Condo Painting serving Peabody and Metro West MA.

Much of Peabody's housing sits in shared buildings. The Census counts 6,526 units, 28.3% of the city, in buildings with five or more units, and 2,993 of those are in buildings of 50 units or more. Another 3,190 are in two- to four-unit buildings, and 1,120 are attached single-family homes such as townhouses. Not every one of these is a condo, since the figures include rentals, but they show how many households share walls, roofs or hallways, whether in South Peabody, the Proctor neighborhood or elsewhere in the city.

In a condo, who paints what depends on the master deed and the association's rules. Generally, the owner handles the inside of the unit, and the association handles exteriors and common areas, but limited common elements such as balconies, decks and entry doors vary from one association to the next. Reading those documents before asking for an estimate saves a round of back-and-forth.

Painting inside your unit

Unit work looks like any interior job, with some added rules. Associations in large buildings may set work hours, require elevator padding or a reserved elevator, limit where equipment and drop cloths can be staged, or ban spraying inside units. Check the rules, then share them with the painter so the schedule fits.

Ventilation matters more in a unit with windows on one side. Low-odor, low-VOC paints help, and keeping hallway doors closed keeps fumes out of the shared corridor. Kitchen cabinets in a unit can often be repainted instead of replaced; see our Peabody cabinet painting page.

Common areas for associations

Lobbies, corridors, stairwells and mailrooms take heavy traffic, so scuff-resistant finishes and a touch-up plan matter more than color alone. Work can be phased floor by floor or stairwell by stairwell so residents always have a clear route, and wet-paint signs and taped edges keep marks off clothing and walls.

• Hallways, stairwells, lobbies and laundry rooms
• Doors, frames, handrails and baseboards in shared spaces
• Exterior trim, siding and entry doors on smaller buildings
• Unit interiors for individual owners

Small associations and older buildings

A two- or three-unit condo may have no manager, so owners decide among themselves who pays for which wall and when. A written scope that splits exterior and interior work, and lists each unit's share, keeps the vote simple.

Age matters here too. With 64.4% of Peabody's housing built in 1979 or before, the hallways, porches and exterior trim of a converted house may contain lead paint in old layers. Paid work that disturbs those surfaces falls under lead-safe rules; our lead-safe painting page explains them.

Insurance and paperwork

A property manager or board may ask for proof of coverage before work begins on common property. AJ Painting is licensed and insured, so a certificate of insurance can be sent to the manager or board. A written estimate that breaks out unit and common-area work makes it easier for an association to approve the budget and assign costs.