Condo Painting serving Norwood and Metro West MA.

Shared buildings make up a large part of the local housing stock. The Census counts 26.9% of the town's housing units in buildings of five or more units: 971 in buildings of five to nine units, 1,344 in buildings of ten to nineteen, 835 in buildings of twenty to forty-nine and 560 in buildings of fifty or more. Another 19.3% are in two- to four-unit buildings, and 7.1% are single-family attached homes. Not every one of those units is a condominium, but each of these building types can be one.

In a condominium, the master deed and bylaws divide the property into units and common elements. Before any painting is planned, that division settles who approves the work, who pays for it and whose insurance it falls under.

Small associations in two-families and triple-deckers

The local count includes 1,199 units in two-unit buildings and 1,461 in buildings of three or four units. In South Norwood, the Norwood Historical Society describes rows of triple-deckers built between 1900 and 1920. When a building like that is converted to condominiums, the result can be an association of two or three owners with no property manager.

In a small association, painting the siding, the front stairs or the shared hall is a group decision, and the bylaws say how many owners must agree. Getting that vote, and a color everyone accepts, before asking for estimates saves time. A building of that age also has lead paint to account for: common-area trim, railings and stair treads disturbed by paid work must be handled under the EPA lead-safe rules, explained on our lead-safe painting page. See the South Norwood page for neighborhood background.

Hallways and lobbies in larger buildings

Buildings with ten or more units hold 2,739 local housing units. Their corridors, lobbies and stairwells have to stay usable while they are painted. That calls for work in sections so one route is always open, notices posted ahead of each phase, wet areas marked, and low-odor coatings that dry quickly.

Labels on fire-rated doors and frames should stay unpainted so inspectors can read them. Scrubbable finishes such as eggshell or satin on walls and semi-gloss on doors and trim stand up to moving days and carts better than flat paint.

Painting inside your own unit

Interior walls, ceilings and trim inside a unit are generally the owner's to paint, but the master deed defines the exact boundary. Associations may still require notice to management, a contractor's certificate of insurance, elevator reservations or set work hours, so read the rules before scheduling.

Renters occupy 46.0% of the town's occupied homes, and a condo that is rented out turns over like any other rental. A repaint during the vacancy, in a washable finish, keeps a unit ready to show. Our interior painting page goes into plaster, lead and ceilings in more depth.

Insurance and paperwork for boards and managers

A condominium's master insurance policy typically covers the common elements, while each owner's own policy covers the unit interior. Because of that split, it makes sense for a board or manager to ask any contractor for a certificate of insurance naming the association before work starts. AJ Painting is licensed and insured and can provide one on request.

For exterior work on siding, trim and entry doors, a phased plan by building or elevation lets an association spread the cost across budget years. Our exterior painting page covers the siding and season questions in detail.