Paint is the first thing anyone notices about a superyacht, and one of the most expensive items in a refit to get wrong. A topcoat that dulls early, a fairing line that shows in low sunlight or a repair that doesn't match will be visible every day the yacht is in use. That makes the choice between superyacht painting companies a decision worth taking slowly.
This guide is for owners, captains, yacht managers and refit project managers comparing yacht painting companies for a full repaint, a partial respray, fairing or repair work. It applies whether the yacht is lying in the UK, elsewhere in Europe or in Asia. It doesn't name or rank anyone. Instead, it sets out what to ask, what to look for in a quotation and where projects tend to go wrong.
Painting company, paint contractor or shipyard paint shop?
The phrase "superyacht painting company" is used for several quite different set-ups, and it helps to know which one you're dealing with.
- Shipyard paint departments belong to the yard. Their painters work under the yard's management, terms and programme, and the paint work is one line in a wider yard contract.
- Independent superyacht paint contractors are specialist teams that move to wherever the yacht is: a yard, a shed or a marina hardstanding. They are hired either by the yard or directly by the owner's side.
- Paint project managers or coatings consultants don't usually hold a spray gun. They write the paint specification, monitor the work and sign off each stage on the owner's behalf.
None of these is better in itself. What matters is that the contract makes clear who applies the paint, who checks it and who answers to the owner if something isn't right.
Eight questions to put to any superyacht paint contractor
- What have you painted that resembles my yacht? Size matters, but so do hull material (steel, aluminium or composite), colour and finish. Dark colours and metallics show every flaw and are far less forgiving than white.
- Who will actually be on the job? Ask for the name of the site supervisor and how many of the team are the company's own painters rather than agency labour hired for the project.
- Which paint system, and why? A serious contractor will explain the full build-up, from substrate preparation and primers through fillers and high-build coats to the topcoat, and how it fits the yacht's existing coatings. Our article on comparing paint systems shows the sort of trade-offs involved.
- Will you follow the manufacturer's application data? Film thickness, overcoating windows, temperature, humidity and dew point limits are set by the paint maker. Ask how they will be measured and recorded.
- How is the work protected? Tenting, dust extraction, climate control and masking decide whether a topcoat comes out clean. Ask what will be built and who pays for it.
- What does the programme allow for curing? Rushed cure times are a common cause of later failures. See why cure times matter.
- What happens when hidden damage appears? Once old paint and filler come off, corrosion or laminate damage can turn up. Ask how it will be reported, photographed, priced and approved.
- What written guarantee is offered, and on what conditions? Understand what is covered, for how long, and what maintenance or inspection the guarantee depends on.
Reading a paint quotation properly
Two quotations for "repaint the hull" can describe very different jobs. When comparing them, look for:
- Scope by area: hull, superstructure, masts, decks and overheads, each listed separately.
- Preparation stated plainly: whether old coatings are sanded back, taken to bare substrate or overcoated.
- Fairing allowance: how much fairing is included, and the rate for anything beyond it.
- Products and coats named: the manufacturer, product names and number of coats for each layer.
- Facilities: tenting, scaffolding, lighting, heating or dehumidification, and power.
- Exclusions and provisional sums: what isn't included and how it would be charged.
- Programme: start and finish dates, with the weather and cure-time assumptions behind them.
If one price is much lower than the rest, the difference is usually in one of those lines. Our guide to what a repaint costs explains the main cost drivers.
Inspection: the stages that decide the finish
A topcoat can only be as good as what lies beneath it. Agree before work starts which stages will be inspected and signed off:
- surface preparation and cleanliness before priming;
- the faired surface, checked for line and smoothness before high-build coats;
- dry film thickness readings at agreed points;
- environmental readings (temperature, humidity, dew point) on each spraying day;
- the finished topcoat, checked in daylight and under raking light.
Ask for these records to form part of the handover pack. More detail is on our paint inspection page.
Painting in the UK, Europe or Asia: what changes
The principles of a good paint job are the same everywhere. The practicalities are not.
United Kingdom and northern Europe
Cool, damp winters mean most exterior painting happens in heated sheds or fully enclosed tents, and the programme needs to allow for heating and dehumidification. Yard periods often fall over the winter, between summer seasons, so good contractors are booked early. You can read about our own UK track record and references.
The Mediterranean and international projects
Many yachts are painted where they spend the season, or wherever a suitable shed is free. When a contractor travels to the yacht, check how they will bring in or source materials, accommodate the team and meet local rules on labour, waste and solvent use. A clear agreement with the hosting yard or marina avoids disputes over facilities and access.
Asia: yacht painting in Singapore, Thailand and the tropics
Heat and humidity are the main challenge. Dew point and surface temperature can rule out spraying for part of the day, and climate-controlled tenting often sets the pace of the whole job. Singapore offers large facilities and a deep supply chain. Thailand's Gulf coast has marina-based options near Pattaya. For local detail, see our pages on yacht painting Singapore and yacht painting Thailand, and our overview of painting yards in Asia.
Warning signs when comparing painters
- A single-line price with no products, coats or preparation listed.
- No photographs of finished work, or no captain willing to be contacted.
- Reluctance to put inspection stages or film-thickness checks in writing.
- A programme that leaves no time for curing or bad weather.
- A guarantee offered verbally but not on paper.
- Claims about approvals, capacity or history that come with no documents when you ask.
Any one of these is a reason to ask more questions before you sign.
About Superyacht Painters
Superyacht Painters carries out full superyacht repaints, fairing, paint repairs, composite and GRP repair and new-build painting. We are the sister company of Yacht Refit Asia, with the same founder, Scott Taylor. When a refit includes coatings, the paintwork sits inside the same programme as the rest of the refit.
Examples of projects in Asia (contracted through Yacht Refit Asia):
- Singapore, now in progress: a current Yacht Refit Asia project on a 76 m superyacht: fairing across the hull, followed by a new hull paint system.
- Thailand, M/Y Victon (41 m): extensive paint repairs and metallic blending at Ocean Marina Jomtien. Read the M/Y Victon case study.
- Thailand, Princess yachts: projects at Ocean Marina, Pattaya, for a Phuket-based client.
See more on our projects page.
Frequently asked questions
What does a superyacht painting company do?
It prepares, fairs and paints a yacht's hull, superstructure and other surfaces, and repairs damaged paintwork. Some also carry out composite repairs and manage the paint specification and inspections.
How do I compare yacht painting companies?
Ask each one to price the same scope, with preparation, fairing, products, number of coats, facilities and exclusions set out separately. Then compare those lines, the programme and the written guarantee, not just the total.
Should the paint contractor be hired by the yard or by the owner?
Either can work. If the yard hires the contractor, the owner's side should still agree the specification and the inspection stages. If the owner hires them directly, agree in writing with the yard who provides facilities, access and utilities.
How long does a superyacht repaint take?
The answer turns on the yacht's size, the scope, how much fairing is needed and the climate. Cure times and weather limits set by the paint manufacturer must be allowed for in the timetable, so ask any contractor to show how their timetable allows for them.
Where does Superyacht Painters work?
Our current projects are in Asia, including Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Our founder's earlier work in the UK and Europe is set out on our UK track record and references page. For a yacht elsewhere, speak to our team about the yacht, the location and the timing.
Speak to our team about your paint project.