Is it time to paint your home? A fresh coat of paint can make your home feel like new again. Whether you want to paint a couple of rooms or your entire house, it’s important to know how to hire a good painting contractor.
After all, you don’t want to wind up with a painter who overcharges and under-delivers. That’s why it’s worthwhile to take some time to learn how to find the right company to do the job.
You might be wondering if it’s really necessary to hire a painter or if you can just do it yourself. Perhaps, you’ve seen your share of home improvement shows and you like the idea of a DIY home makeover.
With careful planning, preparation, and research, you absolutely can paint your own house, but there are advantages to hiring a professional.
Why hire a professional painter?
One of the greatest benefits of hiring a contractor is the time you will save. While painting may not be the most difficult job in the world, it is time consuming. It could take several hours to several weeks to complete the project, depending on how many rooms need to be painted.
If you’re not accustomed to painting, you will be much slower than a pro. Since time is money, it can make sense to hire someone to get the job done as quickly as possible.
The other major advantage of hiring a painting contractor is quality. With greater experience comes greater skill—nowhere is this more true than in the realm of home improvement.
Professionals will be able to paint hard-to-reach places. They’ll also know how to prevent common painting mistakes such as bumping the ceiling or over-brushing.
Now that we’ve covered the main reasons to hire a professional, let’s talk about a few key steps for finding the right painting contractor.
1. Make a painting plan
Having your whole house painted isn’t necessarily something you can do at the last minute. It requires planning ahead. For example, exterior paint jobs are weather dependent and may only be possible during the spring and summer months.
Another consideration during the planning stage is how many rooms you want to paint. Contractors will often offer a better rate for more rooms so it may be worthwhile to add a few rooms to get a better deal.
2. Specify the work
Your painter will need to know what work you would like done. Make a list of the areas that need to be painted, as well as the desired colour, gloss level and timeframe. If you’re unsure, remember that they are professionals who will be happy to advise you.
You’ll also want to be clear on your contractor’s painting process and what services they offer. Usually, surface preparation, priming, finishing coats, touch-ups and clean-up are included in the base fee.
3. Get referrals
When it comes to hiring a painting contractor, it’s always helpful to get recommendations from people and review websites that you trust. You can ask family, friends and neighbours if they know of a good painter. If you don’t want to ask people in-person, you can ask for recommendations on social media. Simply ask your friends on Facebook or Twitter if they know of any good painters in your area.
4. Do your research
Now that you have a list of a few recommended painting contractors, it’s time to do some research. At the very least, your prospective contractors should be licensed and insured. Be sure to find out how many years of experience they have as well.
Positive reviews and awards on the company website are usually a good sign. Just make sure that you look up their reviews on social media and Google too.
5. Get quotes
Narrow your list of prospects down to just a few contractors and reach out to each of them. They should come to your home to do a walk-through before providing a detailed written estimate.
The walk-through will give you the chance to get a sense of each contractor’s level of expertise and professionalism. They should arrive on time and be prepared to answer any questions that you may have about the job, which brings us to our next point.
6. Ask the right questions
During your in-home consultation, it’s important to ask the right questions.
Here are some good questions to ask:
- How many years of painting experience do you and your crew have?
- Can you share references from similar projects you’ve completed recently?
- Are you licensed and insured? If so, can you please provide your contractor license number and certificate of insurance?
- Do I need to be home while you’re painting?
- How long will it take to complete the project?
- Do you recommend multiple coats?
- What prep work is included in your quote?
- Is caulking and filling cracks included?
- Do you provide a warranty or guarantee?
- How will you protect my furniture and other assets?
- Which paints do you recommend?
- Do I need to do any repairs before you start?
- Do you apply primer?
- Do you clean up after the job is complete?
- What are your payment expectations?
7. Request a written contract
Once you’ve chosen a contractor who you trust, getting a written contract is essential.
The contract should include:
- Surface preparation details
- Paint products to be used
- A schedule/timeframe
- Payment terms
Need to hire a painter?
Our team has over 600 years of combined experience creating beautiful homes that our clients love. Whether you need to paint a few rooms or do a whole-home renovation, our award-winning team will help you reach your goals. Contact us to get started.