QUESTIONS TO ASK AT YOUR PAINTING ESTIMATE

Hiring a professional paint crew can be stressful. A little prep work will greatly ease the process of picking the crew to work on your home, and give you confidence in your hiring decision. We have prepped a few questions and items to look for when evaluating painters to use as a guide:

The Importance of Hiring a Licensed & Insured Professional Painter

There are often price discrepancies between professional painting companies and unlicensed individuals.
The Tennessee Department of Commerce requires professional painters to be licensed and insured. Ever wonder why a guy in a truck can be cheaper than a professional company? The lower cost may be due to a lack of insurance and licensing expenses. If you aren’t sure.. simply ask. They should be able to provide you with a copy.

How long has the painting company been in business?

Longer-standing companies have more experience and have been able to prove themselves as a business that can sustain itself. New companies tend to be less reliable and more prone to errors – not just in the painting process but also with billing, timing, and customer service.

Do they use subcontractors?

It’s fairly common for painting companies to utilize subcontractors. There is not anything wrong with using a subcontract so long as the hiring company has good relationships and a set of standards and practices for all subcontractors who do work for them. Its a good idea to ask, and if they do to ask a few follow-up questions around how they make sure subcontractors are meeting the standards and doing good work.

Is there a warranty and are they insured?

Reputable companies should offer a warranty for most types of projects, with a few exceptions. Most vertical painted surfaces should include a warranty on the project, horizontal surfaces like floors often are not included in warranties. A warranty gives confidence to the purchaser that the painting contractor stands by their work and is willing to make corrections at no added cost if they arise after the project is done. You will also want to make sure your painter has insurance, this is important in the event an accident happens while on the property resulting in damages to the home.

Can the painting company provide references?

Online reviews are a great first check on the trustworthiness and reputation of a painter, its a good idea to review reviews on sites like Google and HomeAdvisor. Most review sites also allow users to upload photos, and its more common for customers to upload pictures of things that went wrong than what went well. This allows you to see when projects do have problems, what kinds of problems are there, if any? During and estimate appointment you can also ask for references, if the painter can’t provide any, it’s a red flag that something is off with the company.

Do they keep a clean workplace?

Make sure you understand who is responsible for clean up. You can ask how often the crew will clean up, and what to expect with cleaning procedures. Cleaning tasks are often outlined in the estimate, if not it is a good idea to ask for details to make sure everyone is on the same page.

What brands of paint do they use?

Not all paint products are created equal. You will want to ask not only what brand, but what specific type of paint will be used for the project. If painters skimp on product to save money it can result in a painted surfaces that do not last as long or are more prone to failure and damage. Most painters lean towards a certain brand, find out what brand they like to use and what products from that brand they will be using for your project.

How much prep is included in the estimate?

Prep work is usually a big part of painting projects. Clearing the room, masking off surfaces, and putting down tarps is usually how projects start. Make sure you understand who will be doing what prep work, this should be clearly explained to you by either the project estimator or on the estimate itself. Make sure to ask questions on any prep items you are not clear on.