A Note from John Spicer
Thank you for visiting our website. I’m John Spicer and I’ve had my painting business in Northern Virginia since 1975. What began as a way to pay for college blossomed into Spicer Contracting, Inc., our official name.
My company consists of 2 people: John Spicer (Me!) and Gene Thompson, who has been with me for 43 years.
This is important because when you contract with us, we will be the guys doing the work. There will not be a disconnect between the guy who does the estimate and the folks doing the work. We never employ day labor.
Just about all painters say they do quality work but what determines quality in the painting trade? I’d say experience and integrity. Experience to know how to properly prepare and paint the surface. Integrity to actually do it each and every time.
This website details the steps we take to do the job right the first time. With the two of us doing all the labor, we can assure you a consistent and superior painting experience. If you’re looking for the lowest price, we are not your guys. If you’re looking for the best value for your painting dollar, please call or e-mail us to discuss your project and obtain a free, no-obligation estimate.
“Our reputation is based on surface preparation.”
The Crew
John began painting in 1975 as a way to pay for college. Having an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoying the satisfaction of a profession where one sees the fruit of one’s labor, John incorporated his business after receiving his finance degree from George Mason University. A native of Northern Virginia, John and his wife Patty have four grown sons.
Gene also began painting as a way to pay for college back in 1981. Not the kind of guy who could sit behind a desk, Gene continued painting after receiving his degree from Radford University. Gene and his wife Maureen have one grown son.
Interior Painting
- Furnishings, pictures, window treatments, etc. are labeled and moved either to the center of the room or to an adjoining room.
- New painters’ plastic is placed over items left in room.
- The perimeter of the room is vacuumed, masking tape is applied to molding, and leak-proof drop cloths are put down.
- Imperfections in walls and ceilings (e.g. nail pops, stress cracks) are patched with a 2-coat application of spackling, followed by sanding.
- Unsightly cracks around all woodwork are caulked with siliconized acrylic latex caulk.
- Kitchen and other areas’ surfaces that show contamination (e.g. grease, dirt, mildew) are cleaned.
- Hardware fixtures (e.g. door knobs, window latches, light fixtures) are removed or taped.
- Quality paint is applied with crisp and precise cut lines (where ceiling and walls meet and around woodwork).
- Walls and ceilings receive full and even coats of paint.
- Floors are vacuumed and all furnishings, window treatments, pictures, etc., are returned to their original placement.
- A conscientious contractor with over 50 years of experience, fully licensed and insured for your protection.
- Wallpaper: We do not hang wallpaper but we have extensive experience in its removal. We only do wallpaper removal on a time-and-materials basis. We’ve found this is the only way to be fair to both parties since wallpaper removal is so unpredictable. We always tell our customer they can fire us after a few hours if they think we are not working fast enough. To date, no one has taken us up on our offer.
What Our Customers Say About Us
We are extremely pleased and totally satisfied with the work which you did for us. Not only was it accomplished in a most expeditious and professional manner, but your entire approach in performing the service – the personal consideration and cooperative attitude that you extended to us – and the obvious pride that you take in your work were so refreshing and very much appreciated. The house looks great, thanks to you and your crew, and we will gladly give you full credit and recommend your company to our friends.
S. S., McLean, VA
We are so pleased with the quality of the paint job performed on the exterior of our house in June. I was happy to inspect the work in July upon my return and find no flaws at all; rather, much evidence that you performed in excess of what was required.
S. T., Springfield, VA
[We] thank you for the fine job done by you and your company. You probably know this, but don’t hear it often enought – your hard work and integrity shine through and it is an honor and pleasure for us to work with you.
T. B. F., Vienna, VA
You and your men are to be commended not only for your quality prep and painting, but also for the friendly, cooperative attitudes you brought to work each day and the orderly, neat work environment you maintained. Our job required some tough, exhausting work before paint could be applied, but that didn’t seem to dampen your spirits one bit and certainly didn’t affect your overall positive work ethic. You were all a pleasure to spend the week with.
The house looks beautiful and we thank you for making it so. You can be sure we will recommend you to any and all who are in the market for a paint job. And you’ll be hearing from us again the next time around.
D.H., Centreville, VA
I am so pleased with the painting done by Spicer Contracting, Inc. in my home in mid-February 2026. The owner, John Spicer, is professional, kind, skilled, and thorough. He and his colleague Gene arrived on time, and they touched up several areas in my home in need of paint and repair at no additional cost. John is easy to communicate with, and his contract is clear. He takes pride in his work, and cleans up when finished, vacuuming every area he worked in. I give John Spicer and his company the highest rating and recommendation.
Feb 23, 2026
John and his colleague Gene painted the inside of my house this summer. All of the good things that people have written in previous reviews are absolutely true. Before the job started, John came out to my house and put up some paint samples so that I could look at the different sheens and decide which I wanted. They tackled my vaulted ceilings and slanted ceilings and worked around my ceiling fans with an attention to detail. They are not the cheapest, had a wait list and said they no longer do exteriors but if you can work within those constraints they are the best.
Dec.28, 2025
I contacted Spicer Contracting to discuss repairs needed to my dining room walls before they could be repainted. My house is 70+ years old and the original wall paper paste was bleeding through in the dining room, requiring frequent touch ups to the area where the paint bubbled off. There were also areas where the plaster needed to be evened out. I asked them to also create boxes with wall molding below the chair rails. John Spicer provided a cost estimate explaining the work items necessary and the materials needed for each. I had a need-by date for the work to be completed and John went out of his way to accommodate the timeline. I couldn’t be more pleased with the service provided and John and Gene were a pleasure to work with. I would recommend them to anyone with a painting need.
Sep 24, 2025
John started when he told me he would. His prep was the best I have ever seen and that is the key to a successful paint job. Price was a little high compared with others, but that is what you pay for an excellent paint job.
Sep 03, 2025
John Spicer and his colleague, Gene, are simply the best and I'm so happy I found them! They did a lot of work in my house fixing previous bad kitchen paint work, covering/painting electrical wiring work in my living room, painting my upstairs bedrooms, stairway and hallway and they did such an incredible job, all for a very reasonable price. They arrived on time, worked their butts off, barely taking any breaks, and left everything clean and organized. They helped me choose colors and even fixed a few extra things for me along the way. They are so nice and personable that it was a pleasure having them in my home! I'm looking forward to having them come back to paint the lower level of my house and will never use any one else again!
May 18, 2025
See additional customer reviews at Washington Consumers’ Checkbook (checkbook.org).
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