Trusted Marin County Painting Contractor · Since 1969
Marin CountyPainters
McCarthy Painting is a family-owned painting contractor serving Marin County since 1969 — from Sausalito to Novato. We paint residential homes and commercial properties for Marin homeowners, property managers, and businesses with the same craftsmanship for over 55 years.
55+
Years Painting Marin
4.8★
Avg. Rating
95+
Client Reviews
Call for a free estimate
📞 415-383-2640
Interior Repaint · Mill Valley
Cedar Shingle Exterior · Marin
🏢Add Project PhotoExterior Repaint
Stucco Repaint · Marin
🖊️Add Project PhotoWhiteboard Wall
Specialty Detail · Marin
🏬Add Project PhotoRetail / Storefront
Storefront Repaint · San Rafael
Sound Familiar?
The Frustrations of Hiring a Painter in Marin County
Marin County homeowners and business owners 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.
Out-of-area painters who don't understand Marin's mix of stucco, cedar shingle, redwood, and ship-lap siding — often combined on the same property
Crews that show up late, disappear for days, and miss deadlines on time-sensitive Marin commercial and residential jobs
Generic chains using the wrong paint for Marin's coastal microclimate — leading to early failure on exposed exteriors
Contractors who damage delicate redwood detailing, original lath-and-plaster walls, or hardwood floors during prep
Painters without proper Marin licensing, lead-safe certification, or insurance for working in older Marin homes
Companies that treat your $2M+ Marin home — or your downtown San Rafael storefront — like a tract job
McCarthy Painting solves all of this. We've been painting Marin County for over 55 years. We know the homes, the storefronts, the climate, and the standards Marin clients expect. We're CSLB-licensed, fully insured, EPA Lead-Safe Certified, and we leave every site cleaner than we found it.
Clients Across Marin & The Bay Area
Trusted by Marin County's Most Recognized Names
When North Bay enterprise leaders need painting, they call McCarthy. Marin homeowners get the same craftsmanship and professionalism on every residential project.
Autodesk — San Rafael
20-year ongoing relationship at their North Bay campus. Corporate facility painting, interior repaints, specialty work.
Guide Dogs for the Blind
San Rafael multi-building campus. Ongoing painting maintenance for one of Marin's most respected nonprofits.
BioMarin — San Rafael
Marin's pharmaceutical leader. Interior painting with low-VOC specialty coatings for pharmaceutical-grade environments.
By the Bay Health
Marin healthcare facility. Interior painting with low-VOC compliance and patient-area scheduling protocols.
Mill Valley Homeowners
Multi-generational residential clients. Cedar shingle staining, redwood detailing, stucco coordination, lath-and-plaster repair.
San Rafael Storefronts
Downtown San Rafael retail and restaurant repaints. Brand color matching, after-hours scheduling, fast turnaround.
Marin Office Parks
Ongoing repaint contracts for multi-building office properties across San Rafael, Larkspur, and Corte Madera.
Marin Healthcare Facilities
Low-VOC and patient-aware painting for Marin healthcare environments requiring strict air quality standards.
Why McCarthy Painting
Why Marin County Property Owners Trust McCarthy Painting
Six reasons Marin homeowners, property managers, and business owners keep calling us back — generation after generation.
Founded in Marin, Operating From Marin Since 1969
McCarthy Painting was founded in Mill Valley in 1969 and is headquartered in San Rafael. Every estimate is local. Every crew is local. No franchise, no national chain, no out-of-area subcontractors.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.Multi-Surface Specialty Expertise
Marin homes routinely combine three or four siding types on a single property — stucco, cedar shingle, redwood, ship-lap. Each needs different prep, different products, different application. We coordinate the entire surface envelope.Local Paint Vendor Partnership
We work hand-in-hand with Tamalpais Paint & Color, Marin's most respected paint vendor with locations in Mill Valley and Corte Madera. Highest-grade Benjamin Moore, C-2, and Pratt & Lambert finishes.Residential & Commercial Capability
Most Marin painters do one or the other. McCarthy does both — at scale. Whether it's a Mill Valley exterior repaint or an after-hours commercial job at a San Rafael office park, both crews run with the same standard.Licensed, Insured & Lead-Safe Certified
Fully licensed with the CSLB. General liability and workers' comp on every Marin job. EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm (NAT-59414-1) — required for working on Marin homes built before 1978.Recognition & Awards
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.Marin County Painting Services
Complete Painting Services for Every Marin County Property
From a single Mill Valley bedroom to a San Rafael office park — McCarthy Painting handles every Marin project with the care and expertise it deserves.
Interior House Painting
Whole-home interior repaints, single-room refreshes, kitchen cabinets and built-ins, lath-and-plaster repair, and trim work across every Marin community. We work in occupied homes with full respect for your space, your family, and your daily routine. Daily cleanup, furniture protection, phased scheduling.- Whole-home interior repaints
- Single-room refreshes
- Kitchen cabinets & built-ins
- Lath-and-plaster wall repair
- Trim, doors & molding
- Open beam ceiling restoration
McCarthy Painting — Interior House Painting, Marin County
Exterior Painting for Marin Homes
Marin's coastal microclimate, fog exposure, and hillside conditions demand a specific exterior process. We handle cedar and redwood shingle staining, stucco elastomeric coatings, ship-lap, trim and detail work, hillside and high-access work — across every type of Marin home.- Cedar & redwood shingle staining
- Stucco elastomeric coatings
- Ship-lap & clapboard
- Trim, eaves, soffits & detail work
- Power washing & surface prep
- Hillside & high-access work
Commercial Painting in Marin County
Storefront repaints, restaurant and retail interiors, office buildings, tenant improvements, brand color matching, after-hours and night/weekend scheduling. Trusted by Marin enterprise clients including Autodesk, BioMarin, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and By the Bay Health.- Storefront repaints
- Restaurant & retail interiors
- Office buildings & tenant improvements
- Brand color matching
- Night & weekend scheduling
- Multi-building campus work
Specialty Surface Restoration
Older Marin homes often retain original materials that need expert hands — lath-and-plaster walls with hairline cracks, water-stained open beam ceilings, original redwood paneling, weathered decks. We specialize in the careful preparation, repair, and refinishing of these heritage surfaces.- Lath-and-plaster crack repair
- Open beam ceiling restoration
- Redwood paneling refinishing
- Wood repair & dry rot replacement
- Decks, fences & outdoor wood
- Multi-spec wall coatings
McCarthy Painting — Specialty Surface Restoration, Marin County
Marin County Project Results
From Marin Homes to Award-Winning Bay Area Facilities
Real Marin projects. Real results. Real relationships — built over generations of Marin County painting.
Enterprise · San Rafael
Autodesk — North Bay Campus
Relationship Duration
20+ Years
Nonprofit · San Rafael
Guide Dogs for the Blind
Scope
Multi-Building Campus
Pharma · San Rafael HQ
BioMarin Pharmaceutical
Specialty
Low-VOC Compliance
Marin Before & After
Real Marin County Painting Transformations
Real Marin homes. Real results. A selection of recent McCarthy Painting before-and-after transformations across Marin County — from full exterior repaints to interior specialty projects.
What Our Clients Say
Real Reviews from Real Marin Homeowners
Don't take our word for it. Here's what Marin County homeowners say about working with McCarthy Painting.
★★★★★
"The painters did an excellent and thorough job, courteous of our living space."
L
Landon G.Verified Customer Review · Interior Home + Kitchen Cabinets
★★★★★
"A BIG shout out for excellent work quality and overall great experience on the exterior painting of our home."
M
Mia M.Verified Customer Review · Exterior Home Painting
★★★★★
"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."
M
Long-Term Marin ClientVerified Customer Review · 10-Year Repeat Customer
Service Area
Serving All of Marin County 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 — and have for generations.- ✓ Mill Valley & Southern Marin
- ✓ San Rafael & Central Marin
- ✓ Tiburon, Belvedere & Sausalito
- ✓ Larkspur, Corte Madera & Kentfield
- ✓ Novato & Northern Marin
- ✓ Plus the Greater Bay Area
Yes. McCarthy Painting serves every Marin community from Sausalito and Tiburon in Southern Marin to San Rafael, Corte Madera, Fairfax, and Novato in Central and Northern Marin. We've been painting Marin County since 1969 and our crews work the entire county routinely.
Yes. While McCarthy Painting was founded in Marin and remains headquartered in San Rafael, we also serve the wider San Francisco Bay Area — including San Francisco, the Peninsula (Redwood City, Palo Alto, South San Francisco, Foster City, Burlingame, Millbrae), the East Bay (Oakland, Berkeley), and the South Bay (San Jose).
Marin County house painting costs vary based on home size, surface type, prep requirements, and project complexity. Interior repaints typically start at $3–$6 per square foot. Exterior repaints depend on home size, siding type (cedar shingle, stucco, ship-lap), and prep work needed. McCarthy Painting provides detailed, no-obligation written estimates for every Marin project.
Yes. McCarthy Painting runs both residential and commercial divisions with the same standard of craftsmanship. Our commercial clients in Marin include Autodesk, BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Guide Dogs for the Blind, and By the Bay Health. Our residential work spans from Mill Valley to Novato.
Yes. McCarthy Painting is fully licensed with the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and carries comprehensive general liability and workers' compensation insurance. We're also EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm (NAT-59414-1) — required for working on Marin homes built before 1978.
Yes — and this is exactly the multi-surface complexity Marin homes are known for. Each surface needs different prep, different products, different application techniques. We use elastomeric coatings on stucco, transparent wood preservatives on cedar and redwood, and matched finishes on trim. We coordinate the full surface envelope so the finished home reads unified.
Get Started Today
Ready to Work with Marin County's Most Trusted Painting Contractor?
Most estimates are scheduled within the same week. We'll visit your Marin property, assess the full scope, answer your questions, and provide a detailed written proposal — no pressure, no obligation.We serve all of Marin County — Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere, San Rafael, Corte Madera, Larkspur, Kentfield, Ross, Fairfax, Greenbrae, and Novato — plus the wider 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.