Table of Contents
- Painting in North York: what this neighbourhood demands
- North York's pre-1990 high-rise stock and the asbestos popcorn question
- Every service we offer in North York
- Why North York owners hire us
- Recent North York projects
- What North York clients say
- How we work in North York
- Pricing
- North York painting FAQ
- Related reading from our blog
- Nearby Areas We Serve
- Get your free estimate
North York is where I've watched Toronto grow. Over 20 years, I've painted condos in high-rises around Mel Lastman Square, townhouses near North York Centre subway, family homes along Avenue Road shopping, units in Empress Walk and buildings around Yonge and Sheppard. Walk past the Toronto Centre for the Arts or through the Edithvale neighbourhood, and you see a mature, diverse community that values stability and smart living. When you call us, you're talking to me directly, not a call centre, not a sales rep. I'll come to your property, walk through the space with you, and take it from there.
Painting in North York: what this neighbourhood demands
North York is established Toronto. It's not trendy, but it's lived-in and well-maintained. Families who've owned homes for decades, young professionals who want solid value, diverse communities with deep roots. The Yonge Corridor has high-rise condos; the neighbourhood streets have family townhouses; Avenue Road has upscale established homes.
That means understanding different client expectations than downtown. North York clients are practical. They want quality work at fair prices. They're often families living in the unit during painting, so we need to be efficient and respectful. They appreciate paint that lasts, Benjamin Moore is understood here as the practical premium choice. Farrow & Ball for the clients who want something special.
Building coordination is straightforward. North York Centre towers, Hullmark Centre, buildings around Empress Walk, they're professional but not overly complex. We handle everything proactively, and everything runs smoothly.
North York's pre-1990 high-rise stock and the asbestos popcorn question
North York Centre has one of the highest concentrations of pre-1990 high-rise residential stock in the GTA. The buildings along Yonge between Sheppard and Finch (Empress Walk, Avondale Avenue blocks, Princess Avenue, the Hullmark Centre predecessor towers) include a significant share built between 1975 and 1989, exactly the era when sprayed asbestos-containing popcorn ceiling texture was standard practice across Ontario residential construction.
The numbers we see in testing across this neighbourhood: pre-1980 North York buildings test positive for asbestos in the popcorn texture roughly 60–80 percent of the time, 1980–1982 cohort drops to 30–50 percent, 1983–1989 drops to 10–25 percent. Anything pre-1990 we will not scrape without a lab test under Ontario Regulation 278/05. A positive result requires AAW 253W certified abatement before we can return to skim and finish; we'll refer to a licensed abatement contractor and re-engage on the smooth-finish stage after their clearance certificate.
For owners who don't want to remove popcorn, encapsulation (painting over intact texture with a sealing-grade primer + topcoat) is recognized as safe by Health Canada and WSIB when the ceiling is intact and undisturbed. This is often the right answer for North York units where the owner is staying long-term and the popcorn doesn't bother them; the fibre-release risk on intact painted asbestos texture is essentially zero. See our popcorn ceiling removal scope for the full decision matrix.
Newer North York buildings (Hullmark Centre 2017, Emerald Park 2016, M City overflow buildings post-2020) follow the standard post-2010 condo prep baseline.
Every service we offer in North York
We're a full-service condo painting contractor. Whatever paint-adjacent work your unit needs, the scope is below with direct links to the full service detail.
Interior painting
- Interior condo painting — Full-unit repaints with Benjamin Moore Regal Select or Aura, MPI-spec sheen selection, low-VOC for closed HVAC. Most North York jobs start here.
- Bedroom painting — Sleep-quality colour selection by LRV, zero-VOC Aura or Natura for sensitive clients, occupied-unit scheduling.
- Bathroom painting — Benjamin Moore Aura Bath & Spa with mildewcide film, exhaust-fan upgrade recommendations.
- Kitchen wall painting — Grease-film degrease protocol before primer, durable scrubbable finishes for cooking zones.
- Ceiling painting — BM Waterborne Ceiling 508 dead-flat finish; spec changes under pot lights.
- Accent walls and feature finishes — LRV-contrast colour math, limewash feature walls, two-tone applications.
Cabinets and detail work
- Kitchen cabinet refinishing — Off-site spray application, ASTM D3359 adhesion-tested finish, Benjamin Moore Advance or INSL-X Cabinet Coat per substrate.
- Trim and baseboard painting — BM Advance semi-gloss, MPI G5 spec, MDF-edge sealing protocol.
- Door painting — Full hardware removal, off-hinge painting for finish quality.
- Crown moulding painting — Profile-aware brush technique, Sashco Big Stretch caulk on the crown-to-ceiling joint.
Surface repair and prep
- Drywall and plaster repair — CGC Durabond setting-type for structural cracks, USG Sheetrock for cosmetic skim, 72-hour moisture-meter protocol on water-stained walls.
- Wallpaper removal — Era-specific adhesive identification, steam-and-score method.
- Caulking — ASTM C920/C834 sealant selection by joint location.
- Popcorn ceiling removal — Mandatory asbestos testing on pre-1990 buildings, Type 3 abatement referral if positive.
Other
- Handyman services — Picture hanging, TV mounting, light-fixture replacement, small drywall patches.
- Colour consultation — Complimentary on-site session with every project; Benjamin Moore deck plus Farrow & Ball samples on request.
Why North York owners hire us
Insurance and licensing. $2M commercial general liability through Federated Insurance, full WSIB clearance per Section 141.1 of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. COI named to your specific North York building submitted within one business day of booking confirmation.
5-year workmanship warranty in writing. Every invoice. We come back and fix any application failure inside that window at no charge. The warranty is tied to the address, not the homeowner, so it transfers if you sell. Full terms on our warranty page.
Property managers we work with in North York:
- Crossbridge Condominium Services
- FirstService Residential
- Del Property Management
- ICC Property Management
North York buildings and neighbourhoods we've painted in:
- Hullmark Centre (4789 Yonge Street)
- Emerald Park
- Empress Walk
- Avondale Avenue blocks
- M City overflow buildings
- Princess Avenue towers
Direct contact. When you call (416) 896-1071 you reach the owner, not a call centre. On-site visit booked at your convenience, including evenings and weekends. Most quotes returned within 24–48 hours of the walk-through.
Ready to start your North York paint project?
Request a free on-site quote or call (416) 896-1071. We respond within one business day, and most North York projects book within 2 weeks of the walk-through.
Recent North York projects
What North York clients say
Chad and the Condo Painters Pro team are our go to painters for our properties. They are fast, professional and do an impeccable job every time. Chad takes the time to go through the property beforehand, making thoughtful recommendations and always providing competitive and fair pricing. The entire team is a pleasure to deal with and always on time. Definitely recommend them for anyone looking for friendly, reliable painters.
"Chad came highly recommended, and he delivered. Our North York condo needed colour work and cabinet refinishing, and the quality was excellent. The crew was professional and efficient, and they answered all our questions. We felt taken care of throughout the project. Highly recommend.", Patricia Wong, North York
How we work in North York
I know the property managers and building teams across North York's major condos. That familiarity ensures smooth bookings, resolved issues, and crews that know what to expect.
Here's what the process looks like on a typical North York condo or home project:
- I come to your unit or home personally for an on-site visit and colour consultation
- You receive a detailed written quote within 24-48 hours
- We handle all building coordination, insurance certificate, elevator booking, dock scheduling (if applicable)
- Our crew arrives on time, sets up complete protection for your floors and furniture, and works through the space systematically
- At the end of each day, everything is cleaned up. You can live normally in the painted sections
- Final walkthrough with you before we leave. Any touch-ups done on the spot
Most North York clients are living in their units or homes throughout the project. We work around your schedule.
Pricing
North York condo and home painting typically runs $1,100-$1,800 for a one-bedroom, $1,800-$3,000 for a two-bedroom, and $3,500-$7,500+ for larger units and townhouses. Cabinet refinishing starts at $2,800. All prices are plus HST and include premium paint, prep, building coordination, and our 5-year workmanship warranty.
Every quote is based on seeing your space, I won't give you a number over the phone that doesn't reflect the actual work involved.
North York painting FAQ
How much does painting cost in North York? Pricing depends on unit size and scope. A typical one-bedroom condo runs $1,800–$2,400, two-bedroom runs $2,800–$3,800, and larger units quote individually. All prices include premium paint, full prep, building coordination where applicable, two coats, and our 5-year workmanship warranty. HST not included.
Do you handle the COI submission to my building's property manager? Yes, completely. We submit a $2M commercial general liability Certificate of Insurance naming your specific North York building to the property manager within one business day of booking. Most major Toronto property managers (Crossbridge, FirstService, Del, ICC) already have our paperwork on file.
Can you paint while I'm living in the unit? Yes — most of our North York clients stay during painting. We sequence rooms so a working bedroom and bathroom are always available, wrap furniture in plastic in place, use zero-VOC paint that lets you sleep in the unit the same night, and vacuum the work area at end of every day.
How long does a typical North York project take? A studio: 0.5–1 day. One-bedroom: 1–2 days. Two-bedroom: 2–3 days. Three-bedroom or larger: 3–5 days. Cabinet refinishing is a separate scope and runs 5–10 working days including off-site door spray.
Do you offer Farrow & Ball or just Benjamin Moore? Both. Most North York jobs use Benjamin Moore (Aura, Regal Select, Advance for trim and cabinets). We also work in Farrow & Ball Estate Emulsion and Modern Emulsion when clients want the specific depth and colour-shift quality F&B is known for. F&B typically needs three coats vs BM's two, and we factor that into the quote.
Do you charge a travel surcharge for North York? We quote travel transparently at walk-through. North York is within our standard service radius for most jobs. Far-edge addresses may include a small travel line on the quote.
What's the warranty? 5-year workmanship warranty in writing on every invoice. We come back and fix any application failure inside that window at no charge. The warranty is tied to the address, not the homeowner, so it transfers if you sell. See our warranty page for full terms.
Related reading from our blog
If you're in research mode before booking, these cover the questions most North York owners ask us at the walk-through.
Nearby Areas We Serve
North York is close to several other GTA neighbourhoods we service regularly.
- Downsview: Emerging community, master-planned development, Downsview Park
- Vaughan: Vaughan Metropolitan Centre, fastest-growing condo market
- Etobicoke: Diverse neighbourhoods, Sherway Gardens, family communities
Get your free estimate
Fill out our quick form and I'll personally review your project. We schedule on-site visits at your convenience, including evenings and weekends.
Call me directly at (416) 896-1071 or request your free quote. If I don't pick up right away, I'll get back to you as soon as I can.