Ask Lee™
Ask a question. Describe a project. Upload photos.
Ask Lee™ is an AI advisor trained on Painting By Lee’s expertise. Real answers on products, prep, color, repair, and process. When you’re ready, it can also gather your project details and send a full brief to Lee — no form-filling required.
Ask Lee™ is an AI advisor trained on Painting By Lee’s knowledge. It does not provide final pricing or contractual promises. When the conversation is ready, you can ask it to send a project brief to Lee — he’ll review and reach out personally. Tennessee service area only.
Prefer Lee personally? Send a private message instead.
If you’d rather have Lee answer directly — especially for sensitive topics or if you don’t want to use the AI — send a private message below.
Common questions
Already answered. No question needed.
Recurring questions, answered once. Read these first — yours might already be covered.
How does an estimate work?
I come look at the project in person, walk through what's involved, and give you a real number — not a generic per-room rate. Most estimates come back within a day or two of the visit. If your project is straightforward, you can also send me details and photos through the Project Assessment™ and I can quote remotely.
Do you charge for estimates?
Standard estimates are free across our Tennessee service area. If you're outside the regular area or your project needs a much longer site visit, I'll be straight with you about that up front before we schedule.
How long does an interior repaint take?
A single room is usually one to two days, including prep and a second coat. A whole-home interior — typical three-bedroom — is closer to four to seven working days depending on color changes, repairs, and how much trim is involved. I'll give you an honest window with the estimate.
Do I need to move out, or move furniture?
You don't need to move out. We protect floors, drape furniture, and keep the work area contained — and we clean up at the end of every day, not just at the end of the job. If you can move smaller items off the walls and clear closets we're painting, that speeds the work along.
My ceiling has a water stain. Can it be repaired before paint?
Yes — and it should be. Painting over a water stain without sealing it first means the stain comes back through. I block stains with a shellac-based primer, repair the drywall or texture if needed, then paint. Done right, you won't be able to see where the stain was.
What paint do you use?
Sherwin-Williams across the board. Cashmere for most interior walls, SuperPaint and ProMar 200 where they fit, Duration and Emerald for exterior, and Emerald Urethane for cabinets and trim. I'll explain why a particular product is the right call for your job in the estimate.
My home is older — should I be worried about lead paint?
If your home was built before 1978, there's a real chance of lead-based paint in the original finishes. I follow the EPA Renovate, Repair, and Paint rules for those projects — containment, dust control, and safe disposal. I'll talk you through what that means for your specific home before we start.
Cabinet refinishing vs. replacement — what should I do?
If the cabinet boxes are solid and you like the layout, refinishing is the highest-impact, lowest-cost move you can make. I take doors off-site, spray them to a factory-grade finish, and re-finish bases in your kitchen. If the boxes are damaged or the layout doesn't work, replacement is the right call — I'll tell you which it is when I see the cabinets.
When can you paint the exterior of my house?
Exterior painting in Tennessee runs roughly mid-spring through fall. We watch the weather — surface temperature, humidity, and a clear window for cure time matter. I won't push paint onto a surface that isn't ready, even if the calendar says it's time.
How do payments work?
Larger projects use a structured deposit and progress milestones. Smaller jobs I'll quote as a single number due on completion. Once an estimate is accepted I'll send a clean Stripe payment link — no awkward checks at the door.
Do you offer a warranty?
Yes. I stand behind the work — products fail very rarely, but prep mistakes show up. If something I painted fails because of how I prepped or applied it, I come back and make it right.
Where do you work?
Tennessee only — Johnson City, Kingsport, Bristol TN, Blountville, Gray, Piney Flats, and Jonesborough. If you're nearby and not on the list, ask — sometimes we can still get there.
Already know what you want quoted?
Project Assessment™ is the structured intake form — if you’d rather fill out fields than chat.