HomeMonte Vista
A historic district where repainting needs no public hearing
Most bids here get that rule backwards and quote you for a review you do not actually need.
4.8 on Google 100+ recommendations on Nextdoor 2 year written warranty $1,000,000 liability coverage
A designated historic district
City Council designated Monte Vista on 17 July 1975, the city's third local historic district: fourteen subdivisions, roughly 100 blocks bounded by US 281, Hildebrand, San Pedro and Ashby Place.
The citywide Historic Design Guidelines apply, and they care how paint comes off a house, not only what color goes on. That is the part most bids here get wrong.
The part most bids get wrong
All exterior modifications and repairs on a property with a historic zoning overlay require a Certificate of Appropriateness. Repainting is on the administrative, expedited review list, so it is processed without a public hearing.
Unified Development Code section 35-611 covers repainting of wood and painted masonry under Ordinary Repair and Maintenance, and previously painted surfaces in solid colors under Painting, where color selection is generally not reviewed.
Competitor sites still say a color change here needs HDRC approval. Under the code amended by Ordinance 2022-11-03-0831, effective 1 January 2023, that is wrong.
What we settle first
And none of them is the color chip.
Avoid painting historically unpainted surfaces. Paint on bare masonry traps moisture and can cause peeling, sloughing and permanent damage. Bare masonry is not eligible for fast track administrative approval and would need HDRC review.
Sand blasting and water blasting should never be used to remove paint from any surface, and you sand only to the next sound level of paint, not all the way to the wood. We scrape and sand by hand.
Windows built before 1940 are old growth, more resistant to rot and warping than modern lumber, and they outlast modern replacements. They are built to be repaired, and keeping them painted significantly reduces deterioration.
The citywide Historic Design Guidelines apply, and they care how paint comes off a house, not only what color goes on. That is the part most bids here get wrong.
Tell us what you are thinking about painting and Michael will come out, walk it with you and put a detailed bid in writing. No charge, no pressure. Every project carries a 2 year written warranty and $1,000,000 in liability coverage.
Monte Vista, on the record
Pre 1978 housing
In the district core 54.2 percent of homes were built in 1939 or earlier, so the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies. It bans open flame burning and requires HEPA attachments on sanders, pointing the same way the city does.
We work to lead safe practices on older homes. The guidelines and the dust rules want the same thing on a house this age, which is nobody taking a shortcut with a grinder.
Why Monte Vista owners call us
Michael Hernandez owns this company and walks your project with you. Scraping, bare masonry and windows get settled before anyone opens a can. Call (210) 445-1060 or email michael@valuehousepainting.com.
Every project carries a 2 year written transferable warranty of quality and $1,000,000 in liability insurance. Painting San Antonio homes and businesses since 2003.
In their words
We just used Michael Hernandez with Value House Painting. His crew is great and pays attention to details!
I would like to take a few minutes to thank you for a job well done. The interior painting looks amazing. Your crews that did the work were very professional, courteous and most of all diligent. Michael, you were our first appointment out of three that we made. We just knew that we couldn't move forward with anyone else.
What we do here
Every service below is taken on as a standalone job in Monte Vista, or combined into one scope.
The historic overlay is what makes this neighborhood different. In Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, both separate incorporated cities, the housing is the same era but there is no historic district review and no permit to repaint at all.
Hand scraping and sanding to the next sound level of paint.
See the prep that makes it last
Sash, casing, porch detail and siding on homes from 1890 to the 1930s.
See the prep that makes it last
Walls, ceilings, trim and crown molding, plus drywall and cabinet work.
See what happens before the colorStraight answers
No. That claim is out of date. Under the Unified Development Code as amended by Ordinance 2022-11-03-0831, effective 1 January 2023, repainting a previously painted surface in a solid color is administrative and expedited, with no public hearing, and section 35-611 says color selection is generally not reviewed. A Certificate of Appropriateness is still required, simply the administrative kind.
Yes. Repainting the same color is not exempt. It falls under Ordinary Repair and Maintenance in section 35-611, reviewed administratively, not at a public hearing.
Not a simple yes. The guidelines say to avoid painting historically unpainted surfaces, because paint traps moisture in masonry and can cause peeling and permanent damage. Bare masonry is not eligible for fast track approval and would need HDRC review.
Not at high pressure. The guidelines say to avoid high pressure power washing because it damages historic wood siding, and never sand blast to remove paint.
Assume it might. The district core has a median year built of 1938, before the 1978 ban. The EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies to pre 1978 housing, exempting exterior work under 20 square feet. We work to lead safe practices on older homes.
Value you can count on
Tell us what you are thinking about painting and Michael will come out, walk it with you and put a detailed bid in writing. No charge, no obligation.
Free written bid
