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Mill Valley House Painters
McCarthy Painting was founded in Mill Valley in 1969 — and over 55 years later, we're still painting these unique homes for the families who live in them. Family-owned, locally rooted, and trusted by generations of Mill Valley homeowners for interior, exterior, and specialty residential painting.
The Frustrations of Hiring a Painter for Your Mill Valley Home
Mill Valley homeowners hiring a painter face the same frustrations again and again. If any of these sound familiar, McCarthy Painting was built to solve exactly these problems.
Painters who don't understand how to work with stucco, cedar shingles, redwood, and ship-lap siding — often combined on a single Mill Valley home
Contractors who damage delicate redwood detailing, original lath-and-plaster walls, or open beam ceilings during prep work
Generic chains that use the wrong paint for Mill Valley's coastal microclimate — leading to early failure on exposed exterior surfaces
Painters who treat your $2M+ home like a tract house, with shortcuts in surface prep, color matching, and finish quality
Companies that show up late, leave job sites a mess in your yard, and disappear once the deposit is paid
Crews that don't carry the proper insurance and licensing for working in your home and around your family
McCarthy Painting solves all of this. We've been painting Mill Valley homes for over 55 years. We know the siding, the climate, the architecture, and the standards Mill Valley homeowners expect. We're licensed, fully insured, EPA Lead-Safe Certified, and we leave your home and yard cleaner than we found them.
Trusted by Marin County's Most Recognized Names
When North Bay enterprise leaders need painting, they call McCarthy. So do Mill Valley homeowners who expect that same level of professionalism on their own homes.








Why Mill Valley Homeowners Trust McCarthy Painting
Six reasons Mill Valley homeowners keep calling us back — generation after generation.
Mill Valley Specialists Since 1969
McCarthy Painting was founded in Mill Valley. We know these homes — the cedar shingle exteriors, the redwood detailing, the open beam ceilings, the lath-and-plaster interiors that need a careful hand. No franchise. No national chain.
Family-Owned for Three Generations
Founded by Fred McCarthy. Now led by his nephew Greg Owens, who's been with the company since 1990. We're invested in this community and this business, not in maximizing one-off jobs.
Specialty Siding Expertise
Stucco needs elastomeric. Cedar and redwood shingles need transparent wood preservatives that enhance the natural grain. Ship-lap and clapboard each have their own prep needs. We know the difference, and we apply the right product to the right surface every time.
Premium Paint Partner
We work hand-in-hand with Tamalpais Paint & Color, Marin's most respected paint vendor, with locations in Mill Valley and Corte Madera. That means access to the highest-quality Benjamin Moore, C-2, and Pratt & Lambert finishes — and the local product knowledge to match.
Detail-Oriented Craftsmanship
We don't hose off the dirt and call it done. We address surface contaminants — moss, mildew, moisture, lime deposits, efflorescence — that cause early paint failure. We prep right so the finish lasts.
Licensed, Insured & Lead-Safe Certified
Fully licensed with the California Contractors State License Board. Carrying general liability and workers' comp on every residential job. EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm (NAT-59414-1) — important for older Mill Valley homes that may contain lead-based paint.
Independently Recognized for Quality & Excellence
Yelp Top 10 — Marin County Painters
Independently ranked among the top 10 painting companies in Marin County based on review volume, quality, and customer satisfaction scores.
Expertise.com — Top 15 Marin County Painters
Verified and ranked by Expertise.com for quality of work, reputation, professionalism, and range of services — evaluated against dozens of competitors.
Pacific Sun Best of Marin Award
Voted best painting contractor by Marin County readers in the Pacific Sun's annual Best of Marin competition — a testament to our community reputation.
From Mill Valley Homes to Award-Winning Bay Area Facilities
Real projects. Real results. Real relationships — built over generations of Marin County painting.
Autodesk — North Bay Campus
McCarthy Painting has maintained a continuous painting relationship with Autodesk across their North Bay facilities for over two decades — local enterprise credibility built one project at a time. We carry key card access, handle after-hours requests, and function as a true facility partner.
Mill Valley Cedar Shingle Repaint
A representative Mill Valley exterior repaint — cedar shingle staining with transparent wood preservatives, redwood trim detailing, and stucco-section elastomeric coating. Project photo and homeowner story coming soon. Want to be our next case study? Get in touch.
BioMarin Pharmaceutical
BioMarin's San Rafael headquarters — a Marin County pharmaceutical leader — requires strict air quality standards and specialty low-VOC coatings. McCarthy Painting has delivered interior painting services with appropriate paint selection, preparation protocols, and scheduling to maintain a safe, compliant environment for pharmaceutical research and manufacturing staff. Local roots, enterprise standards.
Painting Projects Across Mill Valley & Marin County
A selection of painting projects delivered by McCarthy Painting across Mill Valley, Marin County, and the wider Bay Area.





Real Reviews from Real Mill Valley Homeowners
Don't take our word for it. Here's what Mill Valley and Marin County homeowners say about working with McCarthy Painting.
"The painters did an excellent and thorough job, courteous of our living space."
"A BIG shout out for excellent work quality and overall great experience on the exterior painting of our home."
"We've had McCarthy to our house for 3 different jobs in the last 10 years (interior and exterior) and are always happy with the results."
McCarthy did a great job on our kitchen. Gino and Carlos were terrific, and paid a lot of attention to detail. Gino is an excellent communicator, very friendly, and knowledgeable. Our cabinets look better than brand new. They spent the time to get all the details just right -- all the doors perfectly aligned, and touch--ups on the walls. We were so impressed that we will definitely go back to McCarthy when we paint the rest of the house. The price was also very reasonable--quotes we got from others were higher. We highly recommend McCarthy.
Miguel and Griselda did a great job and I would be happy to recommend them.
McCarthy Painting was so professional and easy to work with. They were very quick to schedule an estimate. Robbie came by and sent written estimates for review, and Mariah made scheduling our project so easy. As for the painting (ceiling, walls, trim, and shutters), Cristian and Bryan were excellent. They were efficient, very respectful (making sure to use shoe-covers and taking really good care of covering our furniture), and the quality of the painting was top-notch. I will be using them again.
The McCarthy teams that we used for our decks were wonderful. This was a bear of a project given the amount of decking we have and all of it was done so well by both the carpentry team and the finishing team. A huge shout out to Federico and Edwin who repaired the decking and to Moises and Paula who worked tirelessly on the pressure washing, sanding, and staining of it all.
It was a pleasure working with the McCarthy team to get the exterior of our house painted. From Robbie whose estimate was right on to Mariah who answered my many questions and made scheduling a breeze, to our painters Gino and Carlos who were always on time, quiet, did a great job painting and excellent clean up. They were also professional, but very personable as well. When we need interior painting we will certainly call on McCarthy Painting Co. again.
Nelson and Juan Carlos did a fantastic job on my bathroom and front door. I couldn't be happier. They were on time, courteous, and professional, and the work was above and beyond what I expected. Highly recommend McCarthy Painting!
Gricelda and Miguel just finished painting the exterior of our house. I cannot imagine a better job or more delightful people to be around. They were very careful of the plants around the house (which made their job much more difficult than it should have been). Greg, the owner, planned everything perfectly which made the business end of it very easy.
Cristian and Brian did an amazing job refinishing our 2 decks, steps, railings and entryway. My husband and I are so pleased with how everything turned out. Absolutely beautiful. We weren't sure what color stain to go with. The guys provided 4 color samples after the sanding. We asked for their opinion which is what we went with. The finished product is spectacular!!!
Cristian and Brian are consummate professionals and love their work.
What a great team. Thank you
Miguel and Gricelda were excellent. Extremely professional, fast, and did a great job. I have steel frame deck rails that were rusting and needed to be sanded down and then primed/painted. It was a labor intensive job and they accomplished it in under 3 days of work. The deck rails look brand new again. Also, thanks to Robbie for his quick and reasonable quote and supervision of the work. Will definitely use them again!
McCarthy is a really great team to work with all around. Greg gave me different ideas as we talked through the job, outlining options & costs & trade offs. Once we settled on the job, the team was proactive in getting it scheduled. Them my team, William & Eric, came and were absolutely the best! They never bothered me, were professional & clean, had lots of input when I asked questions, and were so patient with me! Even when we tried like 5 paints out before settling on the final one. They were such a delight to have at my home I was almost sad when they finished. And the quality is top level- they really spent time on every detail. My home has been transformed thanks to them! They did my full exterior, including all the eves, porch & front door. Plus stained my walkways and more. Totally recommend this local crew!!
Had a great overall experience with McCarthy Painting for both exterior and interior work on my multistory home for which they arranged scaffolding. Received a prompt reply and very reasonable quote from Robbie. Mariah was quickly responsive to all questions and concerns regarding scheduling. Had a great experience with painters Nelson Cox and Edolfo, who were punctual, conscientious, friendly, polite, and professional. I was very impressed with Nelson's communication skills, attention to detail, and it was apparent that he took tremendous pride in doing excellent work. I was pleased with the final results and would highly recommend McCarthy Painting.
I received a prompt reply to an unusual request for service. The banking client that I was coordinating this work for commented on how impressed they were with McCarthy, which made me look good
I had my house painted by McCarthy. Robbie did the estimate, and Cristian and Gabriel did the work. I had several estimates from other painting companies. Robbie was the only one that tested the existing paint for lead, and it tested positive (not surprising for 50 year old paint). Robbie explained how the would thoroughly tarp all the ground around my 2-story house, and safely dispose of the lead paint chips. At one point a neighbor complained to the County, and work was halted. I received a call from the owner of McCarthy Painting to explain the situation. I think due to McCarthy’s reputation, the County swiftly allowed work to continue. I was very impressed to get the call for, the owner — that’s how you run a class act and get repeat customers.Cristian and Gabriel were both excellent. Cristian is on the most professional tradesmen I have ever met (and Gabriel great, too). Cristian went beyond all of expectations. He showed total respect to the house, treating it as if it were his own. He also did a number of carpentry repairs that turned out great! McCarthy is not the cheapest painting company, but I feel they give excellent value. I’m very happy! Thank all of you at McCarthy (including Mariah who schedules the jobs, etc.)
We would highly recommend McCarthy Painting! Greg was so communicative during our 6 wk exterior project. At times issues came up with our 50 year old home. Greg and the team were able to repair and correct to the point where the entire home looks new! Nelson and Moises were especially great at replacing or repairing damaged wood and shingles during the week of prep work. It was a one stop shop! Moises fine tuned during the rest of the project. He and Paola were so professional in their painting, daily clean up and consideration of keeping the gate closed for our pets. They were so easy to have around. Prior to the exterior work Juan and Moises did a week of interior work around the new windows and other trim. Beautiful job and they were quiet and considerate of our space. A real 5-star company!
Jorge and Edwin were amazing painters. Looked after all the details. Took care of everything we asked for. Courteous, professional, beautiful work! We love McCarthy!
Miguel and Gricelda and the entire team were great to work with! They repainted almost all of our interior of our home, including lime washing our nursery. I would recommend and would want Miguel and Gricelda to complete any future work!
Moises and Abner from McCarthy Painting did a fantastic job painting our house in July. Attention to detail, carefulness with our property, friendliness, and good communication helped make this project a really good experience for us. We’re happy! Mariah and Robbie were also very responsive and great to work with. We plan to call on McCarthy Painting again.
Serving Mill Valley & Southern Marin for Over 55 Years
McCarthy Painting was founded in Mill Valley in 1969 and has remained Marin County's family-owned painting contractor ever since. We know these homes, these neighborhoods, and the families who live in them.
- ✓ Mill Valley
- ✓ Tam Valley
- ✓ Strawberry / Almonte
- ✓ Tiburon & Belvedere
- ✓ Sausalito
- ✓ Corte Madera & Larkspur
Ready to Work with Mill Valley's Most Trusted House Painters?
Most estimates are scheduled within the same week. We'll visit your Mill Valley home, assess the full scope, answer your questions, and provide a detailed written proposal — no pressure, no obligation.
We serve Mill Valley, Tam Valley, Strawberry, Almonte, Tiburon, Belvedere, Sausalito, Corte Madera, and Larkspur — and the wider Marin County and Bay Area.
📍 126 Front Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
📞 415-383-2640Request a Free Estimate
We'll respond within 1 business day. No obligation, no pressure.


