How often should I paint?
It varies by material and exposure. Stucco every 5 to 6 years. Painted brick 15 to 20 years. Aluminum siding every 5 to 6 years. A wall that takes afternoon sun will always come due first.
Do I need to move furniture before the crew arrives?
No. Our team covers and protects furniture and floors. If a piece is delicate or awkward to move, it is worth taking it out of the room beforehand.
Is the second coat included in the price you quote?
Yes. Every estimate is written for two coats over prepared surface, and the number you get is the number for the finished job. If a surface genuinely only needs one, we say so and the quote comes down instead of staying where it was.
Nearby
The rest of the twelve
We cover the New Orleans metro, the north shore and up the river as far as Baton Rouge. If your street is not on the list, call and ask.
See every townOlder stock, like New Orleans
Everywhere else we cover
Either way
Small room or whole elevation
Whether you have a small interior project or a large-scale exterior makeover in mind, Big Easy Paintings is your partner for the work. Talk to us about the project, get a quote, and we will tell you plainly what it takes.
Free estimate
Tell us where you are and what needs painting
On site or remote, in all twelve towns. No charge and no obligation. If it is quicker to talk, call 504-226-6252 and we will pick up.
- A written quote for two coats, itemized
- The prep spelled out, not assumed
- A start date we can hold
- The same crew from first day to last
Request a free estimate
Or call 504-226-6252
Two coats, quoted up front
No range, no surprise second visit to finish what one coat could not.