Clemente Avalos
Owner, estimates and prep
Walks every building that needs a visit. Checks the trim, taps the ceilings and writes the repair list.
Painters for two-flats and small buildings
Text us three photos of the unit. That is how we start.
Own a two-flat, a three-flat or a few doors? Send the room, the worst wall and the trim to one number. We text back what we need, then set a time to see it or write the estimate from the photos.
How a job starts
The three photos
Taken on your phone, in any light. If one is missing, we ask.
Photo 101The room from the doorway
Stand in the door and get the whole room: walls, ceiling, floor, window. It tells us the size and the ceiling height.
Photo 202The worst wall or ceiling
Peeling, cracked, stained or just tired. Get close. This is where the repair time hides.
Photo 303The trim and the door
Window frame, baseboard, door and knob. Old trim carries layers of paint and decides how much prep a unit needs.
Add the street and which floor in the same text. Nothing else is needed to start.
What we paint
The inside and outside of a small building
Unit repaints
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors in a vacant flat, patched first. Or in a flat where the tenants are home.
Unit repaints
Stairs and halls
The vestibule, stairwell and landings, one flight at a time so everyone can still get in and out.
Stairs and halls
Porches and trim
Back porch decks, railings, steps and window trim, scraped and primed before any paint goes on.
Porches and exteriors
Plaster and ceiling repair
Cracks, stains and loose plaster, fixed and sealed so they stop showing through the new paint.
How a unit repaint works
Between leases
Touch-up turn or full repaint?
Both start with the same three photos. We tell you which one the unit needs, and why.
| The unit | Touch-up turn | Full repaint |
|---|---|---|
| When it fits | Touch-up turnSound walls with scuffs and a few holes | Full repaintDark colors, stains or paint that has aged |
| Walls | Touch-up turnPatch, spot-prime and repaint the worn walls | Full repaintEvery wall, patched and primed |
| Ceilings | Touch-up turnStains and cracks only | Full repaintRolled in the same visit |
| Trim and doors | Touch-up turnTouched up where worn | Full repaintScraped, sanded and repainted |
| Days on site | Touch-up turnUsually one or two | Full repaintUsually two to four, by unit size |
Vacant or occupied
Tenants home? We plan around them.
A turn between leases is simple to schedule. A flat where someone lives takes more care: we cover furniture, keep one path clear, and agree each day's rooms with you in writing so you can tell your tenants.
A one-page notice for tenants, ready to hand out
Floors and furniture covered before any can is opened
The rooms for each day agreed in advance
The firm
A family, and the crew they paint with
Clemente and Pilar own the firm with their children Aura and Julian. Seven more painters work on the crews.
Pilar Avalos
Owner, texts and scheduling
Reads every photo that comes in and texts back. Answers in English or Spanish.
Aura Avalos
Crew lead, units and stairwells
Runs the unit turns and the common stairs. Sends the schedule by text the night before each day. Speaks English and Spanish.
Julian Avalos
Crew lead, porches and exteriors
Runs the porch and exterior jobs, from the first scrape to the last coat.
On the record
On the record, in writing
Registrations and certificates
Business licenseVerify
IL No. 000000 · City of Chicago, Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection
Illinois does not license house painters statewide. This is the firm's city business license; the owner confirms what applies in each town they work in.
Lead-Safe Certified Firm (RRP)Verify
US EPA firm # 000000 · U.S. EPA
Required for paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978.
Insurance
General liability insurance
Amount and policy dates added by the owner
A certificate naming your building goes out with the estimate on request.
Papers for your files
Certificate of insurance
Names your building on request
W-9
For your accountant
Notice to tenants
One page, ready to print
From other landlords
What owners of small buildings say
“I texted three photos at ten at night and had a written estimate by lunch. The whole three-flat was turned in four days.”
Slawomir K.Three-flat owner, Avondale
“I live on the first floor and rent the second. They asked which days I would be home and did the back porch around me.”
Shanita R.Two-flat owner, Hermosa
“They painted the common stairs one flight at a time, so nobody upstairs was ever stuck.”
Langston B.Small landlord, Garfield Park
“Aura texted the plan the night before each day. I never had to call to ask who was coming.”
Besnik H.Two-flat owner, Maywood
Sample reviews.
Where we paint
Chicago's west and northwest sides, and the close-in suburbs
Type your ZIP and see whether we come to you.
- West side: Little Village, North Lawndale, Austin, Garfield Park
- Northwest side: Avondale, Humboldt Park, Hermosa, Belmont Cragin, Portage Park, Irving Park, Albany Park, Jefferson Park, Dunning
- Near north and near west: Ukrainian Village, West Town
- Close-in suburbs: Harwood Heights, Melrose Park, Maywood, Bellwood
We do not paint on the far south side, in the north suburbs past Evanston or in the collar counties. If you are on the edge of the map, text a photo and ask.
ZIP codes: 60623, 60624, 60644, 60612, 60618, 60651, 60639, 60641, 60625, 60622, 60647, 60630, 60634, 60706, 60160, 60153, 60104
Questions
Before you text
How do I send the photos?
Open your messages, start a text to the number in the header and attach the three photos. Add the street and the floor. No app, no upload.
Do you need to see the unit before you write the estimate?
Often not. If the photos show what the unit needs, we write from them. If they don't, Clemente or Aura comes to look, and we say so in the first reply.
What is in the written estimate?
Each room, the repairs, the coats, the products and sheens, the days on site, the payment schedule and the warranty terms. Every unit is listed on its own.
Can you paint while a tenant lives there?
Yes. We agree the rooms for each day with you in writing, cover floors and furniture, and give you a notice for the tenant.
Is my building covered by the pre-1978 lead rule?
Many Chicago two-flats, three-flats and courtyard buildings were built before 1978. EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule covers paid work that disturbs paint in homes and child-occupied buildings built before 1978. Tell us the year when you text; our firm number is in the footer.
Who buys the paint?
We do. The estimate names the product line and sheen for each surface. Ask for the product data sheet and we send it.
Start here
Text the photos, or leave a number
Texting is fastest: three photos, the street and the floor. Prefer a call back? Fill this in and we will use it.
Text(773) 555-0102
Hours
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed
Texts and calls are answered in office hours.