Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

March, 2003

Permits for Painting Buildings and Archetectural Structures

Q. We are in the process of painting a building that is waterfront where the backside will have to be coated from a barge. Is there any type of permits that i need to be able to paint from a barge?

A. First, you did not tell me in which state you will be painting the building. Each state has its own permitting regulations, but in general based on what I know about many of the state regulations you will not need an air pollution permit to paint the building from the barge. I'm assuming, of course that you are referring to an air pollution permit and not a safety or fire permit, neither of which I can advise you on.

To clarify the situation you should call you local state air pollution agency and tell them that you are painting an architectural structure.

If you have a spray booth on the barge and are painting inside the spray booth, then you might indeed need a permit, but if you are painting the building directly from the barge, I doubt that a permit is needed.

Again, I suggest that you confirm this with your state or local agency. If you would like my firm to do this for you we can do so, but we charge for consulting services.