Paint protects sound material. It does not fix material that has failed. That one rule answers most of the questions on this page. Here is how it applies to cabinets, siding, trim and decks in San Bernardino.
Price ranges on this page are national figures published by HomeGuide for 2026. They are not our quotes. Local labor, paint prices and the condition of your own walls move the number up or down. Last checked October 2026.
Should I paint or replace my kitchen cabinets?
Paint them if the boxes are solid, the doors are flat and you like the layout. Replace them if the boxes are swollen from water, the shelves sag, the drawers are falling apart or you want a different layout. By the national figures, painting costs $2,000 to $6,500 and full replacement costs $4,500 to $15,000.
Is it cheaper to paint or replace old siding?
It is cheaper to paint old siding than to replace it, as long as the siding is sound. The published comparisons are for vinyl and aluminum. Painting vinyl costs $1,500 to $5,000 against $4,800 to $11,100 to replace it. Painting aluminum costs $1,500 to $7,000 against $6,300 to $20,100.
No comparison is published for wood or stucco, which are what San Bernardino homes actually have. Stucco is almost never replaced. It is patched and painted.
My wood siding is faded, cracked or 30 years old. Paint or replace?
Faded wood siding needs paint, not replacement. Age alone is not the test. Push a screwdriver into the worst boards. If the wood is hard, it can be scraped, primed and painted, and surface cracks can be filled. If boards are soft, split through or cupped away from the wall, replace those boards and paint the rest.
Wood siding here is mostly on older bungalows near downtown and on some ranch houses. Sun, not rain, does the damage. It dries the wood until the surface checks and the paint lets go.
My wood siding has some rot. Paint it or replace it first?
Fix the rot first. Paint over rot traps moisture and the rot keeps going underneath. In our dry climate, rot is usually local. Look where sprinklers hit the wall, at the bottom boards near soil, under a leaking gutter or roof edge and behind planters. Replace or repair those pieces, stop the water, then prime and paint.
The trim is soft or rotting. Fill and paint, or new trim?
Small soft spots in trim can be dug out, hardened and filled. Trim that is soft along its length should be replaced. Fascia boards and rafter tails are the usual problem on local homes, because they take full sun and catch roof runoff. A board that is cracked and dry but still hard can be primed, caulked and painted.
Can a painter patch dry rot with epoxy or do I need a carpenter?
A painter can patch small areas of dry rot with a two-part epoxy wood filler. The rotted wood is cut out, the sound wood is treated with a hardener, and the epoxy is shaped, sanded and primed. You need a carpenter when the damage is large, when it runs the length of a board, or when the piece holds something up, such as a beam, a post or a rafter. We tell you which it is.
My deck boards are gray and splintering. Stain or replace?
Gray is only weathering, and it washes off. Splintering is the real question. Light splinters on solid boards can be sanded and the deck stained. Boards that are cracked through, cupped or soft should be replaced. Often the answer is both: replace the worst boards and stain everything.
My aluminum siding is chalky. Paint it or cover it?
Chalky aluminum siding can be painted. The chalk is the old factory finish breaking down. It has to be washed off fully, or new paint will stick to the powder and not to the metal. After washing and priming any bare spots, a good acrylic paint holds well. Aluminum siding is not common in San Bernardino, but it turns up on some postwar houses and mobile homes.
Is a 20-year-old deck worth painting or staining?
An old deck is worth staining if the frame is sound. Check the posts, the joists and where the deck meets the house. If those are solid, replacing a few boards and staining is money well spent. HomeGuide lists deck repairs at $100 to $750 and professional staining of a 12 by 16 deck at $301 to $775. If the frame is rotted or loose, do not coat it. Have it rebuilt.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (909) 487-2695.