Value House Painting

One city, many eras

Shavano Park is not one vintage of house

People assume a small incorporated city means one build era. Shavano Park does not work that way. Of the 1,422 housing units here, the biggest single build decade is the 2000s at 29.8 percent, then the 1990s at 17.5 percent and the 1970s at 14.6 percent. Only 5.5 percent went up in the 1950s, the decade the city incorporated.

A pre 1956 acreage house and a 2005 villa need different prep, so the bid starts with what is actually on the walls.

Two story home with tan siding, black shutters, brick and a double garage door under a clear sky

What we look at

What we look at on a Shavano Park house

Six things shape the scope here, and the review layer is not the one most owners expect.

Side elevation of a house after repainting, with siding, trim and downspout recoated

Eight Neighborhoods, Eight Different Eras

The city names eight neighborhoods and they were built decades apart. Old Shavano Park East predates the 1956 incorporation, with some lots approaching five acres. Old Shavano Park West and Shavano Park Estates both went in during the 1970s, on 0.7 acre and 1 acre minimums. Shavano Creek was annexed in 2000. Bentley Manor, annexed in 1999 before it was built, holds 323 homes across The Cottage Estates, The Garden Villas and The Estates. De Zavala Estates is 8 gated homes on 2 to 6 acre lots. Huntington is gated, and Willow Wood is 93 custom homes on 49 acres.

Painter on an extension ladder working on a white two story house with grey shutters, drop cloths spread on the ground

Masonry Minimums and Where the Paint Actually Is

City ordinance section 6-90 sets masonry minimums by zoning district: 60 percent in A-1, 75 percent across A-2 through A-5 PUD, and 90 percent in the Cottage Estates district. Permastone or asbestos shingles, concrete and cinder block, and metal exterior wall coverings are not acceptable. So most of your wall area is rock, brick or stucco, and the paint lives in fascia, soffits, eaves, window and door trim, garage doors, shutters and the non masonry balance. That is a different job from a whole wall repaint.

Your Association Matters More Than City Hall

There is no city color palette and no municipal architectural review board for existing houses. Section 6-89 on exterior architectural features applies only to new structures, and the only color language in the building chapter is about fences. The review layer is per neighborhood instead. Shavano Park Estates has no homeowners association at all, so a repaint there needs neither a permit nor a committee sign off. Bentley Manor, Shavano Creek, De Zavala Estates, Willow Wood and Huntington do have associations. Check which pocket you are in before you settle on a color.

Deep Clay, and Why We Spend Time on Caulk

The USDA soil survey maps this ground as Lewisville silty clay on 1 to 3 percent slopes, about 46 percent clay at the surface, highly calcareous, high shrink swell, and deep with no bedrock restriction to 69 inches. Clay that deep with no rock to bear on moves with the seasons, so the same cracks reopen at masonry control joints, at mitre joints in trim, and where stucco meets brick. We treat caulk and joint prep as real work, not a last step, and the lime content is why we also watch for efflorescence on masonry coatings.

Oak Trimming Windows and Ladder Access

The city publishes Oak Tree Trimming Guidelines, requires commercial tree trimming contractors to register with the city, and restricts trimming to two windows, 1 December through 31 January and 1 July through 30 September. Cuts must be painted no later than half an hour after they are made, and Shavano Park holds Tree City USA recognition. For a painting crew that is scheduling. If a limb has to come off for ladder or lift access, that cut is not available February through June or October through November, so canopy blocked elevations get planned into the open windows.

Prep, Protection and the Work Inside

Inside the house the method is the same. We cover and protect flooring, furnishings and fixtures, pull switch and outlet covers, make the agreed ceiling and wall repairs, then match orange peel, knockdown, hand texture or smooth finishes so a patch reads as part of the wall. Cabinets are degreased, sanded and primed. Popcorn texture and old wallpaper come off, get retextured, then painted.

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.

Book My Free Walk Through Call (210) 445-1060

Where the permit line sits

No permit to repaint, but watch the 20 percent line

Code section 6-39(c) lists the work that needs no permit, and painting is first on it, along with wallpapering, floor covering and guttering. The same list exempts replacing rotten wood only when less than 20 percent of exterior surfaces are involved. Cross that line and a permit is required.

On an older exterior with soft fascia and eaves it arrives sooner than owners expect, so we scope the rot honestly at the bid instead of finding it halfway through, and we tell you if it is heading toward permit territory.

Get My Free Estimate Call (210) 445-1060

Why Shavano Park homeowners call us

The person who scopes the rot is answerable for it

Michael Hernandez owns this company and he is the one who comes out to walk your project with you, so the person who scopes the wood rot is the person answerable for it. Crew leaders inspect the work as it goes.

Every project is backed by a 2 year written transferable warranty of quality and $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and we have completed a commercial lobby project here in Shavano Park.

Get My Free Estimate More about Michael and the crew
2 Year Written Warranty
Of quality, and it transfers to the next owner.
$1,000,000 Coverage
Liability insurance carried on every project.
Painting Since 2003
A locally owned San Antonio small business.
4.8 Stars on Google
Plus 100+ recommendations on Nextdoor.

In their words

What our clients say

They did excellent work for a fair price and got it done quickly. This is by far the best contracting experience I have had in years.
Allison R., Castle Hills Forest
We just used Michael Hernandez with Value House Painting. His crew is great and pays attention to details!
Katie B., Hidden Forest
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.
Donnie and Ruby Couser

What we do here

House painting services in Shavano Park

We handle interior painting and exterior painting for Shavano Park homes, commercial painting for offices and lobbies, and we take on cabinet painting and refinishing or popcorn ceiling removal as standalone jobs. Everything we do is listed on the Value House Painting home page, and you can tell us about your project whenever you are ready.

The oak rules shift from city to city out here. Hollywood Park and Hill Country Village both allow oak trimming across one long window, 1 July through 31 January, while Shavano Park splits it into two shorter ones. If a limb has to come off for access, that calendar decides which elevation goes first.

Front elevation of a house after repainting, with recoated siding, trim and entry door

Exterior, Trim and Fascia

Fascia, soffits, eaves, window and door trim, garage doors, shutters and the non masonry wall area, with wood rot scoped up front and caulk and joints prepped before any coating goes on.

See the prep that makes it last
Octagonal tray ceiling with white crown molding, olive and tan walls and a wrought iron chandelier

Interior, Cabinets and Ceilings

A full interior repaint or a single room, cabinets degreased, sanded and primed, popcorn texture removed and drywall repaired with the texture matched so the patches disappear.

See what happens before the color
Living room with a high ceiling and arched openings, leather furniture, hardwood floor and French doors

Stucco, Wood Rot and Siding

Stucco repair, wood rot and siding replacement, crown molding and trim, wallpaper removal, and deck and fence sealing, with color consultation if you want a second opinion on the palette.

Get the repairs written into the bid

Straight answers

Shavano Park painting questions

Do I need a permit to repaint my house in Shavano Park?

No. Shavano Park code section 6-39(c) lists the work that requires no permit and painting is the first item on it, along with wallpapering, floor covering and guttering. There is also no city color palette and no municipal architectural review board for existing houses, so nobody at City Hall has to sign off on your color.

What happens if you find wood rot?

We scope it at the bid and put the number in writing. Section 6-39(c) exempts replacing rotten wood only when less than 20 percent of exterior surfaces are involved, so once the rot passes that threshold a permit is required. On older fascia, soffits and eaves that line arrives sooner than owners expect. We would rather tell you at the estimate than halfway through the job.

Does my HOA need to approve the color?

That depends on which neighborhood you are in, because the review layer here is per neighborhood rather than citywide. Shavano Park Estates has no homeowners association at all. Bentley Manor, Shavano Creek, De Zavala Estates, Willow Wood and Huntington do have associations. Check with yours before you settle on a color, and we will work to whatever they ask for.

Why do the same cracks keep coming back?

The soil. The USDA survey maps Lewisville silty clay here, roughly 46 percent clay at the surface, high shrink swell, and deep enough that there is no bedrock restriction to 69 inches. Clay that deep with no rock under it moves seasonally, so cracks reopen at masonry control joints, at mitre joints in trim and where stucco meets brick. Careful caulk and joint prep is what buys you time, which is why we spend real hours on it.

When can you trim the oak blocking the wall?

The city restricts oak trimming to two windows, 1 December through 31 January and 1 July through 30 September, requires commercial tree trimming contractors to register, and requires cuts to be painted no later than half an hour after they are made. If a limb has to come off for ladder or lift access, we plan that elevation into one of those windows.

Who does house painting in Shavano Park?

Value House Painting, owned by Michael Hernandez, has painted San Antonio homes and businesses since 2003. We are locally owned, carry $1,000,000 in liability insurance on every project, and back the work with a 2 year written transferable warranty of quality. Call (210) 445-1060 or email michael@valuehousepainting.com for a free estimate.

Value you can count on

Get a free painting estimate in Shavano Park

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.

Get My Shavano Park Estimate Call (210) 445-1060
  • 4.8 Rated on Google
  • 2 yearWritten warranty
  • Since 2003Locally owned
Living room with a tray ceiling, a white mantel with a black granite surround, arched plantation shutters, a brown leather sectional and a hardwood floor
Single story stucco home with a limestone arched entry, a dark wood front door, arched windows and landscaped beds

Free written bid

Call (210) 445-1060 Free Estimate