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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Painting Contractors - 5 Tips For Choosing a Quality Painting Contractor For a Fair Price

If you’ve ever hired painting contractors in the past, you probably know that there are great painters and there are the not so great painters. At first blush, painting may not seem like such a difficult task. I mean, how hard can it actually be, right? Wrong! Painting is a skill just like any other trade and it requires a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to professionally handle all situations.

From how to properly prepare the surface to receive paint, to what kind of paint to use, to the climate, traffic, abuse and use of the area in question, there is a lot that goes in to a quality job. I have outlined 5 tips that will help you choose a quality painter and to ensure you get a fair price.

1. Never choose the lowest bid. If you’re only concern is spending as little money as possible and you don’t care at all about the quality of the work, then perhaps this doesn’t apply to you. However, if you don’t want to find paint drips, tiny specks of paint on your furniture or floors, paint that has been thinned out or improper prep work, going with the lowest bidder is a bad choice. Quality work performed by professionals requires adequate compensation. People who care about their reputation, the customer, and getting repeat business will charge a little more and take special care and pride in their work rather than just trying to churn out as many jobs as possible.
2. Ask for references and check them out. Many people ask for references because they feel it’s what they should do, but then they never actually take the time to check them out. If a company provides quality work at a fair price, they should be happy to have you call any one of their customers because they are confident in the work they do and they know a positive review will be given.
3. Make sure they are members of the PDCA (Painting & Decorating Contractors of America). This is the painters association and any painting contractor worth his salt will seek out and associate with other painters who are concerned with keeping up to date with all of the latest developments in there industry. It just makes sense to hire someone who is committed to quality and constant improvement.
4. Ensure they are licensed and insured. This may seem like a no brainer, but it’s a very important thing to know. Sometimes these guys can be several stories up and a fall could cause serious injury or death and if this happens on your property, you are ultimately responsible. This isn’t something that is negotiable. Do not hire someone without adequate insurance. Workers comp, liability and a $2M umbrella policy is sufficient.
5. Ask if there is an English speaking crew member. There’s nothing wrong with workers who’s native language isn’t English, what is a problem is when no one working in your home speaks English enough to communicate with you. If something happens, you have questions or the crew has questions, it’s important that you can communicate adequately.

Obviously there are a lot more things to look for when hiring the right company, but these 5 tips should get you moving in the right direction. The last thing you want to do is hire a painting contractor, pay them good money, and end up with a poor quality job and no one answering the phones.

And if you live in Reston, Oakton, Vienna or surrounding northern Virginia areas we would love to help you with your choosing the right painting contractor for your needs.

Posted on 12/31 at 05:01 PM
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