House painters in Cordova, TN.
Dario’s Painting paints houses in Cordova, where most homes went up between 1980 and 2009 and the rules depend on whether your street is inside Memphis or in unincorporated Shelby County. Dario writes every estimate and is on every job. The estimate is free, in writing, and yours to keep.
- Free written estimates
- Licensed & insured
- Crews speak English & Spanish
Dario’s Painting paints houses in Cordova, with Dario on every job and a free written estimate for each one. Know first that Cordova is a community, not a city: most of it is inside Memphis and some is in unincorporated Shelby County, but one office issues building permits for both and painting needs none. Check your HOA covenants before you choose colors. Cordova sits about 15 miles east of downtown Memphis, inside our regular service area, and estimate visits are on weekdays from 11:30 to 1:30 and on Saturdays from 7am to 6pm.
Most Cordova homes went up between 1980 and 2009.
In Cordova’s two ZIP codes, 38016 and 38018, the Census Bureau puts the median year built at 1998 and 1997, against 1970 in Memphis as a whole. About 80 percent of the homes there were built between 1980 and 2009, and only about 9 percent before 1980.
A house built in the 1990s is now 25 to 35 years old. If its exterior was never repainted, it is well past the intervals in our repaint guide, and peeling trim, chalky siding, faded shutters and cracked caulk are the signs to look for. Lead paint is less likely here than in most of Memphis, where about two-thirds of homes predate 1980, but a house built before 1978 may still have it, so tell Dario the year.
Before-and-after photos from Dario’s jobs nearby in East Memphis, a stucco exterior and kitchen cabinets, are on our work page.
Which rules apply depends on which side of the line you live.
Cordova is a community, not a city, and has no city government of its own. Most of it was annexed into the City of Memphis, but some neighborhoods are in unincorporated Shelby County, including South Cordova and Rocky Point, which Memphis de-annexed on January 1, 2021. Not sure which you are in? Ask Memphis and Shelby County Construction Code Enforcement, (901) 222-8300, which issues permits for both.
- Permits. Building permits come from the same office either way, under one joint residential code that lists painting among the work needing no permit. Zoning follows one code too, the Unified Development Code, across the city and the unincorporated county.
- Peeling paint. Inside Memphis, the city’s property maintenance code requires peeling, flaking and chipped exterior paint to be eliminated and the surfaces repainted. Shelby County’s own property-maintenance enforcement in unincorporated areas is limited, mostly weeds, tenant set-outs and tires.
- Covenants. Some Cordova neighborhoods have owners’ associations with covenants of their own. The Cordova Club’s 1991 declaration, for one, requires its architectural committee’s prior written consent before any exterior painting. Read yours, or ask your association, before you choose colors.
Painting services in Cordova.
With most houses here built between 1980 and 2009, the work that usually fits is a full exterior repaint with new caulk and trim, and interior repaints and color changes. Holes and cracks are fixed first as part of drywall repair.
Interior painting
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors, repaired first, then two coats.
Learn more
Exterior painting
Brick, siding, stucco and wood: washed, scraped and primed where needed, then two coats.
Learn more
Cabinet painting
Kitchen and bathroom cabinets, sanded, primed and sprayed for a factory-smooth finish.
Learn more
Trim, doors and baseboards
Baseboards, crown, casings, doors and exterior trim, caulked and primed, then two coats.
Learn more
Drywall repair
Holes, cracks, water stains and old patchwork, patched and blended before the paint goes on.
Learn more
Wood rot repair
Rotten fascia, soffits, trim and siding boards cut out and replaced, then primed and painted to match.
Learn more
Brick painting
Brick washed first and painted with a product matched to masonry.
Learn more
Fences, decks & sheds
Wood cleaned and prepped, then stained or painted and sealed against Tennessee weather.
Learn more
Pressure washing
Houses, driveways, patios, decks and fences, washed clean of dirt, mildew and pollen.
Learn more
Commercial & contract work
A painting sub for Memphis builders, GCs, property managers and investors.
Learn moreThree steps from your first call.
Dario calls you back
Usually within the hour between 7am and 7pm, from (901) 665-2883. If he is up a ladder, he calls the moment he is down.
He walks the job with you
Usually within a few days, on a weekday between 11:30 and 1:30 or a Saturday between 7am and 6pm. He measures, checks the surfaces, and flags anything that costs more later if it is skipped now. Have your house’s build year and any HOA color approval to hand.
You get the price in writing
Surfaces, prep, coats, paint and days, line by line. Free, with no obligation, and yours to keep.
Before you decide.
How often to repaint
Intervals for each room, surface and deck, plus the signs it is time to repaint.
When to paint an exterior
Label temperatures, dew point, rain and Memphis weather by month: the best windows for outside work.
How to paint trim and doors
Baseboards, casings, interior doors and a front door: prep, sheen, weather and color.
Is Cordova part of Memphis?
Mostly. Cordova is a community, not a city: most of it is inside the City of Memphis, and some neighborhoods, including South Cordova and Rocky Point since January 1, 2021, are in unincorporated Shelby County.
Do I need a permit to paint my house in Cordova?
No. The joint Memphis and Shelby County residential code lists painting as work that needs no building permit, whichever side of the line you live on. For anything you build, call Construction Code Enforcement at (901) 222-8300 first.
Does Memphis require me to fix peeling exterior paint?
Inside the City of Memphis, the property maintenance code says peeling, flaking and chipped paint on exterior surfaces must be eliminated and the surfaces repainted. That is a city rule, and Shelby County’s property-maintenance enforcement in unincorporated areas is more limited.
Does my Cordova HOA have to approve my paint colors?
If your neighborhood has covenants, it may. The Cordova Club’s covenants, for example, require its architectural committee’s prior written consent before any exterior painting. Read yours or ask the association, and bring the approved colors to the walkthrough.
Is a 1990s house in Cordova due for repainting?
It may be, especially if the exterior was never repainted. Peeling trim, chalky siding, fading and cracked caulk are the signs, and our repaint guide shows each one. Dario checks them at the walkthrough, and the quote prices only what you ask for.
Where the facts come from.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year: Year Structure Built, ZIP 38016 (via Census Reporter) — median year built 1998; share of homes built in each decade
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year: Year Structure Built, ZIP 38018 (via Census Reporter) — median year built 1997; share of homes built in each decade
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020–2024 5-year: Year Structure Built, Memphis city (via Census Reporter) — median year built 1970; about two-thirds of homes built before 1980
- ZIP Code 38016 (zip-codes.com) — primary city Cordova, Tennessee, in Shelby County
- ZIP Code 38018 (zip-codes.com) — primary city Cordova, Tennessee, in Shelby County
- Cordova, Tennessee (Wikipedia) — a community in Shelby County; the majority annexed by Memphis, the remainder in unincorporated Shelby County
- FOX13 Memphis: Memphis is shrinking: South Cordova, other areas de-annexed (January 1, 2021) — South Cordova, Southwind-Windyke and Rocky Point left the city of Memphis
- FOX13 Memphis: Cordova residents petition for de-annexation from Memphis (2024) — Cordova still part of the City of Memphis, in Council District 2; ZIP codes 38016 and 38018
- Develop901: Construction Enforcement — one office issues construction permits for Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County
- Memphis and Shelby County: 2021 Residential Code with local amendments (joint ordinance, PDF) — applies in the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County; section R105.2 lists painting as work needing no permit
- Develop901: Unified Development Code — zoning code for the City of Memphis and unincorporated Shelby County
- Shelby County: Code Enforcement functions in Memphis and Shelby County (PDF) — City of Memphis enforces property maintenance; Shelby County has limited property-maintenance enforcement
- City of Memphis: International Property Maintenance Code as amended for Memphis (PDF) — section 304.2: peeling, flaking and chipped paint shall be eliminated and surfaces repainted
- City of Memphis: Code Enforcement — the city enforces the International Property Maintenance Code (Ordinance No. 5708)
- The Cordova Club Owner’s Association: summary of the Codes, Covenants and Restrictions (PDF) — paint color changes need the Architectural Committee’s prior written approval; covenants adopted in 1991
- The Cordova Club: Declaration of Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (PDF) — section 4.48: prior written consent before any exterior painting or refinishing
- U.S. EPA: Renovation, Repair and Painting Program — lead-based paint in homes built before 1978
Checked October 2026. Prices and product details change; your written estimate has the numbers for your house.
The rest of what we do.
Exterior painting
Brick, siding, stucco and wood: washed, scraped and primed where needed, then two coats.
Learn moreInterior painting
Walls, ceilings, trim and doors, repaired first, then two coats.
Learn moreCabinet painting
Kitchen and bathroom cabinets, sanded, primed and sprayed for a factory-smooth finish.
Learn moreFences, decks & sheds
Wood cleaned and prepped, then stained or painted and sealed against Tennessee weather.
Learn more
Get a free painting estimate in Cordova.
Answer a few short questions and Dario calls you back to book the walkthrough, usually within the hour between 7am and 7pm. Or call now and talk to him directly.
Rather pick the time yourself? Book the free estimate visit online (weekdays 11:30 to 1:30, Saturdays 7am to 6pm). dario@dariospainting.com · 7am to 7pm, seven days