3 Best Painters Near Manlius, NY Ranked by Chooz Score

Painters serving Manlius, NY include some of the highest-rated contractors in the Central New York region. After reviewing feedback across Google, Yelp, and Facebook, three companies consistently stand out for their workmanship, reliability, and communication with homeowners.

The last time we conducted our Chooz Score analysis, Joseph Rivers Painting had over 300 Google reviews with a 5.0-star rating, along with 5.0 stars on Yelp and 96% recommended on Facebook. They earned a Chooz Score of 88.9%, hold BBB accreditation, and have been serving Central New York for over 12 years. Their project portfolio spans log cabins, 1850s Victorian homes, commercial offices, church sanctuaries, and club facilities. If you're looking for a company with a deep track record across diverse and complex project types, Joseph Rivers Painting is a strong choice.

Reading through their reviews, one pattern stands out: customers frequently describe first noticing the crew on a neighbor's job, then tracking them down when it was time for their own project. Named foremen like John, Zack, Matt, and Courtney appear across independent reviews from different years, reflecting genuine crew consistency. Crews have tackled church window jobs at 25-foot heights, flooded basement restorations, texture removal, and rotted wood repairs alongside standard painting work, adjusting without friction when unexpected challenges came up.

• Commercial and institutional clients, including clubs, offices, and a church sanctuary, appear alongside residential homeowners in reviews, suggesting comfort with varied project sizes and settings.
• Deck, pergola, and exterior staining projects appear across reviews, showing range beyond standard house painting.
• When a miscommunication arose about paint color on a repeat project, the crew went out of their way to make it right without pushback, according to a returning customer.
• Several reviewers mention quick turnaround on estimates and scheduling, which multiple customers say stood out after struggling to get other contractors to even commit to an appointment.

"What a fabulous job John and his crew did on our house!!! We have some ridiculously tough spots to paint and the team did a superlative job in record time. Professional, friendly and great quality work. Worth every penny." - Meg De Keukelaere, Google Review

While Joseph Rivers Painting brings large crew capacity for major projects, Empire Painting Services, LLC has built its reputation around direct owner involvement that is harder to find elsewhere. Empire Painting Services, LLC earned a Chooz Score of 88.8% with over 60 Google reviews and a 5.0-star rating across the board. Owner Rob Wengert has been running the company for over 12 years and personally handles estimates, color consultations, and post-job walk-throughs on every project. If you want a contractor where the owner stays accountable through every stage - not just at the start - Empire Painting Services, LLC is a good fit.

One practice that reviewers specifically call out: Rob provides written quotes with photos identifying exactly what will and will not be painted, leaving no ambiguity when work begins. Crew member Joe is mentioned by name in multiple independent reviews for consistent punctuality and doing small extras at no charge. When job timing shifted, reviewers describe receiving a proactive heads-up call rather than a no-show.

• At least one reviewer returned to use Empire Painting Services, LLC for both interior and exterior work on separate occasions, a year apart.
• Photo-documented quotes that clearly define project scope are called out as a standout feature by several independent reviewers.
• Rob checks in personally after the job closes to verify satisfaction, which customers describe as unusual among painting contractors.

"From the first call to the final inspection, Rob was a pleasure to work with. He takes pride in his work and went out of his way to accommodate our needs and timeline. The detailed quote with photos of the areas to be painted/excluded was superb." - Samuel Herberg, Google Review

Rounding out the top contractors in Manlius, NY, Braun's Painting, LLC has built a strong following for cabinet refinishing and whole-home interior work. They earned a Chooz Score of 87.6% with over 40 Google reviews and a 5.0-star rating. The company has operated for over 10 years, carries EPA RRP lead-safe certification, a two-year craftsmanship warranty, and a $2 million liability policy. If you're focused on interior work - particularly cabinet refinishing, wallpaper removal, or a room-by-room whole-home repaint - Braun's Painting, LLC is worth contacting.

One thing that separates Braun's Painting, LLC from a typical interior painter is how seriously the color selection process is treated. Multiple customers describe being invited to take pre-painted cabinet door samples home for several days to evaluate colors under their own lighting before committing, a step most painters skip entirely. Steve also comes on-site to apply paint samples to walls so homeowners can see actual colors in context before work begins. When projects shifted mid-job, reviewers describe Steve staying flexible and patient throughout.

• Cabinet refinishing is a standout specialty, with multiple independent reviewers noting factory-like results that hold up well over time.
• Wallpaper removal paired with skim-coating appears across several separate reviews, with no wall damage mentioned by any reviewer.
• Steve conducts a personal walkthrough at the end of every job, catching areas that need attention before the homeowner has to point them out.

"This was the second large project that Braun's Painting has completed for us and we will hire them for all of our painting projects going forward. For this project, the team removed wallpaper, skimmed the walls and painted a fresh new color in our front room." - Kelly Guthrie, Google Review

~Review Snippet Sources: Google, Yelp, Facebook

Professionalism and clear communication are among the most frequently praised qualities in reviews for painters serving Manlius, NY. Across all three top-rated companies, the pattern is consistent: contractors who respond quickly to inquiries, keep homeowners informed throughout the project, and follow through on what they committed to. Several reviewers note that this level of reliability was exactly what they had failed to get from other contractors before finding these companies.

At Joseph Rivers Painting, communication runs through named foremen who provide updates on timing and progress throughout the job, whether it's a multi-day exterior project or a detailed interior. At Empire Painting Services, LLC, owner Rob Wengert serves as the direct point of contact, and reviewers describe receiving proactive calls or texts when crew timing shifted rather than being left to guess. At Braun's Painting, LLC, owner Steve earns consistent praise for being easy to reach at any point and for reaching out proactively as the project start date approaches and throughout the work.

"Great communication at all stages - estimate, responding to questions, scheduling, carrying out the work. Zack and his crew clearly care about doing things right, and that shows in the completed work." - Mark C., Google Review"Communication was great - there were times they were going to be early or late, but they always checked in first. They were very flexible with us in picking out our colors." - JoAnna Cockram, Google Review"Communication prior to and during the project exceeded my expectations. The crew was professional, considerate and the job quality was excellent." - Tom Abernatha, Google Review

~Review Snippet Sources: Google

Prep work and job-site cleanliness are two of the most frequently mentioned positives in reviews for painters serving Manlius, NY. Reviewers across all three top-rated companies call out how thoroughly crews prepared surfaces before any paint was applied, and how consistently they left the space clean at the end of each workday rather than only at final completion.

At Joseph Rivers Painting, prep often goes beyond paint: crews have addressed rotted wood, repaired damaged siding, re-flashed metal, and smoothed textured walls as part of the overall job. One customer noted the crew temporarily reinstalled downspouts before an expected weekend rainstorm, even knowing they would need to remove them again to continue the work. At Empire Painting Services, LLC, thorough scraping, sanding, and caulking are described as standard steps before any paint goes on, and individual crew members are singled out for cleaning up completely at the end of each workday. At Braun's Painting, LLC, wallpaper removal and skim-coating are offered alongside paint work, and reviewers consistently note the crew kept the space neat throughout projects that ran an entire week.

"The crew was very thoughtful and kept a very clean job site. They even put the downspouts back up before the weekend rain, even though they would have to come back off to continue the work. The quality of the paint job was top notch." - Tim Fallon, Google Review"Joe was clean, neat, and detail-oriented; he cleaned up after finishing each day. We are very pleased with his work." - Erin Skaradek, Google Review"They were always there when they said they'd be there and were very conscientious about keeping things tidy while the job was underway." - Lynnette Spies, Google Review

~Review Snippet Sources: Google

Timeliness is one of the most consistently praised qualities across reviews for painters serving the Manlius, NY area. Customers from all three top-rated companies note that crews arrived when promised, gave advance notice when timing shifted, and in several cases wrapped up ahead of the original schedule rather than running over.

At Joseph Rivers Painting, reviewers describe crews that showed up reliably throughout multi-day projects and communicated when weather caused brief delays. Multiple customers mention finishing a day earlier than planned. At Empire Painting Services, LLC, reviewers specifically highlight consecutive workdays with no gaps, noting that Rob kept the project moving rather than spreading it across weeks alongside competing jobs. At Braun's Painting, LLC, punctuality is one of the most repeated observations across reviews, with Steve personally present from day one through the final walkthrough on each project.

"The foreman and the crew were punctual, courteous, and paid great attention to detail. We are very happy with the job they did." - Timothy DeMarsh, Google Review"He showed up as promised on the days he said he would. He came consecutive days until the job was done. He completed it in the time frame he said he would for the quoted price." - Meaghan Murphy, Google Review"Prompt, professional, friendly. The job lasted a week and they cleaned up at the end of every work day! This is the second job they did for me." - Kathy Heater, Google Review

~Review Snippet Sources: Google

Transparent, fair pricing is a recurring theme in reviews for painters serving the Manlius, NY area. Across all three top-rated companies, reviewers describe quotes that were clear and accurate, final bills that matched what was agreed upfront, and results they felt were well worth what they paid. Several customers specifically note that high-quality materials were used without any corners being cut on prep or process.

At Joseph Rivers Painting, reviewers describe pricing as reasonable given the quality of materials and level of preparation involved, with no hidden fees reported. At Empire Painting Services, LLC, multiple reviewers note that the written quote includes photos and specific details about what is and is not included, which eliminates pricing confusion before work begins. At Braun's Painting, LLC, estimates are described as detailed and clearly broken out, with final bills matching the original quote even when projects involved unexpected complexity or last-minute changes from the customer.

"They also provided a high quality product at a fair price. Highly recommended." - Christopher Calkins, Google Review"Very reasonable cost. They use high quality paint and materials." - Pauline R., Yelp Review"He gave a very detailed quote showing exactly what would be painted and what was excluded with photos. We are very happy with the results of the project." - Kyle, Google Review"It was definitely a big project but fairly priced and went very smoothly." - Elizabeth Binns, Google Review

~Review Snippet Sources: Google, Yelp