The Commercial Painter Check list

When you need a commercial painter for your business the selection process is a bit different than the one you might apply to select a residential painter. Whether you have a retail, hospitality, medical, professional, or industrial building to be painted you are going to want to know what to ask to find the right commercial painters for your location.

The following list of questions covers a lot of different commercial requirements for painters but somewhere in it, you can find the questions that apply to your unique painting needs.

The legal issues – Ask to see any applicable licensing information for your state. A commercial painting contractor’s business generally has to be granted a license number that also comes with an expiration date. You should ask this question from the start to determine if you are dealing with a legitimate company. Also, ask to see proof of insurance and workman’s compensation insurance. Ask about the amount of insurance they have and consider if it is commensurate with the amount of risk that might arise related to your painting project.

Ask about prior commercial painting experience. A reputable contractor will be able to supply you with examples of their work including address and dates. You can also ask for references if you like. This will give you an opportunity to speak with former clients. You can also check any online reviews they may have as well. You should see a decent track record of successful jobs even if they aren’t exactly the same as the one you have. Remember that commercial painting jobs tend to vary in scope a lot more than typical house painting so if someone says they can paint your airplane hangar based on their experience painting a warehouse it’s probably going to be close enough.

Ask about access to and use of any special equipment that may be required for your job. Often times commercial jobs might require taller ladders, scissor lifts, cranes, etc. The contractor may need to have scaffolding erected in order to complete their work. Special safety equipment like harnesses may be required as well. You need to understand how that will impact the timeline of your project and how it might impact the building you require painting.

Specialty paints or coatings may be required to complete your job. A good commercial painting contractor will be able to make the right recommendations for the kind of paint systems needed to deliver the results you want. It may be the case that your project can be completed using traditional residential interior or exterior paint but don’t automatically assume it if the surface is concrete or metal or if they are subject to excessive heat or cold etc. different paints may be required to give you the durability you need as well.

Special painting equipment may be called for to complete your project beyond just specialized access equipment. Ask if the paint or other coatings will be applied with brushes, rollers, or spray equipment. This may impact how much of an area needs to be taped or sealed off, how it will be ventilated and how long it has to remain that way.

Regulations and restrictions may be a factor in your project. HOAs often have restrictions as to the time of day and days of the week when work can be performed on buildings. Restrictions related to traffic flow, hours of operation, and overall job duration may also exist. Ask your commercial contractors if they have previous experience operating inside of these kinds of constraints and how they plan to adapt to yours. It may require that they add additional painters to speed up a job or it may require the job to be broken into phases. Good contractors should be familiar with these kinds of requirements and be able to do anything from working at night to adding staff to hit a tight deadline.

The ability to respond to complex bid packages in a timely manner may also be an issue. If your project is going to require research, special pricing, special orders, etc. you need to know that the contractors you invite to bid will be capable of responding in the available time frame and in the detail needed to be considered a valid bid. This is your chance to give them information about lead times and informational requirements.

At CertaPro of Ann Arbor, we perform commercial painting work all year round. While we may be best known as a national residential painting company but we have extensive experience in commercial painting in the area with all the references and portfolio assurances you need to be certain we can handle virtually any commercial project you have in mind.

When you’re ready to start receiving bids or estimates feel free to contact us and give us a chance to show you how CertaPro can deliver exceptional results under whatever conditions may apply to your project. Schedule a free estimate online today or call us at 734-669-1371, you’ll be glad you did.