Hiring a painting contractor does not have to be a daunting task. When painting your home, it’s common to have more questions than simply what colour will look best on your walls. After all, you are inviting someone into your home, spending money, and expecting quality, professional work. We understand the concerns you may have when hiring house painters, so we’ve put together a checklist of questions to be sure to ask.
Thinking About Hiring a Painting Contractor? Ask These Questions:
1) Are your painter’s employees or subcontractors?
Some painting companies use subcontractors to do the work because it can lower their overall costs. By doing this, companies can avoid paying employee benefits and can pay a flat rate for the job. The concern with subcontractors is the quality of work and the potential to cut corners to save their own costs.
For these reasons, when hiring a painting contractor it is preferable to use a company whose painters are employees. But, if the company uses subcontractors be sure it stands by the work and that you get the right answers to the rest of these questions.
2) How do you hire your painters? Do you perform background checks?
When workers are coming into your home, you want to ensure you and your belongings are safe. Professional painting companies understand this, so don’t be afraid to ask this question when hiring a painting contractor. After all, you want to ensure the painter who does the job is professional, properly trained, bondable, experienced and trustworthy. If you are hiring a painting contractor, be sure to ask about the specific painters who will be in your home and working on your job.
3) Is your company licensed, bonded and what’s your insurance?
This is another one of those questions that gets right down to the professionalism of the company and its workers when you are hiring a painting contractor. As a consumer, you should never hire house painters who do not have proper liability and worker’s compensation insurance in place. This is a great time to ask about any business organizations they may be a part of such as The Better Business Bureau or the local Chamber of Commerce.
4) What are your safety standards and what is your safety record?
Safety is an important consideration when hiring a painting contractor. While accidents can happen anywhere, accidents on the job can delay the timeline and even cause damage to your property. A company with an excellent safety record is one who likely takes more care in ensuring a job well done.
5) What will my warranty cover and how long is it good for?
Do not hire a painting contractor who does not offer a warranty. It’s important you understand what is covered as well as how long you have to make a claim. Good painters who use good products will stand behind their work. While hiring a painting contractor, get it in writing so you all have something to refer to should any unforeseen issues come up.
6) What’s included in the painting estimate?
An estimate is likely the first step you undertake when hiring a painting contractor. Be sure to get an itemized list of what’s included in writing. Ask if the estimate is a fixed cost and what additional costs could be expected.
7) What’s the timeline to do my painting job?
Get a timeline in writing. Ask about anything that could possibly delay completion. In addition, ask about specific hours and days the painter will be scheduled and ask to be notified in advance should anything change.
8) What kind of paint and supplies will you be using?
You can tell a lot about a painting company based on the paint and supplies they regularly use. There is a huge difference in quality, application, lifespan and use among products. Asking this question allows you to ensure the painter understands the proper use and application of the products they choose. This helps you know the painter you hire knows the business inside and out.
9) How Will My Project Be Managed? Who is My Contact?
When hiring a painting contractor, the person who gave you the estimate may or may not be your main contact throughout the project. When you have questions or need to get in touch, be sure you know who to contact.
10) Do you have any references?
Good painting companies have references, pictures of previous jobs and before and after galleries they will be proud to show you.
Bonus Question To Ask When Hiring a Painting Contractor:
Ask if the home painting company has a design or colour consultant on hand to help you decide the right colour for your space. You may think you want grey, but there really are over fifty shades and each looks different depending on the space and light.
Hiring a painting contractor doesn’t have to be hard when you know exactly what to ask. Asking them helps you ensure you are hiring the right home painter to do an excellent job.
Get an Exterior Painting Quote from a Contractor, you Can Trust!
Hiring a painting contractor and have questions? If you are looking for a professional painter, contact us at (647)494-8558 today. We’ll be glad to answer these and any other painting questions you may have.