Compare Local Pros
Fas Painting vs Stella Painting
San Mateo Painting Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
Stella Painting brings nearly three times the experience and carries workers compensation insurance, while Fas Painting offers solid work at a potentially lower price point.
| Fas Painting | Stella Painting | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 | ★ 5.0 |
| Years Licensed | 7 years | 19 years |
| License # | 1052039 | 888268 |
| Workers' Comp | — | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | Daly City, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Website | — | www.stellapainting.com |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
Fas Painting
Customers emphasize excellent paint quality combined with kind, personable service that makes the project experience pleasant.
Stella Painting
Customers consistently note professional crew behavior, punctuality, cleanliness, and owner Robert Stella's detailed explanations and industry knowledge throughout projects.
Key Takeaway: Fas Painting is praised for interpersonal kindness while Stella Painting earns recognition for systematic professionalism, with documented repeat commercial relationships and neighbor referrals based on observed work quality.
Customer Reviews
Fas Painting
Excellent service and great paint job. Thank you so much for your KINDNESS
EXCELLENT PAINT COMPANY AND GREAT WORK THEY DO
Stella Painting
We contracted Stella Painting to prep and paint a TV wall I constructed in our living room. They were extremely professional, showed up on time, and went to work masking off the area they were workin...
During the extensive remodel of our home, we got three bids from each trade. Robert Stella seemed the most educated on his industry out of all the painting firms we interviewed. Luckily, the team foll...
It was great. Great company to work with. The guys are respectful and do great work.
Consider Fas Painting if...
- ✓ You have a straightforward residential painting project without unusual surface conditions or structural concerns
- ✓ You're willing to verify their liability insurance directly and confirm your homeowner's policy covers contractor injuries
- ✓ Budget is a primary concern and you're comfortable with a smaller operation that may offer lower pricing
- ✓ You value personal, kind service and don't need extensive project consultation or problem-solving experience
Consider Stella Painting if...
- ✓ Your project involves older surfaces, multiple materials, or potential hidden issues that require diagnostic experience
- ✓ You want workers compensation coverage in place to protect yourself from liability if someone gets hurt
- ✓ You need detailed project planning and explanations before work begins, as owner Robert Stella provides thorough consultations
- ✓ Your project is commercial, involves coordination with other contractors, or requires a proven professional crew with documented punctuality and cleanliness standards
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → For Fas Painting: Ask what liability coverage they carry and get written confirmation that you won't be held responsible if a worker is injured; verify with your homeowner's insurance what your exposure is
- → For Fas Painting: Ask for references from projects similar to yours in scope and complexity, and how long their current crew has worked together
- → For both: Ask about their specific surface preparation process for your home's materials and how they handle unexpected issues discovered during prep work
- → For both: Request a detailed timeline with crew size and confirm whether the owner will be on-site for project milestones
The Bottom Line
Stella Painting is the safer choice for most homeowners, offering 19 years of proven experience, workers compensation coverage that protects you from liability, and documented expertise handling diverse projects with professional crews. The experience gap and insurance difference aren't minor details—they represent real protection when things go wrong. Consider Fas Painting only if you have a straightforward project, verify liability coverage directly, confirm your homeowner's insurance covers contractor injuries, and receive a meaningfully lower quote that justifies accepting the additional risk. For complex projects, older homes, or anyone who wants to avoid potential insurance complications, Stella's veteran status and complete coverage make the decision straightforward.
Get Up to 3 Free Quotes
Compare prices from licensed, verified contractors
Frequently Asked Questions
For a newer home with standard drywall and trim, the gap matters less. But for older Bay Area homes, those extra years mean Stella has likely encountered lead paint remediation, wood rot hidden under paint, moisture issues, and color-matching challenges that a 7-year contractor may be seeing for the first time. Experience becomes your safety net when complications arise mid-project.
If a painter falls off a ladder or is injured on your property, they could file a claim against your homeowner's insurance since the company doesn't have workers comp to cover them. This could affect your insurance rates or leave you personally liable depending on your policy limits. Call your insurance agent before hiring any contractor without workers comp to understand your specific exposure.
If both quote similarly, Stella is the clear choice with better protection and deeper experience. If Fas quotes significantly lower, you're trading workers comp protection and veteran expertise for cost savings. That trade makes sense for simple interior repaints in good condition, but not for exterior work, older homes, or projects where you need problem-solving capacity.
The $25,000 bond protects you if the contractor abandons the job or violates contract terms, but it doesn't protect you from worker injury liability. That's what workers compensation covers. The bond is baseline protection required by California; workers comp is the differentiator that actually affects your risk exposure during the project.
Looking for the Best?
See our ranked list of top painting contractors in San Mateo.
Other San Mateo Painting Contractors Comparisons
How We Compare Contractors
License Verification
All license data is sourced from official California CSLB records and verified regularly.
Review Analysis
Customer reviews are aggregated from Google and analyzed to identify patterns in service quality.
Detailed Comparison
We analyze credentials, insurance, experience, and feedback to highlight meaningful differences.
Not all licensed contractors are created equal. While a valid license is the baseline requirement in California, contractors can vary significantly in experience, insurance coverage, and customer satisfaction.
- Experience matters: A contractor with 15+ years of experience has likely encountered and solved problems that newer contractors haven't faced yet.
- Workers' compensation protects you: If a contractor without workers' comp insurance has an employee injured on your property, you could be held liable.
- Reviews reveal patterns: Individual reviews can be misleading, but patterns across many reviews often reveal a contractor's true strengths and weaknesses.
- Bond amounts vary: A contractor's bond provides financial protection if they fail to complete work as agreed. Higher bonds offer more protection.
Taking time to compare contractors on these factors can save you from costly mistakes and help ensure your project is completed by a qualified professional.
Data Sources: License information from California CSLB. Ratings and reviews from Google. Last verified March 12, 2026.
This comparison is based on publicly available information. We recommend getting multiple quotes and verifying all credentials directly before hiring.
Get in Touch
Have questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you.