Reno sits at an elevation of roughly 4,500 feet in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada, a geographic position that produces a high desert climate unlike anywhere in the coastal West: hot dry summers, sharp temperature swings between day and night, extended cold winters with occasional hard freezes, and the Washoe Zephyr, a fierce sustained wind that tests every exterior surface in the basin. At that elevation, paint dries differently than it does at sea level, and contractors who apply standard techniques without adjusting for the altitude’s rapid flash-drying conditions often produce finishes that fail prematurely from poor film formation. The Nevada tech boom of the past decade has driven rapid population growth and a surge in new residential construction alongside a busy renovation market in Reno’s established midtown and older southwest neighborhoods.
Reno homeowners look for painters who understand the freeze-thaw cycle’s effect on exterior paint films and who know which elastomeric and acrylic products hold their adhesion through the region’s dramatic temperature range. The growing base of tech workers and relocating California professionals has also pushed demand for high-end interior work, including custom finishes and full cabinet refinishing projects in the newer master-planned subdivisions on Reno’s growing edges.
Heritage Painting LLC
Founded: 2014
Address: 3380 W 7th St, Reno, NV 89503
Phone: (775) 301-3300
Website: https://www.heritagepaintingllc.com
Services: Residential painting, commercial painting, industrial painting, interior painting, exterior painting, patching, mudding, texturing
Products Used: Sherwin-Williams
Owner Michael Baker is a fourth-generation resident of the Truckee Meadows community and a fourth-generation business owner, giving Heritage Painting a depth of local connection that matters when navigating contractor relationships in a market where transient construction companies have come and gone with the boom-bust cycle. The company ranks in the top fifteen percent of licensed Nevada contractors, holds an A+ BBB rating, and maintains a five-star Yelp rating built from Reno and Sparks residential clients who have returned for multiple projects.
Tamara’s Painting Company
Founded: 1993 (in Arizona; Nevada operations ongoing)
Address: Reno, NV 89511
Phone: (775) 852-7888
Website: https://tpcnevada.com
Services: Interior painting, exterior painting, commercial painting, special projects including tanks and conveyors, Painter for a Day service
Products Used: Not specified
Tamara is a third-generation painter whose career began at Culver Movie Studios in California painting sound stages and office buildings, then moved through commercial work on Safeway grocery stores, Sam’s Club locations, and strip malls before she established her Nevada painting contractor license in 1993. That background in specialty commercial projects, including surfaces like conveyors and tanks that most residential painters decline, gives the company a scope of capability unusual for a sole proprietor operation. The “Painter for a Day” service, where a journeyman painter is available for up to eight hours for smaller jobs and touch-up work, fills a gap in the Reno market for clients who need skilled labor without a full project commitment.
Pat Hickey Painting, Inc.
Founded: 1995 (approximately 30 years in business)
Address: 1180 Forest St, Reno, NV 89509
Phone: (775) 329-6993
Website: https://www.pathickeypainting.com
Services: Interior painting, exterior painting, power washing, caulking, color consulting
Products Used: Kelly-Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Reno Paint Mart products
Pat Hickey Painting is a genuine Reno family business: Pat Hickey, a fourth-generation Nevadan whose family came from Ireland in the 1870s, has been serving Northern Nevada homeowners for thirty years alongside co-owner and supervisor John Hickey and business manager Shin Hickey. The company holds accounts with all major Northern Nevada paint suppliers, works with clients on color scheme and sheen selection before each project begins, and brings a thorough prep protocol that includes power washing, caulking, and spot priming before any topcoat goes on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much does interior painting cost in Reno?
A: Interior painting in Reno typically runs between $2 and $4 per square foot. A standard bedroom repaint costs $300 to $600, and full-home interior projects generally range from $3,500 to $9,000 depending on room count, ceiling height, and finish complexity. New construction painting for Reno’s growing subdivisions is often priced per unit or per building by the square foot.
Q: What exterior paint products perform best in Reno’s high desert climate?
A: Premium 100% acrylic exterior paints with UV-blocking formulas are the standard recommendation for Reno homes. Sherwin-Williams and other major brands carry products specifically rated for the temperature extremes and UV intensity of high desert environments. Painters in Reno often use drying extenders to slow flash-dry at elevation, and elastomeric coatings are preferred for any stucco or older masonry surfaces that need to accommodate freeze-thaw movement.
Q: What time of year is best for exterior painting in Reno?
A: Spring and fall are the most reliable seasons for exterior painting in Reno. Summer temperatures can push application conditions outside the optimal range for paint adhesion and leveling, particularly in afternoon hours, while winter freezes below 35 degrees prevent proper film formation entirely. Most Reno contractors carry the heaviest exterior workload between April and June and again from September through October.
Reno’s rapid growth has brought a larger field of painting contractors to the market, but the city’s climate demands experience with altitude-specific application techniques and product selection that not all newcomers have developed. Homeowners who ask specifically about a contractor’s experience with Northern Nevada exteriors and who verify Nevada contractor licensing status are better positioned to find painters who deliver finishes that last through the full range of Truckee Meadows seasons.