12 painters ranked by CR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
Best overall in Sterling: The Painting Doctor, CR Score 62/100; 4.6★ from 25 Google reviews; open Saturdays until 8 PM.
Most-reviewed: Moeller Painting, 42 Google reviews at 5.0★, the most of 12 ranked; ranked #3.
Rankings can't be bought. Contractors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
12 Sterling painters are ranked here by CR Score, from ten published factors. 3 open Saturdays and 2 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 5.0★ across 12 rated businesses.
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Painting Doctor | 62 | 4.6★ (25) | Sterling | Sat · Evenings | Overall |
| 2 | - Color Me Happy | 61 | 4.8★ (11) | Sterling | — | — |
| 3 | Moeller Painting | 59 | 5.0★ (42) | Rock Falls, 9 mi away | — | Most reviews |
| 4 | Elite Painting and Renovation | 59 | 4.7★ (15) | Sterling | Sat · Sun · Evenings | — |
| 5 | Kaiser Painting Services | 56 | 5.0★ (12) | Rock Falls, 7 mi away | — | — |
| 6 | Tru Colors Painting & Drywall | 56 | 5.0★ (23) | Rock Falls, 13 mi away | — | — |
| 7 | Tucker Painting Inc | 53 | 5.0★ (6) | Dixon, 9 mi away | — | — |
| 8 | CNM Refinishing | 52 | 5.0★ (15) | Dixon, 12 mi away | Sat · Sun | — |
| 9 | Quality Coating & Blasting | 50 | 5.0★ (8) | Rock Falls, 2 mi away | — | — |
| 10 | JNA Painters | 50 | 3.0★ (4) | Dixon, 11 mi away | — | — |
Ordered by CR Score, a 0–100 score from ten published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.6★ from 25 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Painter”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Sterling
Ranked #2 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 11 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Painting studio”.
Based on 7 of 10 factors; credentials, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Rock Falls, 9 mi away
Ranked #3 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 42 Google reviews, the most in Sterling.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Sterling
Ranked #4 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.7★ from 15 Google reviews.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Rock Falls, 7 mi away
Ranked #5 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 12 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Painter”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Rock Falls, 13 mi away
Ranked #6 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 23 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Painter”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Dixon, 9 mi away
Ranked #7 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Painter”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Dixon, 12 mi away
Ranked #8 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 15 Google reviews.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Rock Falls, 2 mi away
Ranked #9 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 8 Google reviews.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Dixon, 11 mi away
Ranked #10 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 3.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Painter”.
Based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected.
Based in Sterling
Ranked #11 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 3.3★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Dry wall contractor”.
Based on 7 of 10 factors; credentials, recency and availability not yet collected.
Based in Dixon, 11 mi away
Ranked #12 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 11 Google reviews.
Based on 7 of 10 factors; credentials, recency and availability not yet collected.
National price ranges in USD, not adjusted for Sterling. Each row names its basis and the month we checked it.
| Job | Low | Typical | High | Basis | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interior painting | $965 | $2,022 | $3,089 | Per project: typical range of customer-reported jobs (about $2 to $6 per sq ft of floor area). US national range | October 2026 |
| Exterior painting | $1,819 | $3,178 | $4,551 | Per house: typical range of customer-reported jobs. US national range | October 2026 |
We scored 12 Sterling painters on ten factors, weighted as shown. A business is ranked when its trade is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A business with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed October 22, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Featured businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Sterling data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Credentials | 15% | Active state license, bond and workers’ comp on file | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed business on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 5% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday, 24/7 or same-day | Measured |
| Trade focus | 10% | How clearly the business does this trade (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The business has claimed its ContractorsRanked profile (free or paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Partnered | 5% | The business links to ContractorsRanked from its own website with our badge, checked periodically | Measured |
| ContractorsRanked reviews | 10% | Verified customer reviews collected by ContractorsRanked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |