How to Find Painters for My House

Painting your house is not a common home maintenance occurance. Because of this, many homeowners are tripped up when it’s time to hire a painter. Here’s our advice on how to find painters when the time comes.

Research

Find pros. Use your resources to get recommendations of painters. This can come from family and friend recommendations as well as online research. To get a true estimate, schedule appointments for estimates with at least 3 that seem to offer services you need. Likely, they will all want to see your home. This is a good sign they are accessing the state of your house and making sure any damage or issues are addressed. It also gives you a chance to ask questions of each provider.

Give your expectations. Be honest with your expectations for the outcome of the project. The color, state and look of your house is important and should be important to the estimator. Brands used and coatings applied as well as the preparation put into place can all affect the outcome and lasting ability.

Credentials

Get estimates. Getting estimates from 3 providers (at least) allows you to get a good feel for what the project will cost and the ability of each crew. On each estimate you’ll want to look for a breakdown of the costs by labor and supplies, as well as time and payment instructions.

Check references. Professional painting crews are happy to hand over lists of pleased customers they have worked for. It’s a good idea to cross reference providers online. Through third party websites, you can get a good amount of reviews that are unbiased. These sites also offer the ability for users to upload images of the work they experienced.

Consider credentials. Ask your painting crew for insurance, workman’s comp and warranty information. Professional painters are happy to provide all of these policies to anyone they paint for. Having these in place means your property, the crew and the project are protected from damage or injury. Also, check for any local requirements through the government for licensing or regulations.

Contracts

Obtain a contract. Do not let a lick of work begin without a contract signed by both parties in place. This should include the contractor’s key information: name, address, office and cell numbers, and license number, plus whatever details were in the estimate. You’ll want to make sure a very specific list of inclusions is clearly marked.

Ask for warranty details. The painter should provide a warranty to correct any chipping, peeling, blistering, flaking, or excessive fading or chalking that occurs shortly after the job is done. Details will vary according to provider and paint manufacturer.

Payments. Finally, you should be provided a breakdown of costs for labor and materials. Likely the painters will need a deposit up front. Never pay more than 50% as this deposit. This is to secure dates, equipment, materials and a crew. The second half is usually required upon completion of the project to the agreed upon expectations.

Get Started

CertaPro Painters of Silicon Valley is happy to offer free, no-obligation estimates. Review our portfolio and schedule a meeting with us today.