Commercial Painting Project Timelines: What to Schedule & When

commercial exterior painting cost

The Property Manager’s Guide to Commercial Painting Project Planning

A&K Painting Company helps commercial property managers prepare for their painting projects in this helpful guide. In this blog, you’ll learn:

Commercial painting projects often follow a pattern, which is why it’s critical for property managers to create and follow a quarterly calendar to keep up with their maintenance, repair, and general project needs. Planning a painting project at the wrong interval can get in the way of operational efficiency, productivity, and profitability. By taking the time to craft a quarterly calendar in advance, commercial facility managers can avoid the pitfalls of planning a painting project at the wrong time of year.

Why Does Project Planning Matter?

Planning out your commercial painting needs is critical to the ongoing success of your facility. There are many factors that go into calendarizing your commercial painting projects, including:

  • Seasonality: Beginning a six-month project in August can be incredibly detrimental for your business operations as you shut down during the busiest time of the year. It’s important to plan big projects like these earlier in the year to avoid lost productivity and profit.
  • Budgeting: It’s important to ensure that budgets are planned accordingly through to the mid-year mark. You don’t want to have leftover budget for the end of the year and end up losing it for the following year.
  • Shortages: By planning projects far in advance, you’re able to better prepare for external factors such as paint material shortages and price increases. Otherwise, you could get stuck paying a higher price for projects due to lower product availability and lost negotiating power.

The Complete Commercial Painting Project Timeline

Commercial painting project timelines are fairly cyclical. While there may be some differences across facilities, the following quarterly calendar offers a great starting point for property managers to begin the planning process:

Q1: Jan. – Mar.

During these months, commercial facilities should schedule interior painting projects, including for walls, corridors, office spaces, and common areas such as break rooms or lobbies. While the weather outdoors might not be conducive to exterior painting, it’s a great time of year to focus on interior painting needs. Not only that, but Q1 is often a time for commercial facilities to recover from a busy holiday season. Commercial operations typically slow down after the holiday surge, making it an ideal time for businesses to complete indoor painting projects.

Not only is Q1 a great time to complete indoor painting needs, but it’s also an excellent time to begin planning for the rest of the year and start any large-scale projects. Budgets are typically released during this time, allowing managers to get a better idea of what types of projects they’ll be able to complete.

Q2: Apr. – Jun.

Q2 is a time for commercial property managers to catch up and prepare with their trusted painting contractors. During this time, it’s important to schedule an on-site walkthrough with the contractor to evaluate the building conditions after the winter season. Property managers should remain focused on:

  • Planning for spring and summer projects
  • Budgeting for needed maintenance and painting
  • Planning for material deliveries and storage

With the warmer weather, Q2 is a great opportunity for commercial property owners to plan any projects that were put off due to snow, ice, and other wintry conditions. Long-term projects that take between 3 – 6 months to complete should also be started during this time. This includes painting:

  • Exterior walls
  • Bollards, dock items, shipping/receiving areas
  • Parking areas
  • Accents

Q3: Jul. – Sept.

In Q3, the weather is usually still good enough to continue with any outdoor painting project needs. As these projects come to a close, it’s important for commercial property managers to take this time to budget and plan ahead for the following year with their painting contractors. Be sure to schedule a walkthrough with your contractor so they can help you prepare next year’s project budget and prioritize projects accordingly.

During this time, any last-minute projects and budget that needs to be spent before the end of the year should be scheduled and/or completed. Think about how you can invest in the future of your commercial property by spending the money you saved in Q1 and Q2.

Lastly, with winter weather on the horizon, it’s time to plan for the colder months. Be sure to create a project timeline that allows you and your team to make the most effective use of any time and budget remaining for the year.

Q4: Oct. – Dec.

With the end of the year in clear view, Q4 is a time of year that should be spent wrapping up any last-minute projects that need to be completed. As colder weather settles in and staff is still on-site, this is also a good time to complete light indoor work. However, once the holidays hit and employees have left for winter vacation, it’s a good time to schedule bigger projects, including:

  • Equipment: Give your equipment paint a refresh, complete maintenance needs ahead of the ice and snow, and make necessary repairs.
  • Flooring: Consider using this opportunity to repaint safety markings, add high-impact epoxy, or install new flooring.
  • Interior Walls: Apply a fresh coat of paint, build a new room, or expand your square footage by strategically tearing down walls.

Remember: With colder weather to contend with, you’ll need to keep shutdown projects limited to the interior. Take this opportunity to also ensure your commercial building is prepared for the winter conditions ahead.

Staying on Schedule for Your Commercial Painting Projects

Keeping up with your commercial painting project planning needs is a great way to ensure you’re maximizing your budget and using your time efficiently. By coordinating project needs with business shutdowns, seasonality, and maintenance schedules, you’ll be able to better prepare for your commercial painting needs.

At A&K Painting, our team has years of experience helping commercial property managers plan and budget for their quarterly painting projects. We’ll help ensure your painting projects are completed on-time and on-budget throughout the year, allowing you to more easily prioritize and plan for your facility’s needs. Contact us to schedule a site visit with our commercial painting contractors today.