Questions to Ask a Painting Contractor Before You Hire
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If you want the best painting contractor, it helps to ask the right questions before you hire. The highest bid isn’t necessarily the best painter, but hiring a cheap painter based on price alone is a bad idea. A poor-quality paint job usually doesn’t last or look good, and may be a red flag to home buyers if you’re selling. Doing a little homework before you hire someone to paint your home is well worth your time. Brian Schwaller shares a few questions to help you with hiring the right painting contractor.
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1. How long have you been in business and how many residential painting projects do you average per year?
Experience is critical for quality painting and good project management. The reputation and longevity of a painting contractor are important. The best painting contractors are almost always busy.
2. Do you provide a detailed (no-cost) estimate?
Request a detailed written estimate from the painting contractor for your project. An estimate from a reputable painting company should include prep work and cleanup, labor and materials (primer, paint, stain, caulk, etc.), plus any other supplies. Purely online estimates or ones given over the phone are often inaccurate. Take the time to get an in-home painting estimate.
3. Are you fully insured?
Never hire a painting contractor that cannot provide proof that they are fully insured. Reputable professional painting contractors carry liability insurance AND workers comp insurance for their employees, to protect the property owner from liability if a painter is injured on the job.
4. Are your painters employees or do you use subcontractors?
Hiring a subcontractor for a specialized trade or skillset is fine, but some painting contractors use subcontractors to save money or because they can’t or don’t want to hire enough good painters to do the work. This creates potential risks:
5. 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.
6. 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 also in regular contact with support staff in the office.
7. What painting equipment and materials do you use?
A good painter uses only well-maintained, professional grade equipment and paint products specified by the manufacturer for the application. The best painting contractors also have dedicated shop space to apply sprayed finishes (which are smoother and more durable for stained and painted cabinetry, trim, etc.) and 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.
9. How will you protect my property during the painting process?
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. Quality painting starts with careful preparation, and makes cleanup easier when the work is done.
10. 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.
11. How can I be confident that you will do a good job, on time and on budget?
The best painting contractors earn their reputation by consistently doing just that. Look for online customer reviews, testimonials and community awards as evidence that they do what they say. You can also ask how much of their business comes from customer referrals.
Experience is critical for quality painting and good project management. The reputation and longevity of a painting contractor are important. The best painting contractors are almost always busy.
2. Do you provide a detailed (no-cost) estimate?
Request a detailed written estimate from the painting contractor for your project. An estimate from a reputable painting company should include prep work and cleanup, labor and materials (primer, paint, stain, caulk, etc.), plus any other supplies. Purely online estimates or ones given over the phone are often inaccurate. Take the time to get an in-home painting estimate.
3. Are you fully insured?
Never hire a painting contractor that cannot provide proof that they are fully insured. Reputable professional painting contractors carry liability insurance AND workers comp insurance for their employees, to protect the property owner from liability if a painter is injured on the job.
4. Are your painters employees or do you use subcontractors?
Hiring a subcontractor for a specialized trade or skillset is fine, but some painting contractors use subcontractors to save money or because they can’t or don’t want to hire enough good painters to do the work. This creates potential risks:
- The contractor might not know the crew members or their skills and experience, and doesn’t control their training. It’s impossible to ensure good quality work if you don’t know the people doing it.
- Subcontractors are typically paid by the job (not hourly), and could be motivated to cut corners to finish quicker.
- Subcontractors are not covered by the contractor’s workers’ comp insurance and must provide their own insurance.
5. 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.
6. 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 also in regular contact with support staff in the office.
7. What painting equipment and materials do you use?
A good painter uses only well-maintained, professional grade equipment and paint products specified by the manufacturer for the application. The best painting contractors also have dedicated shop space to apply sprayed finishes (which are smoother and more durable for stained and painted cabinetry, trim, etc.) and 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.
- Are scraping and/or sanding needed?
- Is there damaged wood to fix or drywall repair that’s needed?
- How do you prepare surfaces for painting?
- How do you ensure a smooth and even finish?
9. How will you protect my property during the painting process?
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. Quality painting starts with careful preparation, and makes cleanup easier when the work is done.
10. 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.
11. How can I be confident that you will do a good job, on time and on budget?
The best painting contractors earn their reputation by consistently doing just that. Look for online customer reviews, testimonials and community awards as evidence that they do what they say. You can also ask how much of their business comes from customer referrals.
