Specialty Coatings
Primer &
Finish Paint
Paint system management for structural and miscellaneous steel — from spec selection and surface prep through certified shop and field application.
The Paint Scope
Managed End to End
Paint failures on structural steel almost never come from the paint itself — they come from wrong surface prep, incompatible products, or gaps in coordination between the fabricator and the applicator. We close those gaps.
We manage the paint scope the same way we manage every other Division 5 scope — one point of contact, one contract, and accountability from spec through final inspection.
What We Manage
- Paint system specification review and SSPC/NACE compliance
- Surface preparation standard coordination (SSPC-SP6, SP10, SP16)
- Shop primer application scheduling with the fabricator
- Certified applicator selection and qualification
- Dry film thickness (DFT) inspection and documentation
- Holiday testing and adhesion verification
- Field touch-up specification for erection damage
- Color matching and finish approval coordination
Paint Systems We Manage
The right system depends on the environment, the substrate, and the project spec. We help select and coordinate the appropriate system for your scope.
Shop Primer Only
A single shop-applied primer coat for steel that will receive field-applied topcoats by others. Protects against flash rust during fabrication, transport, and erection.
- Structural steel receiving field paint
- Miscellaneous steel in protected environments
- Steel to be encased in concrete or fireproofing
Primer + Intermediate + Finish
A three-coat system providing maximum film build, adhesion, and topcoat durability. Standard for exposed structural and architectural steel in commercial and industrial applications.
- Exposed structural steel
- Exterior miscellaneous steel
- High-traffic architectural metalwork
High-Performance Epoxy Systems
Epoxy primer with urethane or polysiloxane topcoat for aggressive environments — chemical exposure, coastal conditions, or industrial facilities requiring extended recoat cycles.
- Industrial and manufacturing facilities
- Coastal or high-humidity environments
- Chemical or wastewater infrastructure
Duplex Systems (Galvanize + Paint)
A galvanized substrate with a paint topcoat applied over it — combining the cathodic protection of zinc with the color, aesthetics, or additional chemical resistance of a paint system.
- Architecturally exposed galvanized steel
- Color-matched structural elements
- Environments requiring both corrosion and chemical resistance
Why Managed Paint Matters
A paint system is only as good as the coordination behind it. Here's where unmanaged paint scopes break down — and how we prevent it.
Corrosion Protection
A properly specified and applied paint system is the first line of defense against corrosion — extending the service life of your steel and reducing lifecycle maintenance costs.
System Compatibility
Primer, intermediate, and topcoat must be chemically compatible. We manage the spec to ensure every coat in the system is from a compatible product line and applied to the correct DFT.
Surface Prep is Everything
Paint fails at the surface prep, not the paint. We coordinate the correct SSPC surface preparation standard for your environment and hold fabricators and applicators to it.
One Point of Accountability
When primer is applied by the fabricator and finish coat by a separate applicator, coordination gaps create warranty disputes. We manage both under one scope.
Standards &
Specifications
We manage paint scopes to SSPC, NACE, and AISC standards — coordinating compliance between your engineer of record, the fabricator, and the certified applicator.
- SSPC-SP6 / NACE No. 3 — Commercial Blast Cleaning (minimum for most shop primer)
- SSPC-SP10 / NACE No. 2 — Near-White Blast Cleaning (high-performance systems)
- SSPC-PA 1 — Shop, Field, and Maintenance Painting of Steel
- SSPC-PA 2 — Procedure for Determining Conformance to Dry Coating Thickness Requirements
- AISC Code of Standard Practice — coating requirements for structural steel
- Project-specific paint schedules and manufacturer product data sheets (PDS)
Need Your Paint Scope Managed?
Tell us your spec, environment, and schedule. We'll coordinate the system, the applicator, and the inspection — one contract for the full coating scope.