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Davey Painting vs Tarango Custom Painting
Santa Clara Painting Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
Tarango Custom Painting brings four times the licensing experience (8 years vs 2 years), while Davey Painting offers more detailed service descriptions and residential project visibility.
| Davey Painting | Tarango Custom Painting | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.9 | ★ 5.0 |
| Years Licensed | 2 years | 8 years |
| License # | 1120685 | 1037151 |
| Workers' Comp | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | Morgan Hill, CA | Morgan Hill, CA |
| Website | www.daveypainting.com | — |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
Davey Painting
Customers emphasize owner responsiveness, detailed preparation work, daily cleanup practices, and helpful color consultation throughout residential projects.
Tarango Custom Painting
Construction professionals and customers highlight reliable scheduling, timely completion, and respectful property treatment with less emphasis on project details or communication style.
Key Takeaway: Davey receives feedback focused on residential customer experience and communication quality, while Tarango earns recognition from industry professionals for operational reliability and coordination.
Customer Reviews
Davey Painting
Tim Davey and his team did an amazing job painting the exterior of our home. His painters gave great attention to detail. They were careful and cleaned up every day after they finished working. We ...
Davey Painting did an outstanding job on our 7,000 sf home. Tim bid the job quickly, was professional and friendly with helpful recommendations. His team replaced all the weathered wood and patched...
On time and a high quality job
Tarango Custom Painting
Mike's the best there is, we use Tarango Custom for all our projects. As a contractor myself i need to know that everythings being handled on time and with much respect to our clients and their homes....
Consider Davey Painting if...
- ✓ You want detailed communication throughout the project, with customers specifically praising owner Tim Davey's responsiveness and availability during work
- ✓ Your project includes specialty services like cabinet refinishing, wood replacement, or stucco patching that Davey explicitly handles
- ✓ You need help with color selection and paint scheme decisions, as customers value the consultation guidance provided
- ✓ You're comfortable working with a newer contractor who demonstrates strong attention to detail and finishing work but has less experience with unexpected complications
Consider Tarango Custom Painting if...
- ✓ You prioritize experience and want a contractor who has held an active license for 8 years and has seen a wider range of complications
- ✓ Your project timeline is critical and you value the reliability that earns repeat business from construction professionals
- ✓ You're coordinating painting with other trades and need a contractor accustomed to working within broader construction schedules
- ✓ You want a contractor whose performance has been vetted by industry professionals, not just residential customers
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → Ask Davey Painting for references from projects completed in their first year versus recent work to assess how their capabilities have developed over 2 years of licensing
- → Ask Tarango Custom Painting for specific examples of residential projects similar to yours, including what preparation and specialty services they provide beyond basic painting
- → Ask both companies how they handle unexpected discoveries like rotted wood or water damage during exterior projects, and request examples from past jobs
- → Ask both about their crew stability and whether the same team will complete your project from start to finish
The Bottom Line
If your project involves straightforward painting with minimal unknowns and you value detailed communication, color guidance, and responsive customer service, Davey Painting delivers those strengths despite being licensed only 2 years. However, for complex exterior work, projects where hidden damage is likely, or situations where you want a contractor with substantially more experience diagnosing problems, Tarango Custom Painting's 8 years of licensing provides meaningfully greater exposure to complications. Ask Tarango specifically about their residential service range to confirm they match your project needs beyond basic reliability.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For straightforward interior repainting with no repairs, the experience gap matters less than execution quality and communication. Both companies maintain proper insurance and bonding. However, if your project involves exterior work, wood repair, or addressing previous paint failures, Tarango's 8 years of licensing provides more exposure to diagnosing underlying problems that newer contractors might miss.
Tarango's reviews come primarily from construction professionals who focus on reliability and scheduling rather than describing specific residential services. This doesn't mean they offer fewer services, but it does mean you'll need to ask directly about their capabilities for specialty work like cabinet refinishing or stucco patching that Davey explicitly advertises.
Tarango Custom Painting's 8 years of licensing provides significantly more experience encountering and resolving complications during large exterior projects. While Davey Painting has completed large homes exceeding 7,000 square feet and handles wood replacement and stucco work, their 2 years of licensing means fewer opportunities to have seen the full range of hidden issues that emerge during exterior projects.
Industry recommendations indicate consistent performance under professional scrutiny, which matters because contractors have higher standards and more comparison points than typical homeowners. However, these relationships often prioritize scheduling reliability and coordination over the customer communication and detailed finishing that residential clients value, which is where Davey shows particular strength in reviews.
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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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