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All Access Painting vs Northstar Painting
Solano Painting Contractors Comparison · Updated March 2026
All Access Painting brings 11 years of licensing versus Northstar's 2 years, a meaningful difference for project complexity and troubleshooting experience.
| All Access Painting | Northstar Painting | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ★ 4.8 | ★ 5.0 |
| Years Licensed | 11 years | 2 years |
| License # | 1003804 | 1124468 |
| Workers' Comp | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Bond Amount | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Location | Fairfield, CA | Fairfield, CA |
| Website | allaccesspainting.com | painterfairfield.com |
Key Differences
What Customers Say
All Access Painting
Customers consistently highlight All Access Painting's competitive pricing, punctual arrivals, and ability to finish projects on or ahead of schedule across diverse project types.
Northstar Painting
Customers emphasize Northstar Painting's attention to detail, organized work processes, and extensive preparation work particularly on older homes requiring careful surface treatment.
Key Takeaway: While both receive praise for professionalism and punctuality, All Access feedback focuses on timeline reliability and competitive bids, whereas Northstar feedback emphasizes thorough preparation and specialized services like cabinet refinishing.
Customer Reviews
All Access Painting
At the initial contact : Steve was in time,patient listening, interested in what I wanted and clarifying questions I had with a sense of confidence as a long time professional in his craft. At the tim...
I thoroughly researched, interviewed and received bids from three of the top yelp reviewed painting companies servicing my area. All Access Painting had the highest review level and lowest bid (by far...
We recently had our house painted by Steve and his crew and we're very satisfied with their work. They were professional, showed up on time and offered a reasonable cost, quite a bit lower than other ...
Northstar Painting
A job well done for sure! The owner and the crew paid attention to every detail of the job.
Jose and his incredible team did an outstanding job. From his professionalism responding to my request for quote and quick responses to every question. The team showed up on time every day and went a...
Jose from NorthStar painted my home and did an amazing job! Him and his team were amazing to deal with!
Consider All Access Painting if...
- ✓ Your home is older and may reveal unexpected issues during surface preparation, where 11 years of problem-solving experience becomes valuable
- ✓ You're planning a straightforward exterior or interior repaint where competitive pricing and reliable on-time completion are your priorities
- ✓ You want a contractor with an established track record handling projects similar to yours across more than a decade
- ✓ Your project includes stucco repair or deck refinishing, areas where All Access has documented customer experience
Consider Northstar Painting if...
- ✓ Your project involves cabinet refinishing or popcorn ceiling removal, where Northstar has invested in specialized equipment and demonstrated focus
- ✓ You're comfortable working with a newer contractor who shows strong attention to detail and organizational systems despite shorter tenure
- ✓ Your home is in Vacaville specifically, where Northstar maintains an active presence
- ✓ You value a contractor who emphasizes extensive preparation work and has recent feedback specifically mentioning older home projects
Questions to Ask Before Hiring
- → Ask Northstar how they handle unexpected substrate damage or wood rot discovered during prep work, and request references from projects where complications arose
- → Ask All Access about their specific process and equipment for cabinet refinishing if that's part of your project scope
- → Ask both contractors how long their current crew has worked together and what happens if the project timeline extends due to unforeseen issues
The Bottom Line
All Access Painting is the safer choice for most homeowners needing residential painting this week. With 11 years of licensing versus Northstar's 2 years, you're getting substantially more experience diagnosing issues and handling complications without disrupting timelines or budgets. Both contractors carry proper credentials and demonstrate professionalism, but All Access's track record across hundreds of projects provides more predictability. Choose Northstar specifically if your project centers on cabinet refinishing or popcorn ceiling removal where their specialized equipment and focus add value, or if your home is newer with minimal complication risk. Otherwise, the experience gap favors All Access.
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Frequently Asked Questions
For a straightforward repaint on a newer home with no complications, the gap matters less. However, if your home is older than 20 years, experienced contractors have seen countless variations of hidden damage, flashing issues, and substrate problems that only reveal themselves during prep. That pattern recognition prevents costly surprises and keeps projects on track.
At 2 years licensed with proper insurance and bonding, Northstar meets legal requirements and shows customer satisfaction with punctuality and detail work. The risk isn't incompetence but rather limited exposure to unusual situations. If your project is straightforward or involves their specialty areas like cabinet refinishing, their newer status poses less concern than it would for a complex exterior with known damage.
Northstar specifically mentions cabinet refinishing with specialized equipment and has customer feedback on this work, suggesting focused capability in this area. All Access has 11 years handling full house exteriors and interiors with consistent on-time delivery. If cabinets are your primary project, Northstar's specialization is relevant; for whole-house painting, All Access's longer track record provides more data points.
You won't know until you get written estimates from both. Competitive pricing in reviews means each beat other bids in specific situations, not that one is universally cheaper. Request detailed written quotes breaking down labor, materials, and prep work so you can compare apples to apples, then verify scope matches what you discussed.
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See our ranked list of top painting contractors in Solano.
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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 13, 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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