The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop painting at home

Hey all! Wondering if anyone has any idea what are the laws concerning painting in one's own garage? I am in a sub-divison in Texas without any homeowners group. Just curious what the law has to say about this subject. Thanks again! I couldn't get half as far with my truck without this great web-site.

Your really not supposed to but as long as the neighbors dont say [censored]. And you have good enough ventilation and no open flames it will all be good.

It would be nice if the neighbors didn't smell it in their house. That would pee me off.

I used to paint in my driveway here in California, but wouldn't chance it anymore. EPA/AQMD etc.
In the old days I would paint with DuPont Centari.
Hi pressure/low volumn. Now the paint is different,
if the pressure is high, it bounces back. Outside painting has too much dust, and a garage will fog out. I think the home grown paint jobs look like home done. The paint is too expensive to screw up.
I would prep everything and make a deal with Maaco or One Day. That is how I do everything now, and they are perfect jobs. It is also nice to get away from the project for a week or so.

thanks for the input!

A few years ago I got a visit from the city code enforcement officer from my community. It seems that my next door neighbor had complained about me painting my car trailer in the driveway. (It wouldn't fit in the garage). He told me it was against EPA and Texas law to paint without a paint booth.

I contacted my paint supplier and they got me in touch with the paint company's representative. He said he did not know of any restrictions on individuals painting their own cars on their own property. He gave me the number of the Texas Commision on Environmental Quality.

They confirmed that all laws concerning paint and body regulation are aimed at businesses not individuals working on their own cars.

So, unless Grapevine has any laws against it, you are legal. I still am careful to follow common sense, to clean up spills and properly dispose of waste. I try to also be a good neighbor.

Wondertruck thinks home paint jobs look like home paint jobs. A few years ago I painted a 55 Chevy in a friend's driveway. It won it's class in The Ennis Super Chevy Show and got featured in a centerfold of All Chevy magazine. Last year it was pictured in an article in Super Chevy magazine.

Last year I sold a 56 Nomad for top dollar. I won't mention the name of the person who bought it but you would recognize his name. He has a large collection of cars and he wouldn't have paid my price if everything, including paint wasn't correct. The Nomad was painted in my two car garage at my house.

You should be able to get away with it with no problems. Timing is everything. Do it on a weekday during business hours & hopefully your neighbors will be at work.On the other hand bright & early on a Sunday morning would not be a good idea.

I have a couple of "garage" paint jobs that turned out pretty well. Prep is everything and taking it completely apart, masking it well and taking the extra time to detail everything makes a huge difference in the outcome. Garage paint jobs look terrible when you have paint on the windshield rubber or chrome trim . . . take the windshield out and remove all trim if you want it to look good.

Even though my shop is several hundred yards from the nearest neighbor, I doubt I would have problems with them anyway.