Details Painting Contractors Want their Clients to Know - Part 1

In part one of this two-blog post, we will review the painting industry in general and steps homeowners should take to ensure they hire a reputable contractor. In the next blog, we will consider the steps homeowners should take to ensure their contractor does the work they were contracted to provide.

While hardened DIY-types may want to go it alone and invest time and effort in a house painting project, many homeowners will hire a professional painter for an extensive project. For example, they may have schedule constraints when preparing their home to move in or for sale, or they may need a house painter to start a remodel with a new color scheme for the interior or exterior of their home.

For many, the challenge is choosing a house painter who will do an excellent job for a fair price. There are worries, such as what happens if they spatter paint on the flooring or the furniture, the color is different from what the homeowner expected, or the paint peels in a few months.

Although a homeowner’s worries are justified—after all, this is their home—a professional painter with solid reviews will take care of their clients. Following is information professional painting contractors wish their clients would keep in mind.

House painting is skilled artwork

Painting buildings is more than just brushing, rolling, or spraying paint on a surface. Instead, think of house painting as a skill and an art form practiced daily by professional house painters. While this artistry will not turn the bathroom walls and ceilings into one of the world’s premiere masterpieces, homeowners should understand that a house painter is skilled in their craft.

Since a house painting project involves a lot of prep work and artistry, homeowners need a painter who knows what they are doing, which includes a deep understanding of the products they use and does excellent prep work to prepare the canvas for painting. The right painting contractor will provide quality workmanship and materials, allowing the homeowner to rest at ease and feel secure in a well-done job.

Talk to several painting contractors

Ask for bids from several painting contractors for the needed work. Doing so gives the homeowner an idea of the project’s average cost. The bids should be comparable. In addition, it allows homeowners to meet several painting contractors to find one with whom they feel comfortable and confident. While price is a critical component of any job, it is far more important that a homeowner find the right painting contractor.

The best way to find detail-oriented contractors is to ask their previous customers for their opinion and referral. Then, contact their references for an honest opinion of the painting contractor and their work ethic.

Compare the specifics of each bid

It’s tough to over-emphasize the value of working with painting contractors who provide detailed bids. Deciding between two, three, or more painting contractors is hard enough. It is more difficult when a homeowner must rely on guesswork to determine the bids’ differences. For instance, a bid “scribbled down on a napkin” or generic with no details is not even comparable to a complete and detailed bid.

A reputable bid should include the following:

• Material costs: The saying, “You get what you pay for,” is true. Homeowners shouldn’t feel compelled to hire the painting contractor with the highest bid, but they may not want the one who uses the cheapest materials. Sometimes, people often confuse price with value. For example, if a homeowner chooses the cheapest paint and has to repaint their house twice as often, it is not a great value.

• Estimate’s completeness: A complete estimate should include everything the homeowner wants to be done to the property. Oversights and misunderstandings happen, so having the particulars in writing ensure the painting contractor and homeowner know everything the job entails!

• Estimate flexibility: When comparing bids, if the most expensive contractor is the one a homeowner wants, but the cost is outside budget allowances, ask the painting contractor if they can work the project in line with the budget. They may change some of the painting project’s parameters. However, the painting contractor may have given the homeowner the best price possible, and a compromise is impossible.

Contracts and Warranties

Don’t start a painting project without a signed contract with a warranty for the work. Every job should have a signed contract with the specifics of the agreement. It helps avoid misunderstandings, disappointments, and unrealistic expectations. In addition, a painting warranty protects the homeowner from additional costs if the product fails to stand up to the weather or due to oversights/poor quality workmanship by the painting company.

Mark’s Painting offers residential and commercial painting for Tampa, Hillsborough, and Pinellas County. Exterior painting, including priming, sealing, plaster & drywall service, pressure washing. We paint interiors, including ceilings, walls, trim, baseboard, fireplaces, mantels, paneling, wainscoting, doors, and windows. We offer wallpaper removal, caulking, staining and varnishing, refinishing, texturing, specialty finishes, and more. We are licensed and insured. Call us at (813) 831-5433.