Questions to ask when selecting a painting contractor in Rochester.

Here are the 8 Most Important Questions to Ask When Selecting a Painting Contractor.

Your home is likely the largest purchase you will ever make, and owning a home requires maintaining it to protect your investment. One of the tasks in that maintenance is painting. Whether it’s exterior painting or interior painting, it’s a task best left to professionals if you want the best possible results.

Finding the right painting contractor for your project doesn’t have to be intimidating, knowing what to ask them as part of the selection process is critical to making sure you not only get a great paint job but you and your home are protected in case any problems arise.

Here’s what to ask when hiring an exterior painter in the Rochester, NY area BEFORE you even begin to talk about your project.

1. Do you have references I can speak to?

Contractors are asked this all the time. They should be able to provide you with at least a handful of customers that can speak to their work. In addition, contact information should be readily available to you. Feel free to contact a few of these previous clients to hear what they have to say. Obviously, no painter is going to provide you with references from customers who had problems or less than stellar opinions of their work. To get a full range of opinions about the painter’s work visit online review websites like Google My Business, Yelp, Angie’s List, and others. Because these sites show both great reviews and less than stellar reviews, you’ll get a more complete picture of your painter’s reputation.

Pro Tip: Understand sometimes unforeseen things happen that result in problems on a project and it may result in a bad review. What’s important to note is if the contractor replied to the comment with a real plan to address the issue the customer had. Another thing to note is if the contractor has links on their website that direct you to sources of reviews. When they have a solid reputation they likely will.

2. Do you have Workman’s Compensation Insurance and General Liability Insurance?

These are two separate forms of insurance; one is for the workers and the other is for things like damage to property or vehicles. These policies protect you and your property from any claims of damage or injury that could happen over the course of a painting project. Any contractor doing work within your home should be able to provide you both of the policy numbers that they are covered under as well as the names of the providers. If they cannot, and something goes wrong while working at your home, you could be on the hook to cover medical bills or repair costs.

Pro Tip: Ask for a copy of the documents.

3. How many painters will be on the job and how long will the job take?

Different painters have different sized crews ranging from a single painter to a large team of up to half a dozen or more depending on the size of the company and the size of the job. You want to know when they are available to start and, how many people they will use and how long it will take. If it’s going to be one painter starting in a month who will be at your home for two weeks that might not mesh with your personal plans. Asking about the basics of the start time, crew size and duration are fair questions to pose to any painting service company.

Pro Tip: Leave some room in your own scheduling because unforeseeable issues like bad weather, the discovery of rotten wood, product lead times, and repairs can add to the project’s duration. You should also ask that a “start by” date be agreed upon.

4. Is the contractor licensed?

Licensing is issued by state and/or local governments. This ensures that the provider meets the basic qualifications in their field. It also means if a job is not adequately completed, the provider has something to lose. This gives you leverage to make sure a contractor shows up, provides professional consideration on your job, and will not run off with your deposit.

Pro Tip: look up the license online, usually at your state’s “secretary of state” website. Businesses of all kinds that are incorporated in a state are usually viewable. You will generally be able to match the license number and check the expiration date of a license

5. Does the work come with a warranty?

Professional painters working with premium-grade paint should be able to make their exterior paint jobs last as long as 10 years depending (quite a bit) on the geographic location. While painters won’t typically offer ten-year warranties, they should offer some sort of warranty on their work and it should be spelled out. This won’t cover dings and nicks but should be called into play if there are paint failures like bubbling, peeling, or chipping a year after they are finished.

Pro Tip: Ask what’s covered, for how long, and get it in writing. Keep your copy with your other important papers.

6. What will be cleaned up after the job is finished?

It could seem obvious that clean-up should be done by the painting team at the end of the job. That doesn’t mean it is included. To keep everyone honest, it’s best to get this item in writing. Contractors are used to including clean-up in their contracts.

Pro Tip: Always ask to do a “walk-around” of the area with the contractor before the final payment so that you are satisfied. For interior jobs, you should expect furniture to be placed back where it may have been moved from during interior painting.

7. Will there be someone to answer any questions?

Be sure you get a point of contact that will be familiar with your job. If questions come up before booking or during the job, or even after, you want to have someone to call. This person should be identified before you commit to any work.

8. How much money do we need to put down for a paint job?

For residential projects, CertaPro painters of West Rochester doesn’t collect a deposit or down payment unless it’s a very large job. We may give progress invoices periodically on very large jobs, and on smaller jobs, we ask for payment upon completion. Other painting contractors may ask you for a deposit to finalize a deal with you.

Pro Tip: If you do have to give a deposit it likely will be in the 25%-50% range. Any more than that and you are giving away a good deal of leverage you have if there are any issues with the contractor’s performance.

Our Bonus Pro Tip: Get everything in writing, keep copies of all your documents together, and don’t be shy about leaving a detailed review. If your contractor did a five-star job, let others know, and if they didn’t, give them a chance to correct any issues before giving them the dreaded one-star review.

When you’re ready to start getting estimates for your painting project be sure to contact CertaPro Painters® of West Rochester. Give us a call at 585-200-5007 or fill out this simple form for a free estimate appointment. We’re standing by to help turn your exterior painting project into renewed curb appeal or help you execute an interior painting project that shows your personal style.