We paint Boca Raton homes inside and out, and this is where we get asked about high-gloss and lacquered walls more than anywhere else we work. Alejandro, the owner, walks every job and quotes it in writing. The city doesn't require a paint color permit for a single-family home, but your HOA may still have the final word on color.
Boca Raton has a Community Appearance Board that reviews exterior paint colors, and the city's Community Appearance Board page spells out who is left out: "However, please note that single-family and two-family homes do not require a paint color change permit."
The city's permit forms line up with that. On its list of multi-family and commercial applications there is an Exterior Painting Application, and its checklist asks for the contract and a color sample. The one- and two-family checklist page has no painting checklist at all.
So for a house, the approval to plan around is usually your association's. Florida law sets the limits on it. Under section 720.3035 of the Florida Statutes, an HOA's power to enforce "standards for the external appearance" of a home applies "only to the extent that the authority is specifically stated or reasonably inferred" in the declaration of covenants or the guidelines it authorizes, and the association "must reasonably and equitably apply and enforce" those standards on every owner. When your HOA asks for details, we have them ready:
Repainting a condo, apartment or commercial building inside city limits? Since the City Council adopted Ordinance 5706 on October 22, 2024, the city's permit process notice says "Paint change permits are still required," but colors that match the Paint Color Palette & Guidelines are reviewed by staff instead of the full board. The guidelines add that "Painting of roof materials is not eligible for administrative review," and that painting materials such as stone, coral rock, glass or architectural concrete "shall require CAB approval regardless of color."
We start from your HOA's guidelines or your building's palette, not a fan deck.
Colors tried on your wall, then written up with brand, code and sheen for your request.
Once the approval is in writing, we schedule the job and keep it clean every day.
It's the request we hear in Boca Raton more than anywhere else: a glossy dining room, a dark powder room, a hallway that should feel deeper than it is. Most of the photos people send us show high-gloss paint, not true lacquer. High gloss goes on with a brush, roller or sprayer and can be touched up later. Real lacquer is sprayed in thin coats and sanded between each one, and a scuff means refinishing the wall.
Either way, a mirror finish shows every ripple underneath. The drywall trade's own finish standard rates gloss paint for a level 5 wall, which means a skim coat across the entire surface, not patches on the bad spots. That prep is where the cost of a gloss room really sits, and it's the step most quotes leave out. We'll tell you after the walkthrough what your wall needs, and when a different sheen would serve the room better.
The full explanation, with the standard quoted, is in our guide: High gloss and lacquered walls: the finish is the easy part. If you'd rather have texture than shine, limewash is the other finish Boca homeowners bring us photos of.
The city describes its own roots on its About Boca Raton page: "Influenced by the notable architect, Addison Mizner, Boca Raton was built around an elegant Mediterranean Revival style that later grew into a vibrant city full of rich art and culture." Houses in that tradition usually mean stucco walls, tile roofs, arches and decorative trim, and each surface needs its own prep before a new color goes on.
When a house takes more than one color, the breaks belong where the eye expects them. Boca's palette guidelines put the same idea in writing for buildings under city color review: "Paint colors shall terminate at inside corners, roofline, or trim when utilizing multiple paint colors." It's a good rule for a single-family home too.
The city also watches upkeep. Its Common Code Violations & Tips sheet says: "The exterior of all dwellings & structures shall be maintained to be free of broken glass, torn screens, rotted wood, missing roof shingles, soffit & fascia in disrepair, etc." That is why soffit and fascia deserve a close look before any quote: loose or rotted sections need repair first, because paint won't hold on wood that is failing. If your stucco is stained instead, we wrote up what the rust, mildew and white powder each mean.
These come from jobs across our South Florida service area, not from Boca Raton specifically. We'll add Boca Raton projects here as we photograph them. Every photo on this site is our own work.
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