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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.
Complete Painting Services for Every Mill Valley Home
From a single room refresh to a full exterior cedar-shingle repaint — McCarthy Painting handles every Mill Valley home with the care it deserves.
Interior House Painting
From single rooms to whole-home interior repaints, we work in occupied homes with complete respect for your space, your family, and your daily routine. We mask carefully, work in sequence, clean up daily, and leave your home spotless when we're done.
- Whole-home interior repaints
- Single-room refreshes
- Kitchen cabinets & built-ins
- Trim, doors & molding
- Lath-and-plaster wall repair & refinishing
- Open beam ceiling restoration
Exterior Painting for Mill Valley Homes
Mill Valley homes face a unique combination of fog, salt air, hillside exposure, and decades of weathering. We specialize in the exterior repaint process for these conditions — including the careful management of cedar shingles, redwood, stucco, and combined siding types that are common in Mill Valley.
- Cedar & redwood shingle staining
- Stucco repaints (elastomeric coatings)
- Ship-lap & clapboard
- Trim, eaves, soffits & detail work
- Power washing & surface preparation
- Hillside & high-access work
Specialty Surface Restoration
Older Mill Valley homes often retain original materials that need expert hands — lath-and-plaster walls with hairline cracks, water-stained open beam ceilings, original redwood paneling. 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 & rot replacement
- Decks, fences & outdoor wood
- Crown molding & trim installation
Mill Valley Commercial Painting
We also serve Mill Valley's downtown businesses, restaurants, and commercial properties with the same craftsmanship and attention to detail. Our commercial work in San Francisco for clients like Autodesk and BioMarin demonstrates our ability to handle complex commercial projects — and we bring that same standard to Mill Valley.
- Storefront repaints
- Restaurant & retail interiors
- Office buildings
- Tenant improvements
- Brand color matching
- Night & weekend scheduling
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.
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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."
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."
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."
Verified Customer Review · 10-Year Repeat Customer
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.