7 Best Painters & Decorators in Saint Paul for 2026
🖌️ 7 businesses·📍 Saint Paul, MN
✓ Verified Google reviews·✓ Reviewed regularly·✓ Updated June 5, 2026
Written by Mark Reid,
Home Services Editor ·Verified June 5, 2026
Saint Paul's housing stock is genuinely unique in the Twin Cities. The city is packed with late-19th and early-20th century Craftsman bungalows, Victorian-era two-stories in neighborhoods like Summit Hill and Dayton's Bluff, and brick-clad duplexes throughout the Midway corridor. Older homes here often mean original plaster walls, lead-based paint in pre-1978 layers, and woodwork with intricate profiles that need careful prep before a brush even touches them. Exterior work in Saint Paul also has to contend with real Minnesota winters. Paint that isn't suited to temperature swings from -20°F to 90°F won't last. Local painters who work here regularly know to use elastomeric or 100% acrylic latex formulas for exteriors and to schedule outdoor work carefully around the spring and fall windows when humidity and temps sit in the right range. That local knowledge matters a lot more than it might somewhere with a milder climate.
Every business on this page was drawn from third-party public business listings and ranked by public review rating and review count, with a small lift applied to businesses that show a working website and a phone number. That ranking process is what determines the order you see. Before a business makes it onto the page, we check its homepage to confirm that painting and decorating work is what it primarily offers. That check is how unrelated trades and general contractors who only dabble in painting get filtered out. Any listing flagged as permanently closed is removed automatically. A handful of businesses on this page carry a Trust Verified badge. That badge means the business has additionally passed our full verification, which covers trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. You can see exactly what that process involves on our How We Verify page. Businesses without the badge have not been independently verified by us, and you should carry out your own checks before booking.
When you're getting quotes from painters in Saint Paul, ask each contractor specifically how they handle lead paint. Homes built before 1978 are everywhere in this city, and EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) certification is required by federal law for work that disturbs lead paint in pre-1978 residential properties. Ask to see that certification, not just take it on faith. Get at least two or three written quotes, and make sure each one breaks down labor, materials, and the number of coats separately so you're comparing like for like. Ask about surface prep in detail because cutting corners on prep is how paint fails early, especially on Saint Paul's older plaster and wood-siding homes. Confirm who's responsible for furniture moving and cleanup, and get the payment schedule in writing before any work starts.
How We Select & Rate The Best Painters & Decorators in Saint Paul, MN
Rankings on this page are driven by public review rating and review count pulled from third-party business listings, with a small lift for businesses that have a working website and phone number. Before any business is listed, we check its homepage to confirm that painting and decorating is what it primarily offers, which keeps unrelated trades off the page. Permanently-closed listings are removed automatically. Businesses marked Trust Verified have additionally passed our full verification covering qualifications, insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. See our How We Verify page for the full list. Other businesses here have not been independently verified by us, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Always do your own checks before hiring.
Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Quick Comparison — Painters & Decorators in Saint Paul, MN
Homeowners and businesses across Saint Paul turn to Indy Painting for interior and exterior painting work. With a 4.9-star rating across more than 200 reviews, the company has built a consistent record among local clients. Services cover residential and commercial properties throughout the area.
Ojeda Drywall & Painting is a Saint Paul contractor specializing in drywall installation, repair, and interior painting. With a 5-star rating across 113 Google reviews, the business has built a consistent record in residential and commercial work across the east side. Clients in the 55106 area and surrounding neighborhoods turn to Ojeda for reliable finish work at a reasonable price.
Residential and commercial painting services covering Saint Paul and the surrounding metro area, Durahome Painting Plus holds a 4.8-star rating across 132 Google reviews. The company handles interior and exterior work, with a focus on clean preparation and consistent finish quality. Neighbors in the 55104 zip code and beyond have made it a repeat choice for repaint projects and new construction alike.
Residential interior painting is the core focus at New Interiors Painting, a Saint Paul outfit serving the 55104 area and surrounding neighborhoods. The company holds a 5-star rating across 28 Google reviews, a consistent record for a small local operation. Clients looking for straightforward, well-executed interior work will find a no-frills option here.
Real Painters LLC is a painting contractor serving Saint Paul, handling interior and exterior work for residential and commercial clients. The company holds a perfect 5-star rating across 20 Google reviews, pointing to consistent results on the ground. Homeowners and businesses looking for straightforward, reliable paint work can find more detail at realpaintersllc.com.
Peterson Professional Painting LLC is a painting contractor serving Saint Paul and the surrounding area. The company handles interior and exterior residential and commercial work, and carries a perfect five-star rating across its Google reviews. Locals in the 55106 area and neighboring zip codes can reach the team through petersonpropainting.com.
Interior and exterior painting for residential properties in Saint Paul, Foster Finishes LLC holds a 4.6-star rating across customer reviews. The company focuses on surface preparation and color application, covering everything from single rooms to full exterior repaints. Eight verified reviews reflect consistent work across the neighborhoods it serves.
Transparency notice: Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. All other listings are ranked by a combined score drawn from ratings and review counts published on third-party business listings, plus basic completeness signals such as a working website and phone. A Trust Verified badge means we have independently checked that business's documents; businesses without it have not been independently verified by us. How we verify →
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How much does a painter or decorator cost in Saint Paul?
For interior painting, most Saint Paul painters charge somewhere between $2 and $4 per square foot for walls, though intricate trim work, vaulted ceilings, or detailed woodwork on older Craftsman homes can push that higher. A full interior repaint of an average three-bedroom house typically runs $3,000 to $6,500 depending on the condition of the walls and how much prep is needed. Exterior painting varies more widely. A single-story home might come in around $2,500 to $4,500, while a two-story Victorian with a lot of decorative trim can easily reach $7,000 to $10,000 or more. If there's lead paint involved, expect an additional charge for proper containment and disposal. Getting two or three quotes is a smart move because pricing approaches vary quite a bit across local contractors.
Do painters in Saint Paul need to be certified to work on older homes?
Yes, and this is a real issue in Saint Paul given how many homes predate 1978. Federal EPA rules require contractors to hold RRP (Renovation, Repair, and Painting) certification when disturbing paint in pre-1978 homes, child-care facilities, or schools. This isn't optional or just a recommendation. Ask any painter you're considering to show you their RRP certification before work starts. Minnesota also has its own contractor licensing requirements through the Department of Labor and Industry. A residential painting contractor working in Saint Paul should hold a valid state license. You can verify contractor licenses through the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's online lookup tool.
What's the best time of year to paint a house exterior in Saint Paul?
Late May through early October is the practical window for exterior painting in Saint Paul. Most paint manufacturers specify that application temperatures should be consistently above 50°F, and Saint Paul's springs can stay cold and wet well into April. Fall work is possible but you need to be careful because temperatures drop fast. High humidity is another issue. Painting right after rain or on a very humid day leads to poor adhesion and longer dry times. A good local painter will check both temperature and humidity forecasts before scheduling outdoor work, and they'll be upfront about whether conditions are right rather than pushing to start regardless.
How long does interior painting typically take for a house in Saint Paul?
For a standard three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, most interior painting jobs run three to five days from prep through final coat. That timeline gets longer if there's significant wall repair needed, which is common in older Saint Paul homes with plaster walls that have settled cracks or water damage. Homes with a lot of built-in woodwork, like the built-ins you see in Summit-University bungalows, add time too because trim work is slower than open walls. If you're having ceilings done as well, add at least a day. Ask each contractor for a clear schedule upfront, including how many crew members will be on-site, so you know what disruption to expect.
What paint brands and products do Saint Paul painters typically recommend for older homes?
For interior walls in older plaster-walled Saint Paul homes, most experienced painters favor high-hide formulas from brands like Benjamin Moore (Aura or Regal Select) or Sherwin-Williams (Emerald or SuperPaint) because they cover well over imperfect surfaces and hold up to scrubbing. For exteriors, 100% acrylic latex is the standard choice for wood siding because it handles Minnesota's freeze-thaw cycles better than oil-based formulas. Some painters use Duration or Resilience from Sherwin-Williams for exteriors specifically because of their flexibility in cold temps. If you have a period home and care about authenticity, ask about historically appropriate palettes. Some Saint Paul painters who specialize in Victorian-era homes keep period color guides on hand.
How do I choose between painters in Saint Paul and know I'm picking a reliable one?
Start by checking that the contractor holds a valid Minnesota residential contractor or remodeler license through the Department of Labor and Industry's online database. That takes about two minutes and it's worth doing. Ask for proof of general liability insurance and, ideally, workers' comp coverage. Without those, you could be on the hook if something goes wrong on your property. Ask for two or three references from jobs similar to yours, specifically homes of a similar age or style, and actually call them. Look at public reviews across more than one platform, and pay attention to how the contractor responds to negative reviews as much as the reviews themselves. Get everything in writing before work starts: scope of work, paint brands and sheen levels, number of coats, prep steps, payment schedule, and who handles cleanup. A contractor who's reluctant to put details in writing is a red flag.
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