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American Painting vs Mcdermaid Painting
Santa Clara Painting Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
Two veteran contractors with near-identical credentials, but only Mcdermaid Painting has documented customer feedback and proven specialty restoration capabilities.
| American Painting | Mcdermaid Painting | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 5.0 | ★ 4.8 |
| Years Licensed | 26 years | 24 years |
| License # | 774710 | 803672 |
| Workers' Comp | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | Santa Clara, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Website | www.amptg.com | www.mcdermaidpainting.com |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
Mcdermaid Painting
Customers consistently highlight meticulous surface preparation, detailed project planning, and long-term relationships spanning 5 to 25 years with the company.
Key Takeaway: Mcdermaid Painting has extensive verified customer feedback demonstrating communication patterns and work quality, while American Painting provides no customer reviews despite 26 years in business.
Customer Reviews
American Painting
Great paint also the give Veteran discounts. Don't go any where else
Mcdermaid Painting
Last month, McDermaid Painting painted the exterior of our two-story house, installed gutter guards, and repaired/painted kitchen interior ceiling from a water leak. Gus quickly provided an extensive...
We have used McDermaid for three painting projects over the past five years: one the house exterior and two interior projects. They are great to work with, often coming up with ideas that make the wo...
I have used McDermaid Painting at least 5 times over the last 25 years. In conjunction with another project I'm doing, they came out to do some touch-up painting indoors and outdoors. As usual, the ...
Consider American Painting if...
- ✓ You're prioritizing the absolute longest licensing history (26 vs 24 years) and those two extra years matter significantly to your decision
- ✓ You prefer to conduct your own reference checks rather than relying on documented customer feedback
- ✓ You have a straightforward painting project without specialty restoration needs that would benefit from proven expertise
Consider Mcdermaid Painting if...
- ✓ Your project involves specialty work like cabinet refinishing, furniture restoration, window restoration, or dry rot repair where documented expertise matters
- ✓ You want to assess a contractor's communication style and work practices through verified customer experiences before hiring
- ✓ You value detailed project planning and meticulous preparation, which multiple customers specifically highlight in their feedback
- ✓ You're looking for a contractor with proven long-term client relationships spanning decades, indicating consistent quality and reliability
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → Ask American Painting for at least three references from recent projects similar to yours, and follow up by calling them to discuss communication style and work quality
- → Ask American Painting what types of specialty projects they handle beyond basic interior and exterior painting
- → Ask Mcdermaid Painting about their specific process for surface preparation and how they handle unexpected issues like hidden dry rot
- → If your project involves restoration work, ask both companies about their experience with similar specialty projects and request photos of completed work
The Bottom Line
While both contractors meet baseline protection requirements with equivalent insurance and bonding, Mcdermaid Painting offers clear advantages for most homeowners making a decision this week. Their documented customer feedback spanning decades, proven specialty restoration capabilities, and consistent praise for detailed communication and meticulous work provide verifiable evidence of performance. American Painting's lack of customer reviews or documented project history means you're hiring based solely on licensing tenure without insight into their actual work practices. Unless you have compelling references for American Painting or your project is exceptionally straightforward, Mcdermaid's proven track record makes them the safer choice.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Both companies are veteran contractors with over two decades of experience, so the 26 vs 24-year difference is minimal in practical terms. What matters more is documented project performance and specialty capabilities, where Mcdermaid shows verified customer relationships spanning up to 25 years and proven restoration expertise that American Painting hasn't documented.
This could reflect various factors including reliance on repeat customers who don't leave online reviews, focus on commercial rather than residential work, or simply not prioritizing review collection. Without this feedback, you'll need to conduct thorough reference checks yourself to understand their communication style and work quality.
The data doesn't indicate pricing differences between these companies. Mcdermaid's specialty capabilities like historic window restoration and furniture refinishing demonstrate technical skill, but they also handle standard interior and exterior painting. Get detailed estimates from both contractors for your specific project to compare pricing directly.
Both serve Santa Clara County, so location shouldn't be the deciding factor. American Painting is based in Santa Clara while Mcdermaid operates from Palo Alto, but both work throughout the region. Focus instead on documented performance history, specialty capabilities relevant to your project, and verified customer feedback about communication and work quality.
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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.
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