Mike Chavez Painting wins Sonoma County’s Best Painter award for 10th straight year

Press Democrat readers have named Mike Chavez Painting the Best Painter in Sonoma County for the 10th consecutive year. The streak underscores the Santa Rosa company’s long-running reputation and the role its crew, process and community work have played in keeping customers coming back.

Why it matters: - The 10-year streak gives Mike Chavez Painting a rare, community-voted run of trust in a competitive local service business. - The award reflects how Sonoma County residents rate the company’s work on homes, businesses and public projects. - The recognition can help reinforce the company’s reputation with future customers across Sonoma County and Northern California.

What happened: - Mike Chavez Painting, Inc. was voted “Best Painter in Sonoma County” in The Press Democrat’s Best of Sonoma County readers’ choice awards for the 10th consecutive year. - The award is decided entirely by public vote. - The Press Democrat’s Best of Sonoma County program is its annual readers’ choice contest, with residents nominating local businesses and voting during the spring. - Winners are recognized at a celebration in Santa Rosa. - Owner Mike Chavez is a Santa Rosa native who started the company in 2008. - Chavez said the 10th win feels different than the first and called the streak “a big deal.”

The details: - Chavez said he founded the company to change what people expected from a painting contractor. - Chavez said early contractor experiences in the market were often poor, and he built the business around doing the work right and taking care of customers and employees. - Chavez credited the company’s team for the repeated wins, not just himself. - Chavez said the company no longer has him painting houses directly, unlike in the early years when he handled estimates at night and painting during the day. - The company works in Windsor, Petaluma, Healdsburg and Rohnert Park. - Chavez said he looks for crew members who treat customers well, work as a team and care about the job. - Mike Chavez Painting works under the tagline “Painting Done with Integrity and Communication.” - Surface preparation comes before any coating on every residential or commercial project. - Estimators interview clients about goals before recommending products, finishes or colors. - Crews check in daily during active jobs. - The company reviews finished work with the client before calling a project complete. - Mike Chavez Painting is a member of the Painting Contractors Association. - Mike Chavez Painting is licensed and insured in California. - Services include residential interior and exterior painting, commercial interior, exterior and industrial painting, cabinet painting with color consultation, limewash finishes and wood staining for decks, fences and exterior wood features. - Commercial projects in Sonoma County include the Fox Theater, Boudin’s at Montgomery Village, Orsi Winery, the Costco gas station in Rohnert Park, school campuses and the Catholic Cemetery Chapel. - The company runs a volunteer program called “Doing Good For Those Who Do Good.” - Crew members take part in monthly community volunteer projects. - The company completes one free painting project each quarter for a local nonprofit or someone in need. - Chavez was named Business Person of the Year by the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce in 2016. - The company says it has more than two decades of industry experience and specializes in sustainable materials, fire-resistant coatings and custom surface solutions. - The company lists California contracting license #939252.

Between the lines: - The award is more than a trophy for Mike Chavez Painting. It is a public signal that repeat customers and local voters still trust the company’s execution and consistency. - Chavez’s emphasis on crew culture suggests the business sees the win as a workforce story as much as a sales story. - The company’s mix of residential, commercial and community projects helps keep its name visible across Sonoma County.

What’s next: - Mike Chavez Painting will likely keep leaning on the same formula of preparation, communication and community presence that helped extend the winning streak. - The company’s volunteer program and quarter-by-quarter nonprofit projects are set to continue. - Chavez’s message to voters suggests the company is focused on maintaining, not resetting, the standards behind the award.

The bottom line: - A decade of reader votes has turned Mike Chavez Painting’s local reputation into a durable brand advantage in Sonoma County.