12/27/2015
Hiring a Painting Contractor – Which Painter Should You Pick?
Hiring a painting contractor can be a serious decision; due to the cost of house painting there is a lot of money at stake, and of course you want a beautiful paint job.
Which contractor do you pick? How do you weigh your options? This is a daunting task even for the most stoic out there.
We’ve already touched on this subject some; see our companion posts here, and here.
Here are a few things to consider making the task of hiring a painting contractor less risky.
Check references. This should go without saying; it’s a must that you check all references that your painter provides you so you can make the best decision.
Some good questions to ask their references include:
Did they show up on time?
Did they complete the work on time?
Did the total come to within the estimated price range?
Were the employees courteous, friendly and professional?
Were there any problems or issues they experienced with the contractor?
If you’re really very curious you may even ask the painter if there is any of their work you can go and see for yourself.
This will also be telling as you can see the contractors reaction to you wanting to see their previous work,
Are they open and telling? Or, are they reserved and cagey. Given the time, stress, and cost of house painting you’ll fare best hiring a painting contractor that is open with
you. This indicates that they’re better communicators and that means you’ll get the job you want.Consider referrals from friends. Referrals are a great way to find a quality
painting company. Many painters rely on word of mouth as a way of gaining clients and this is for a reason, when someone refers a service or contractor they’re basically
putting themselves on the line at the same time. It’s for this reason that your chances of finding a quality painting contractor via word of mouth are pretty high.
Ask your local paint store. Talking to the employees are your local paint store is always a good idea if you’re thinking about doing some painting work and hiring a painting
contractors as they can recommend products and also usually recommend a professional painter that can take care of your paint job. This is also a good way to find a worth
painter because it’s basically another word of mouth recommendation and they’re putting their reputation on the line somewhat.Get a detailed written proposal stating materials
and all painting work to be completed. Before hiring a painting contractor it’s important that you both have a full understanding of what work to be completed, including what
materials will be used. This affects the cost of house painting, duration, and quality of your finished painted home. One mistake I’ve seen a few times is with closets in the
bedroom; let’s say you thought the painting contractor was going to paint the closets but the estimate didn’t specifically state it but they didn’t quote it and it didn’t get
painted. Well now it’s going to cost more!If it’s not listed on the painting estimate double-check with the painter before moving ahead on the job as it may drastically affect
the price or time to complete the job. Also, make sure you and the painter clearly understand the quality and brand of paint that is going to be used as this is another area
where cost can sky rocket if terms are not clear. After discussing these items the best way to make sure you both know exactly what work is going to be performed is to have
all of these items written down!
There are a variety of things you should pay attention to when hiring a painting contractor. This brief list here should really get you off the right start though
that will surely help you in your venture!
