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Choosing a Painting Contractor

For their homes, more and more homeowners are using painting contractors rather than doing it themselves. A painting contractor costs more money than doing it yourself. But you save time and get a better paint job that will last longer.

When looking at a paint job, the homeowner should consider how much surface preparation is needed. Also, how long will the job take. If the job will take you a few days then will you be able to live without that room for that long. Do I have all materials to do the job: ladders, extension poles, paint brushes, drop cloths. Take all these things into consideration when reviewing bids from painting contractors.

Talk with a few contractors and get quotes from each. Make sure all the contractors are insured. You also need to make sure each contractor is bidding the same. Make sure to address all the areas that going to be painted: trim, doors, ceiling, walls, exterior, interior, etc. What kind of guarantee does the painting contractor have. Getting a guarantee will insure that the contractor does all the necessary prep work by sanding and preparing the surface first. Then applying a coat or 2 of primer. After the primer is dry make sure there are 2 coats of finish paint applied. The color will be more even after 2 coats and the extra layer of protection on the exterior is needed. Get names of previous customers from each contractor as references, and contact them to get their recommendation. Note whether the contractor was courteous and business-like, punctual with appointments or in returning phone calls, quality-oriented, experienced, and generally interested in doing business with you. Once you have all of this information on each contractor and their asking price, you can use it to make an informed decision on which one to choose for your job.