Buffalo receives more snowfall than nearly any other major American city, with lake-effect snow off Lake Erie routinely dumping several feet in a single storm. That concentrated moisture exposure, combined with temperatures that dip well below zero in January and February, creates a punishing cycle for exterior paint on Buffalo’s older wood-framed housing. Many of the city’s residential neighborhoods, from the historic Elmwood Village to the working-class streets of South Buffalo, contain homes built between 1890 and 1940 that require skilled prep work, including back-priming of exposed wood edges and thorough caulking of window and door frames, to achieve paint jobs that survive more than one or two winters without peeling.
Buffalo homeowners tend to be highly practical about exterior painting, understanding that the city’s winters will test any coating applied during the brief warm season. The most trusted local contractors are those who schedule exterior work tightly within the May through October window and invest preparation time in proportion to the severity of what the paint will face. Interior work, meanwhile, is a year-round business in Buffalo, driven by the steady market for home renovation in a city with significant older housing stock.
Braendel Painting and Services
Founded: 1973
Address: 2234 Niagara Falls Blvd, Tonawanda, NY 14150
Phone: (716) 845-5544
Website: https://www.braendelbuffalo.com
Services: Residential and commercial painting, wallpaper removal and installation, vinyl and aluminum siding refinishing, exterior pressure washing, caulking, stucco and texture painting, window glazing, deck restoration, office remodeling, garages, basement remodels, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, doors, windows, carpentry, concrete floor coatings
Products Used: Not specified
Braendel Painting has operated in the Buffalo area since 1973 when Dennis C. Braendel started the business with a single used truck and a step ladder. The company has expanded over the decades and now employs over 20 painters and operates ten vans out of the Buffalo branch alone, with a particular specialty in historic renovation work. Their senior citizen discount program and strict no-smoking crew policy reflect a long-standing attention to client experience. They offer free estimates on exterior painting.
PDQ Painting
Founded: 1985
Address: 86 Linden Ave, Buffalo, NY 14214
Phone: (716) 662-2572
Website: https://www.pdqpaintinginc.com
Services: Interior and exterior residential painting, commercial and light industrial painting, wallpapering, deck restoration and staining, pressure washing, color design and consultation, retail and office painting, restaurant and storefront painting, exterior block painting, annual repaint service
Products Used: Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams
PDQ Painting has operated continuously in Buffalo since 1985 as an owner-operated, EPA-certified contractor using only Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams premium paints. Owner Steve Ferrino has built the company’s reputation on detailed work with minimal disruption to daily life, a priority that resonates with Buffalo homeowners who live in their homes during projects. The company’s commercial division handles banks, offices, restaurants, and retail spaces in addition to residential work, and they offer an annual repaint service specifically designed for retail businesses that need to maintain fresh interiors on a regular schedule.
Paint of WNY
Founded: 2003
Address: 2205 Hopkins Rd, Getzville, NY 14068
Phone: (716) 863-1115
Website: https://www.paintofwny.com
Services: Interior and exterior painting, commercial painting, surface repairs, floor coatings, wallpaper removal, exterior waterproofing, trim installation, industrial painting, drywall knockdown texture, cabinet painting, masonry protection
Products Used: Not specified
Mike Giordano founded Paint of WNY in the summer of 2003 while completing a business degree at SUNY Buffalo, growing the company from a one-person operation into a staff of 16 to 20 full-time painters and a fleet of six vans. OSHA and EPA certified, the company is also an affiliate of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America and carries $1 million in general liability insurance with full workers’ compensation coverage. Their exterior waterproofing service is particularly relevant in Buffalo, where water infiltration through masonry and wood surfaces is a recurring issue driven by the city’s heavy precipitation load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does interior painting cost in Buffalo?
A: Interior painting in Buffalo typically ranges from $2.00 to $4.00 per square foot. A standard room runs between $350 and $800, while a full home interior in a 1,800-square-foot Buffalo home commonly costs between $3,500 and $7,500 depending on ceiling height, condition of plaster or drywall surfaces, and the quantity of trim, door, and window work included. Homes with original plaster walls from the early 20th century often require additional prep pricing.
Q: When is the best time to paint the exterior of a home in Buffalo?
A: The practical window for exterior painting in Buffalo is late May through early October, with June through August being the most reliable months. Temperatures must stay above 50 degrees Fahrenheit during application and for several hours afterward for proper paint curing. Buffalo’s shoulder seasons are unpredictable, with late-season cold snaps possible in September and October that can compromise paint applied to surfaces that drop below the minimum application temperature overnight.
Q: Do Buffalo painters have experience working on historic homes?
A: Yes. Several established Buffalo contractors have decades of experience on the city’s older housing stock, including the Victorian and Arts and Crafts homes common in Delaware District and Elmwood Village. Companies like Braendel Painting have documented experience on historic buildings, including structures on the National Register of Historic Places. Contractors experienced with older Buffalo homes understand how to strip deteriorating paint from millwork, repair rotted wood before priming, and apply coatings that can handle the mechanical stress of Buffalo’s annual freeze-thaw cycle.
Buffalo’s Delaware District, with its grand turn-of-the-century homes along Delaware Avenue and the surrounding streets, represents some of the most architecturally significant residential buildings in upstate New York, and maintaining the painted wood details on these properties, from elaborate cornice brackets to wraparound porch columns, requires painters with specific restoration experience. The combination of age, architectural complexity, and Buffalo’s extreme winters makes these projects some of the most technically demanding residential painting work in the Western New York market.