How exterior painting works: preparation first, then the finish.

Small repairs are expected on any older wood-sided home and are written into the painting scope as line items: a sill, a piece of trim, the bottom of a corner board. When prep uncovers larger rot, such as a soft fascia run or damaged siding behind peeling paint, the work stops at that area, the damage is photographed and priced, and you approve the repair before painting continues. Paint over rotted wood fails within a season, so the repair is not optional; how it is priced should be.

Sample colors look different on your walls than on a chip, and different again on the sunny side versus the shaded side. Brushed-out test areas of two or three finalists, at least two feet square, on both exposures let you see the color in morning and afternoon light before the whole house is committed. The estimate can include that step, and HOA color approval, where it applies, is easier with the actual sample on the house.

Yes, with attention to surface temperature. Paint applied to a stucco or siding surface that is too hot dries before it can bond and level, so summer work is sequenced to follow the shade around the house: east walls early, west walls late, south walls on cooler days or under shade cloth. Most manufacturers publish a surface temperature range on the data sheet, and the crew works to it.

Only if they are listed. A complete painting scope names every surface that gets paint: body, trim, fascia, eaves, doors, garage door, shutters, railings, gutters, and any fence or gate. Anything not named is not included, which is how two estimates for the same house end up thousands apart. Ask for the list, and compare lists before comparing totals.