Frequently Asked Questions

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
CertaPro Painters® was founded in 1992. We are a locally owned franchise of CertaPro, proudly serving the local area since 2012. During that time we’ve earned numerous awards including a BBB A+ rating, the Angie’s List Super Service Award, and the Home Advisor Elite Service Award.

HOW DO YOU SELECT AND EVALUATE YOUR PAINTERS?
We are very selective in who we associate with, relying heavily on personal recommendations and references. Most of our crew leaders have been with us for years. We trust them in our own homes!

WHAT PROCESS DO YOU USE TO PREPARE SURFACES TO MAKE SURE THE PAINT “STICKS?”
The first step in ensuring paint adhesion is to thoroughly understand the myriad of coatings available and to properly match the coating to the surface. Beyond that, we make certain to remove loose and flaking paint from all surfaces. On the exterior of a home, this is done by pressure washing or manually scraping. Sometimes, surfaces have to be scuffed up, abraded, profiled, or even primed to guarantee adhesion. That’s why we take our time where it counts – in the preparation.

WHAT TYPE OF WARRANTY DO YOU OFFER?
We offer a two-year workmanship warranty on all projects. So, if you notice an issue – small or large – please call our office.

WHAT TYPE OF PAINT DO YOU RECOMMEND?
We use top-tier paints from the major manufacturers (Sherwin Williams, PPG, Benjamin Moore, etc.) because we have a strong relationship with their brands and they produce very high-quality coatings. This means if there is ever a manufacturing defect, we know that these manufacturers will stand behind our work – and your project. However, we do make exceptions when there are superior products in specific situations or if our clients have a strong product preference.

ARE YOU INSURED?
Of course! We protect our clients by carrying the appropriate coverages for general liability and workers’ compensation. Additionally, we continually seek out industry-recognized certifications and designations to add to our client’s peace of mind. For example, we are Lead-Safe Certified by the EPA, and we are certified in InterNACHI COVID-19 Safety Guidelines. 

CAN YOU PROVIDE REFERENCES?
Sure thing! Please feel free to reach out to us and let us know your zip code. We’ll be happy to provide a list of our clients in your neighborhood. Plus, we invite you to check out our Google review page to see what others have said about us.

WHAT TYPES OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
We accept cash, checks, ACH, and major credit / debit cards.

DO YOU PROVIDE FINANCING?
Yes! We offer several financing options. All financing is offered through third-party lenders and is subject to credit approval. Please ask your consultant for more information.

WHEN DO YOU TAKE PAYMENT?
We take a small down payment prior to starting each project to reserve a spot on our production schedule. Final payment is collected after the project is done and you’re happy with the outcome.

DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT MINIMUM?
We do have a minimum, for a few different reasons (1) we always send a crew of at least two painters in order to comply with safety requirements; (2) we do not schedule our painters for multiple projects in a single day – our focus is on your project from beginning to end; and (3) while the scope may seem small, there are often factors which result in the project taking longer than you might think. For example, while painting one room might seem like a pretty small job that won’t take long, if there are any nail holes in the walls that need to be filled in, the length of the project may double or more given the need to allow time for the filler to dry before we can apply primer over the filler and allow time for it to dry, all before we can begin painting. There is good news about minimums! When we charge a minimum, it means you can add work to the scope of your project, and as long as it doesn’t add to the number of days the project will take or greatly increase the amount of paint required, there’s often no additional cost for that additional scope.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU SEND OUT FOR EACH JOB?
Our crews vary in size from two to six+. We always schedule our crews to maximize efficiency and minimize the amount of time that our projects take to complete.

DO YOU HAVE ECO-FRIENDLY PAINT OPTIONS?
Yes, we do. To the extent possible, we specify products with low or no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). VOCs are the components of paint products that reduce air quality and produce strong odors. Today’s modern paint and primer formulas are engineered to be much more eco-friendly that the products you may have experienced in the past. In very broad terms, oil-based products have a higher VOC content and water-based products have low or no VOCs. Please understand that for some applications, there’s just no getting around using oil-based products. In these cases, your consultant will discuss this with you upfront and, depending on the length of the project, may even suggest that you plan to be out of the home while your project is in progress.

HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO PAINT MY HOUSE?
We’ve devoted several articles to this topic on our website community page. Feel free to check them out in our community archive! Our estimates are always free, so finding out what the cost would be for the project you have in mind is as simple as scheduling an appointment with one of our consultants.

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN CHANGE THE COST OF A PROJECT AFTER A CLIENT RECEIVES A QUOTE?
We do our best to capture all the details for every project we quote so that there aren’t any surprises. That said, there are a few situations where we do occasionally need to raise the price after providing an initial quote. The most common situation involves exterior painting. When our consultants provide a proposal, they catalog every piece of rotten or damaged wood that needs to be repaired or replaced, and those repairs and replacements are factored into your quote. Unfortunately, after our painters wash the home before painting, they occasionally uncover additional rotted areas that were concealed by the dirt and grime that builds up over the years. There may also be additional exterior repairs that were not accessible to the consultant at the time of the quote. It’s much less common for the price to change on an interior project, but it can happen. Generally speaking, price increases are limited to projects where we are removing wallpaper or popcorn ceiling texture. We build our quotes with an “average” condition of the underlying walls or ceilings in mind, and if the condition turns out to be less than average, we may need to charge for additional labor to bring the surface up to the average level before we can apply primer and paint. Rest assured, before we do any work you haven’t previously agreed to, we will bring it to your attention and give you the option to have us do the additional work.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PAINT?
We are very fortunate in the North Texas area that we can complete exterior painting projects year-round. Modern paint technology allows us to paint the exteriors of homes when it is as cold as 35℉, and as hot as 120℉, so we lose very few days to extreme temperatures. We can even paint if there is rain in the forecast as long as rain is not expected within 2-3 hours.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD PEOPLE PAINT THEIR HOMES?
On average, our clients repaint all or a portion of the interiors of their homes about every 5 years. Most of our clients paint the interiors of their homes when they get tired of the existing colors, or the paint is starting to look dirty and dingy. We also do many interior projects for clients who simply want to update their home with a modern color pallet. In advance of family gatherings and children moving out (or in) are also common times to paint. On the outside of a home, painting plays a much bigger role than aesthetics. The average exterior repaint cycle in North Texas is about 7 years. Repainting a home’s exterior on a 7-year cycle goes a long way to ensuring that the parts of the home that take a beating from our intense summer heat and wet winters are protected from the elements. As many of our first-time clients have learned the hard way, replacing weather-damaged wood can easily double or triple the cost of a paint job, so it makes a lot of sense to keep a fresh, protective coat of paint on the outside of your home. Keep in mind that when we talk about a 7-year repainting cycle, we’re talking about paint. Exterior stained surfaces (stained front doors, fences, decks, pergolas, etc.) need to be recoated on a much shorter cycle of 2-3 years in order to keep them looking good and protected from the elements.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO PAINT A HOME?
That’s a really hard question to answer because there are so many variables. On many of our projects, the preparations we need to do before painting can take as long as or even longer than the painting itself. Your consultant can give you a good idea of the timeframe for your specific project. On average, our exterior projects take 2 – 4 days, and interiors average about 3 days, but it’s not uncommon for us to be on a large interior job for 2 – 3 weeks.

HOW WILL MY PROJECT BE MANAGED?
Each of our projects has an assigned Job Site Supervisor (JSS) who is also a member of the crew doing the work. Our JSSs are highly skilled craftsmen who receive continuing education about not just the technical aspects of their profession, but also project management and client service. We are extremely proud of the team of JSSs we’ve assembled, but our commitment to managing our projects doesn’t stop there. Our sales consultants continue to stay in touch with our clients during our projects and stop by to monitor progress throughout. Finally, we have an Office Associate whose role is to stay in constant communication with our JSSs, our sales team, and our clients, to ensure that everyone is communicating and that everyone stays on the same page.

CAN PAINTERS WORK ALONE IN MY HOUSE?
Absolutely. The majority of our projects are done when our clients are not at home. On larger projects, many of our clients take advantage of the opportunity to take a vacation and return to a beautiful new home. Many of our clients leave a key, door code, or garage door opener with their crew in order to provide access.

I’M BUYING A NEW HOUSE. CAN YOU PAINT MY HOUSE BEFORE I MOVE IN?
Yes, and it may even save you some money. We advise home buyers to contact us as early in the home buying process as is possible to ensure that we can make room on our production schedule. We’ve found that an ideal time for us to meet with home buyers to provide a quote is during the home inspection which typically takes place several weeks prior to closing. Assuming the timing works, and we can get started as soon as you take possession of your new home, we will not have to move and cover furniture, which saves us time and you money.

I’M SELLING MY HOME. WILL PAINTING INCREASE THE AMOUNT I CAN SELL MY HOUSE FOR?
Maybe. If your project includes major updates to your home like removing popcorn ceiling texture or outdated wallpaper, there’s a great chance that the value of your home will increase. Some realtors advise their clients that even minor painting projects can reduce the amount of time a home is on the market. You’ll definitely want to consult with your Realtor as well.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO GET RID OF PET AND SMOKE ODORS INSIDE A HOME?
Yes. We have access to special primers and paints that work by sealing in those odors and the stains that often come with them, as well as absorbing odors in the air.

IN ADDITION TO PAINTING WE’RE GOING TO BE REPLACING THE FLOORING IN OUR HOME. WHICH SHOULD WE DO FIRST?
This may be our most common FAQ, and it’s also one of the hardest to answer definitively. There are pros and cons to both approaches. Your sales consultant can provide a more personalized answer, but here are some of the considerations to think about:

• If you paint first, there’s a good chance that the flooring installers will damage your newly painted surfaces, particularly your baseboards (the trim at the bottom of the wall).
• If you replace the flooring first, there’s a very small, but not zero, chance that a stray drop of paint could wind up on your new floor. We take every precaution to ensure that your floors are completely protected, but accidents do, unfortunately, happen.
• If your existing floors are tile, it is almost guaranteed that shards of tile will be kicked up during the removal process, and those shards may embed themselves in your walls and trim.
• If your new floors will be hard wood, keep in mind that the sealant on hard wood floors is very delicate, particularly when it is first applied. This increases the risk of damage from ladders, tape, etc.

IN ADDITION TO PAINTING OUR CABINETS, WE ARE ALSO REPLACING THE COUNTERTOPS. WHICH SHOULD WE DO FIRST?
We recommend replacing the countertops first. Due to the way counter tops are attached to cabinets, there’s a good chance that the cabinets will be damaged during the removal and installation process. Our crews can repair any minor damage as part of the cabinet painting process.

WILL YOU LEAVE ME PAINT?
Our sales associates and crews are experts at judging the precise amount of paint required for our projects, so we often don’t have a lot of leftovers. However, we will leave any left-over paint with you at the completion of the job.

I’M PLANNING ON REPLACING THE FLOORING IN MY HOME AFTER YOU PAINT. CAN I SAVE MONEY IF YOUR CREW DOESN’T HAVE TO PROTECT THE EXISTING FLOORING?
Unfortunately, this is not an area where you can really save money. Our crews complete 1000s of projects every year, and we have to maintain standards in order to produce high-quality projects day in and day out. One of the standards that we insist our crews comply with on every job is to cover and protect flooring. You might be surprised to learn that many of our clients in this situation change their mind about the existing flooring once they see the huge difference a fresh coat of paint makes in their house. If we hadn’t protected the existing flooring in these cases, it could result in very awkward conversations with our clients.

IS THERE ANYTHING THE HOMEOWNER SHOULD DO TO PREP FOR YOUR CREW TO ARRIVE?
Our crews do most of the heavy lifting when they arrive to begin a project. This includes moving furniture, protecting surfaces that are not going to be painted, filling holes, etc.  That being said, there are several things that the homeowner can do prior to the crew’s arrival to make the project more efficient. Here are a few of areas where you can help us out.

Interior Projects

• Remove books and other items from bookshelves
• Remove small and fragile items from the areas where the crew will be working
• Remove window coverings
• Clean out the dust bunnies that have built up under beds, behind furniture, etc.
• Remove pictures and other wall-hangings

Added bonus to save YOU time – if you are going to be rehanging wall-hangings in the same location after we leave, do NOT remove the hanger. Our painters will simply paint over or around the hanger. If you remove the hanger, the crew will patch the hole and you’ll need to remeasure.

Exterior Projects

• Trim trees, bushes, etc., a minimum of 24 inches from your home
• Clear off your deck, porch or other areas where the crew will need access
• Move anything you don’t want to get wet as far away from the house as possible

WHAT IS YOUR CLEAN-UP PROCESS?
We clean up after ourselves at the end of every day. If we are returning to continue the project, we will leave paper, plastic, etc. in place overnight to maximize efficiency. Depending on the scope of the project, we may also ask your permission to leave any in-progress rooms as they are overnight.

HOW MANY PAINT COLORS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR TYPICAL PROPOSAL?
Your proposal can be tailored to include as many colors as you would like. However, when it comes to color, we believe that less is more. The modern trend is to use one neutral color throughout the common areas of the home, and to add pops of color with furniture, accessories, and accent walls. Because there are man-hours and wasted paint associated with switching between colors, fewer colors also mean lower cost.