Important Questions to Ask When Hiring a Painting Contractor
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If you want professional results, you need to hire a professional painting contractor, so it’s critical to ask the right questions before signing the contract. The highest estimate isn’t always the best painter, but hiring a cheap painter based on price alone is usually a bad idea. A poor-quality paint job usually doesn’t last or look good, and can be a red flag to home buyers if you’re selling. It’s well worth your time to do a little homework before you hire someone to paint your home.
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1. How long have you been in business and how many painting projects do you do every year?
Quality painting and good project management come from experience. Reputation and longevity of a painting contractor should be important considerations when you’re hiring. The best painting contractors are typically busy year round.
2. Do you provide a written cost estimate?
Ask for a detailed written estimate from the painting contractor - most residential project estimates are provided free of charge. The estimate should include prep work and cleanup, labor and materials (primer, paint, stain, caulk, etc.). Take the time to get an in-home painting estimate. Online or phone estimates are often inflated because it’s impossible to be accurate without seeing and measuring your home. Even worse, a shady contractor could underbid and then fail to perform the work that was promised, or tack on extra fees to cover the shortfall.
3. Are you fully insured?
Don’t hire a painting contractor who can’t show you proof of insurance. This must include general liability insurance AND workers comp insurance for their employees, which protects the property owner from liability if a painter is injured on the job site.
4. Do your painters have the right kind of experience for my project?
Even seasoned professional painters have different kinds of experience – some commercial, some residential, some with only brush and roller, others with sprayed finishes. The painters you choose should have experience in the work you need done, including selecting the right equipment and products for your project and applying them according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
5. Who will be working in my home?
Ask how many painters will be on your project and how they will be supervised. Will the same painters be there for the whole job? Who is your main point of contact? Ideally it’s a single project manager who is on the job site regularly and supported by staff in the office.
6. What brand and quality of paint will you use for my project?
Reputable painters use high quality paint even if it means their bid isn’t the lowest, because they want their work to look good and last. A good painter also uses only well-maintained, professional grade equipment and makes sure the paint products are specified by the manufacturer for the specific application.
7. Do you have a shop for painting and staining projects?
The best painting contractors have dedicated, clean shop space and equipment to apply sprayed finishes (which are smoother and more durable for stained and painted cabinetry, trim, etc.), so they can minimize the mess in your home.
8. What kind of painting prep do you do?
Ask the painting contractor to explain the prep work for your project. How do they ensure a smooth and even paint finish?
9. How many coats of paint will you apply?
Two coats of the finish paint are typically used, plus a separate base coat of primer if needed. If the painter intends to use an “all-in-one” or “2-in-1 paint” product, move on. These products might suffice for hobby projects, but those paints typically require 2 coats anyways as the first coat acts as the primer coat.
10. How will you protect my home during the painting project?
Reputable painting contractors take the time to cover flooring, large furniture, and anything else that can’t be moved, to protect them from dust and paint materials. Careful masking around trim and fixtures makes it easier to achieve clean paint lines. Quality painting starts with careful preparation, and makes cleanup easier when the work is done.
11. How do you communicate with clients throughout the project?
Good service is about being responsive to your needs, not just sending estimates and invoices promptly. The best painting contractors have project managers and office support people who communicate with you regularly and make sure your project goes smoothly.
12. How do I know you will do a good job, on time and on budget?
The best painting contractors earn their reputation by consistently doing a great job. Customer reviews and testimonials, community awards and references are evidence that they do what they say they will do. Ask how much of their business comes from repeat customers and referrals - it’s a good indicator of happy customers.
Quality painting and good project management come from experience. Reputation and longevity of a painting contractor should be important considerations when you’re hiring. The best painting contractors are typically busy year round.
2. Do you provide a written cost estimate?
Ask for a detailed written estimate from the painting contractor - most residential project estimates are provided free of charge. The estimate should include prep work and cleanup, labor and materials (primer, paint, stain, caulk, etc.). Take the time to get an in-home painting estimate. Online or phone estimates are often inflated because it’s impossible to be accurate without seeing and measuring your home. Even worse, a shady contractor could underbid and then fail to perform the work that was promised, or tack on extra fees to cover the shortfall.
3. Are you fully insured?
Don’t hire a painting contractor who can’t show you proof of insurance. This must include general liability insurance AND workers comp insurance for their employees, which protects the property owner from liability if a painter is injured on the job site.
4. Do your painters have the right kind of experience for my project?
Even seasoned professional painters have different kinds of experience – some commercial, some residential, some with only brush and roller, others with sprayed finishes. The painters you choose should have experience in the work you need done, including selecting the right equipment and products for your project and applying them according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
5. Who will be working in my home?
Ask how many painters will be on your project and how they will be supervised. Will the same painters be there for the whole job? Who is your main point of contact? Ideally it’s a single project manager who is on the job site regularly and supported by staff in the office.
6. What brand and quality of paint will you use for my project?
Reputable painters use high quality paint even if it means their bid isn’t the lowest, because they want their work to look good and last. A good painter also uses only well-maintained, professional grade equipment and makes sure the paint products are specified by the manufacturer for the specific application.
7. Do you have a shop for painting and staining projects?
The best painting contractors have dedicated, clean shop space and equipment to apply sprayed finishes (which are smoother and more durable for stained and painted cabinetry, trim, etc.), so they can minimize the mess in your home.
8. What kind of painting prep do you do?
Ask the painting contractor to explain the prep work for your project. How do they ensure a smooth and even paint finish?
- Are scraping and/or sanding needed?
- Is there damaged wood to fix or drywall repair that’s needed?
- Do they take care of weather sealing issues such as caulking?
- How do they clean surfaces before painting? This should include not only dust from sanding but also any oils or residues such as those that accumulate in kitchens and bathrooms.
- Will primer be used? A separate coat of primer should be included in certain situations to ensure good paint adhesion and coverage, such as when they’re painting new drywall or patched areas, to cover a strong existing color, and when the old finish is oil-based.
9. How many coats of paint will you apply?
Two coats of the finish paint are typically used, plus a separate base coat of primer if needed. If the painter intends to use an “all-in-one” or “2-in-1 paint” product, move on. These products might suffice for hobby projects, but those paints typically require 2 coats anyways as the first coat acts as the primer coat.
10. How will you protect my home during the painting project?
Reputable painting contractors take the time to cover flooring, large furniture, and anything else that can’t be moved, to protect them from dust and paint materials. Careful masking around trim and fixtures makes it easier to achieve clean paint lines. Quality painting starts with careful preparation, and makes cleanup easier when the work is done.
11. How do you communicate with clients throughout the project?
Good service is about being responsive to your needs, not just sending estimates and invoices promptly. The best painting contractors have project managers and office support people who communicate with you regularly and make sure your project goes smoothly.
12. How do I know you will do a good job, on time and on budget?
The best painting contractors earn their reputation by consistently doing a great job. Customer reviews and testimonials, community awards and references are evidence that they do what they say they will do. Ask how much of their business comes from repeat customers and referrals - it’s a good indicator of happy customers.
