6 things to know before hiring a painter
Posted on May 24, 2021
Painting your home’s exterior is not a job for the faint hearted. Paint is the first layer of protection between your family and the elements. Paint has a big job to do. Keeping your home’s paint in pristine condition is very important. But before hiring a painter, here are 6 things to know.
1. DIY or Hire a Pro?
Most homeowners can handle small paint jobs here and there. Touching up baseboards or repairing a nail hole are somewhat simple tasks. Painting your exterior is a behemoth of a job. While you could take it on yourself if you really wanted to, it’s going to be a long and tedious process requiring quite a few tools. Professional crews will arrive with all of the tools on hand, knowledge to complete the task and multiple team members to make short work of the job. The quality of their work and ability to know the limits of paint will ensure your project turns out flawlessly.
2. Preparations
If you choose to hire painters, sticker shock is not uncommon. Remember, time is money and those painters are here to paint. Ask your estimator if pitching in and offering to do some prep could reduce the costs on the bottom line. Trimming shrubbery, power washing, moving large items and removing any fixtures all takes time from the crew painting. This could be an area where you reduce costs by putting in a bit of elbow grease.
3. Find a Reputable House Painter
Hiring a painter from a list of search results can be intimidating. In addition to website reviews, make sure you also inquire about word of mouth referrals. Nothing speaks highly of a company like the willingness to share an experience. Most companies include reviews on their websites, but go a step further and investigate reviews that are more unbiased. Places like Yelp, Angie’s List, and Google My Business offer reviews that cannot be swayed positive or negative.
4. What to Expect from a House Painter
Professional painting crews for the most part will come with some standard expectations. They should arrive and depart in a timely manner. Most will do a walk through of the project, either before work starts, after it’s completed or both. Any crew worth their salt will be willing to provide you all of their licensing and insurance policies. An estimator usually comes to see the state of the property and discuss your expectations. From that meeting, you should receive a thorough and well-prepared estimate of the work to be completed.
5. Understanding the Estimate and Pricing
Your estimate typically includes the cost of the crew and the products needed broken into separate categories. It will also likely include a payment schedule. Never pay for the project up front and be cautious hiring anyone who requests this practice. Many homeowners have lost their funds with unscrupulous companies taking their deposits or payments. It is very common however, for a company to request 50% of the project cost up front. This allows them to secure dates, products and painters to begin your work. Typically the second payment is due upon work completion.
6. Comfort Level
You should have a very comfortable level with your chosen painters. Make sure you have every question answered and know who the contact at the jobsite will be. Ask about walk throughs and how the company handles any issues at your home.
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