Choosing the right house painting contractor can be overwhelming, especially if you’ve never hired anyone to do house painting near me or any other home improvement project.
While painting is considered a cost-effective alternative to complete remodeling, it is not exactly a cheap investment. To have a quality paint job, you want to acquire quality paints and tools – which come at a price. It’s pretty much the same thing when hiring a painting contractor. Hence, you have to make sure you find a quality professional contractor for your next painting project. Otherwise, hiring the wrong one can cost you significantly.
Although there are many painting contractors in your area, you cannot hire any contractor because they’re available, are near your location, and, most of all, offer the cheapest rate. Hiring someone who offers the lowest price is tempting, especially when you know you’re on a budget. But if you pick a contractor based on price only, you may be in for a disaster – sooner or later.
Let’s face it; painters may not always have the best reputation. You may have heard horror stories from other clients who got ripped off by fly-by-night contractors or someone posing as a commercial painter. To avoid such a pitfall, consider the tips below for choosing the right professional painting contractor for your next project.
Look for experience
Experience is usually the first thing people consider when looking for a contractor. They would usually ask, “Do you have any experience?” or “How long have you been in the business?” A painting contractor with at least two years of residential or commercial painting experience should be good enough for consideration. By that time, they’d had experience working with different clients and resolved various issues pertaining to their projects. You may want to check their company websites or social media platforms and browse their portfolio. But since some contractors may not have their sites updated, you can request them to send you photos or any other documentation of their past and most recent work. Assess whether they meet your standards depending on your project.
Read customer reviews
Every painting contractor will try to convince you that they’re the best painters in town. But you don’t have to take their word for it. Instead, look for customer reviews and testimonials on websites such as Google My Business and Yelp to learn more about the contractors on your initial list.
Reviews and testimonials can provide you with an insider’s look into each contractor’s abilities and professional behavior.
You should consider not only the positive reviews but the negative ones, too. If the reviews sound genuine to you, you should trust your gut.
You can also check the Better Business Bureau website to ensure that the contractor has no complaints filed against them. If the contractor does have complaints but has resolved all or most of them, it might be better not to consider that contractor – you can scratch them off your list.
Check their license and insurance
Before hiring a contractor, make sure that every company on your initial list has a valid license and comprehensive business insurance.
A license indicates that the contractor has passed a rigorous state or municipal requirements for providing painting jobs and paid the appropriate fees. Having a license also means that the painter knows the proper use of paints, tools, and equipment and the appropriate surface prep and painting techniques when performing the job.
If the contractor doesn’t have a valid and up-to-date license, cross that contractor out from your list. You may also want to confirm if the contractor has a license with the California Contractors State License Board.
It will be a plus if the contractor has both general liability and worker’s compensation insurance. Suppose a worker is injured while working in your home. Would you want them to hold you liable? If they damage your home, do you have to cover the costs? When the contractor is insured, it will protect you from such incidences because they will be the ones to pay for the damages.
Hiring an insured and licensed contractor will give you peace of mind.
Get a quote
One of the sure ways to ascertain if a contractor is worth hiring is by getting a quote or estimate from them. Ask for quotes from at least three or five painters in your area. Comparing their rates can help you narrow your options.
A copy of the itemized list of everything to be spent on the project – paints, tools, labor, and even things like the number of coats of paint – can help you deal with potential miscommunications. Review each quote.
Consider the contractor who offers the most reasonable rates.
Ask them about their warranty
By now, you may have picked the winning contractor. But before you hire the contractor, make sure they offer only a written warranty and not mere assurance spoken over the phone. Having the warranty in writing can help prevent potential disputes.
A painting contractor’s warranty typically covers the quality of the paint (supplied by the contractor) and defects in the surface caused by a faulty product. Some warranties cover both paint and labor, while others cover paint only. Ask the contractor regarding the inclusions and exclusions in the warranty.
By following the tips above, you will have peace of mind over your choice of house painting near me contractors and feel confident that your project will turn out precisely how you envisioned it.