Strata and property-manager work can give a painting company the one thing residential repaints rarely do: predictable work booked months ahead. It is also a different sale. The buyer is a committee, the money comes from a planned budget, and the decision often depends on documents and references more than on a friendly estimate visit. This guide explains how the decision works and how to market into it, without assuming you are already a large commercial firm.
Who decides, and what each person cares about
Answer first: at least three people shape most strata repaint decisions, and each needs something different from you.
| Person | What they worry about | What wins them |
|---|---|---|
| Property or strata manager | Complaints, schedules, paperwork | Reliability, clear communication, complete documents |
| Strata council or condo board | Cost, owner reaction, getting it right once | Comparable buildings, plain proposals, references |
| Consultant (where used) | Specification compliance | Accurate scope, proven experience with the system specified |
Owners matter too. They live with the scaffolding, the noise and the smell. A painter whose marketing shows how it handles occupied buildings, notices and balcony access speaks directly to the council's biggest fear.
When decisions are made
Answer first: repaints are usually planned well before they are tendered, so your marketing needs to reach buyers a budget cycle early.
In British Columbia, the province says strata corporations with five or more lots must obtain a depreciation report on a five-year cycle, and its component inventory reviews the building exterior. Planning documents like these mean exterior work tends to be visible years ahead. Other provinces have different condominium laws; check the official source in yours before relying on any specific requirement.
A practical rhythm:
- 12–18 months before: council and manager learn your name through a useful contact or a nearby project.
- 6–12 months before: the work appears in a budget; you may be asked for a budget price.
- 3–6 months before: formal quotes or tender invitations go out.
- Approval: council decides, sometimes with an owner vote.
If your first contact arrives at step 3, you are one of many unknown names.
What buyers check before they invite you
Answer first: make the checks easy, and put them on your website before anyone asks.
- Insurance: liability coverage amount and carrier, with a certificate available on request.
- Workers' compensation: a clearance letter from your provincial board, such as WorkSafeBC or WSIB. Our region pages link each board.
- Safety: a short summary of your safety program, working-at-heights practices and site supervision.
- Older buildings: if you work on older stock, explain how you handle surfaces that may contain lead. WorkSafeBC notes that removing lead-based paint can release lead dust. Describe what your company does; don't overclaim.
- Credentials: Painter and Decorator is a Red Seal trade designated in every province and territory. If your leads hold certificates, say so accurately.
- References: comparable buildings, with a contact who has agreed to be called.
Building the marketing assets
Answer first: you need a capabilities page, a one-page summary and a set of project sheets.
The capabilities page
One page on your website that answers, in order: what building types you paint, the largest and typical project sizes, your crews and supervision, your insurance and safety coverage, and how to request a budget price.
Project sheets
One page per comparable job:
- building type, storeys and number of units
- scope: surfaces, prep, coatings system
- schedule and how you handled occupied units
- one challenge and how you solved it
- two or three honest photos
Write them right after each job while details are fresh. Five strong sheets beat twenty vague ones.
The one-page summary
A printable version of the capabilities page that a manager can attach to a council package. Keep it plain; councils are reading it at evening meetings.
Staying known between bids
Answer first: useful, infrequent contact beats frequent selling.
- A short note before budget season with an exterior coatings checklist (what to look for: peeling, chalking, failed caulking, staining).
- A two-paragraph update when you finish a nearby building.
- A thank-you after each bid, won or lost, with an offer to debrief.
Keep commercial messages within Canada's anti-spam rules: contact people who have given consent or with whom you have a qualifying relationship, identify yourself and include a way to opt out. We help set this up as marketing practice; it isn't legal advice.
Pricing the opportunity honestly
Answer first: run the numbers before you chase strata work.
Say a low-rise exterior repaint is worth $85,000 and takes one crew six weeks. If you are invited to 8 such bids a year and win 2, that is $170,000 in planned work. The estimating time is heavy: perhaps two or three days per bid. Compare that with the residential exteriors the same crew could paint in those weeks, using the method in the estimate maths guide. For many companies, a mix works best: strata in shoulder seasons, residential at peak.
Common mistakes
- Bidding on buildings far beyond your crew size or access equipment.
- Treating the manager as a gatekeeper rather than the person whose life you can make easier.
- Hiding insurance and workers' compensation details.
- Sending glossy residential photos instead of comparable buildings.
- Disappearing after a lost bid. The next repaint may be at a building the same manager runs.
A note on occupied buildings
Answer first: show councils how you protect residents, not just surfaces.
Strata and condo repaints happen around people who live there. Councils worry about notices, access to balconies, odours, noise and the occasional resident who refuses entry. A short section on your capabilities page explaining how you give notice, schedule balcony access, keep walkways clear and handle questions from owners answers the concern that often decides the vote. It costs nothing to write and is rarely done well.
Where to start this month
- Write one project sheet from your most comparable recent job.
- Build a list of 20 property-management or strata-management firms in your area.
- Put insurance, safety and workers' compensation details on your website.
- Send one useful note to each firm before their budget season.
Our strata and commercial marketing service does this with you. You can also see how we work or get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Who actually chooses the painter on a strata job?
Usually the strata council or condo board approves, often on a recommendation from the property manager, and sometimes with input from a building envelope or reserve consultant. Market to the manager and council together.
When do strata corporations decide on repaints?
Large exterior repaints usually appear in a budget or reserve plan before they go to bid, and may need owner approval at a general meeting. That is why being known a year ahead matters.
What documents should a painter have ready?
Proof of liability insurance, a workers' compensation clearance letter from your provincial board, a safety program summary, references from comparable buildings and a clear project sheet for each.
Can residential painters move into strata work?
Yes, usually starting with townhouse complexes, low-rise buildings or interior common areas. Build references there before bidding on high-rise envelopes.
Sources
- Province of BC: Strata depreciation report requirements (2026-10-23)
- WorkSafeBC: Lead (2026-10-23)
- Red Seal: Painter and Decorator (2026-10-23)