Summer is here for some and just around the corner for others here in Canada. It is time to start thinking about doing some painting! There are lots of painting jobs to do.
Should you Do It Yourself or hire a contractor for some of the bigger painting projects? Your house is important and the results should be everything you want.
Here is a check list from The Paint Quality Institute to help in choosing a painting contractor that will provide a quality job.
1. Specify the Work: To accurately compare quotes, each contractor must be quoting for the same work. Prepare a simple list of the work required, specifying exactly which areas need painting, what gloss level and colour you want, and when you would like it to be completed.
2. Get Quotes: Talk with several contractors, and ask for written quotes.
3. What is the Proposed Painting Process? Check the details of what the contractor will do for each surface to be painted, including:
– Surface preparation
– Priming (including type and brand of primer)
– Finish coats (type of paint, gloss level, brand, colours, and number of coats)
4. How Will Your Assets Be Protected? How will the contractor protect the areas around the painting project? For example, will nearby plantings be protected when the exterior is being painted? How will furniture, fixtures and floors be protected during interior painting? 
5. Timing: When will the work be started? And finished? How many painters will be working on the job? What will the remedy be if the job is not completed on time?
6. Warranty Protection: Is there a warranty on the work? Does it cover labor and materials or just labor? How long is the warranty, and what is the remedy if there is paint failure?
7. Recommendations: Ask for the names of previous customers from each contractor as references, and contact them to get their recommendation.
8. Presentation: Is the contractor courteous, businesslike and appropriately dressed? A dirty, unkempt appearance may indicate a lack of care on the job.
9. Response: Is the contractor punctual with appointments and in returning phone calls, and generally interested in doing business with you? If the responses are slow before the job is awarded, improvement is unlikely when these things are important during the project.
10. Paint Quality: A painter has access to a number of products which are manufactured to different quality levels. Insist on a top quality product. The little extra it costs initially will pay handsomely because top quality 100% acrylic paints last much longer than ordinary paint and cost less over the lifetime of the paint job.
These ten helpful tips should ensure you a top quality job from a well qualified painting contractor. Now you can sit back and let the professionals do all the hard work, giving you more time for other things.
Check out General Paint’s Fresh Air colour card at any store or dealer for great exterior colour combinations. Here are just a couple.
Don’t forget to check out our Design blog: Colorlife© The Emotion of Colour @ www.generalpaintblog2.com for great colour and design discussions!
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I love using different colours of paint to draw attention to a room. The possibilities are endless!
I’m painting my house and trying to find a good contractor to help me out. I had no idea that there was a process for painting. I’ll have to make sure that the painting contractor has a warranty and that they do their best.
I am going to need to have some painting done at our office soon, so this is very helpful. I definitely think that the contractor’s presentation is important. Would you suggest that I try to meet a few different painting contractors to see how they present themselves?
I hadn’t thought about asking a painting contractor about the kind of paint they use. I can see why asking this can be very helpful; when trying to get a quality job done. I will make sure to ask about the quality of the paint as well as the other advice you have provided, Thank you for posting.
These are great tips for those considering hiring a painting contractor. I like the questions asked in point four. Oftentimes we don’t think about how are personal items will be protected when we hire someone to work on our home, but we do need to be thinking about it and coming up with a plan so that if something goes amiss we are aware of it. It would not be good if something you held dear was destroyed due to painting or repairs being done on the home.
My sister wants to get the walls on her main floor painted, as the old color isn’t quite to her liking. You advised making sure that the painting contractor has a warranty, and to consider how long the warranty is. If the contractor has a good warranty, they are likely confident that their paint will last, and look good for a long time. Thanks for the advice.
I like that you suggest to prepare a list of things that the painter will need to do. I can see why this would help you get an accurate list of quotes before making your decision. My mom is wanting to hire a painter to help her paint all the rooms in her basement. I’ll have to help her make this list so that she can use it when getting a consultation.
I am hoping to get my home repainted, so I appreciate the tips for finding a good contractor. I like your idea of getting quotes from several different contractors to compare. I used to think just picking the first one I found was okay, but now I know better.
When you hire a contractor, always ask your contractor to provide current licensing and insurance information.
Thanks for the great advice on what to do when looking for a painting contractor. My wife and I recently moved and really need someone who can work some flexible hours. I never knew that personality was so important! Thanks again!
Finding a good painter is super important to us. We are hoping to paint our living room this year, but I don’t dare do it myself. I like how you said to get multiple quotes to see who is the best deal.
Discovering if there is a warranty would be a good thing to look into before hiring a painting contractor. I am glad to know that one should find if the warranty covers labor and materials. Another thing to consider would be to find a painter who uses quality paint to enhance the quality of your home.
My brother and his wife are moving into a new house and they are planning on painting it before they move all of their furniture in. I’ve heard that it is a good idea to hire commercial painters when painting your house for the first time because they do such a good job. I will pass your advice on to my brother and make sure that he gets multiple quotes and looks for a company that offers a warranty on their work.
I think you make a good point how it’s important to understand the timeline for a project when hiring a professional painter. I am looking at getting the siding on my house painted, so this is good to know. It would be a huge plus to know exactly when I can count on the work getting done, so I’ll be sure to inquire about this when hiring a painting contractor.
I like how you talked about some tips for finding a residential painting service. My wife and I have wanted to get some painting done for a while, so I think that finding some tips is smart, particularly your tip about a warranty was super helpful! I want to make sure that we hire a residential painting service who is going to stand by their work, so I’ll be sure to ask about a warranty!
Thanks for the interesting read. I particularly liked what you said about choosing a painting service that goes out of their way to appear professional and is well kept. If they present themselves professionally, it shows that they really care about impressing their clients and creating a professional image. It’d make sense to desire those kind of qualities as you would know that you are working with a service that values professional grade work.
These are some great tips for hiring a painter. I like how you said to get quotes from a few different contractors. I did that when I needed to hire a plumber, so hiring a painter shouldn’t be any different! As long as our basement looks nice after it’s done, I’ll be happy.
My fiance and I need to find an interior painting service and are not sure where to look. We appreciated your tip to look into references and recommendations of past clients. Both of us can get a good understanding of how the company works and will do our project.
I agree with your words. Getting the lowest price should not be your first or only consideration. You want to get someone with skill, experience, who is properly licensed and insured, aware of safety issues and is a good worker.
Thanks for your tips to ask for referrals before hiring a house painter. I feel like since your house is large and very visible you definitely want to make sure the contractor you hire does a good job. Price would probably play a roll as well in choosing who to work whit.
Thanks for the advice to see if there is a warranty protection on the work when working with a painting contractor. I would like to get my home painted after years of maintenance that somehow neglected the exterior. Getting my home painted, I’ll be sure to see how my assets would be protected by the contractor as well.
I like how you say that you would want to consider the personal recommendation when choosing a painter. Finding people who really like the professional would be good. My sister is looking for a painter, so she’ll have to consider personal recommendations.
My husband and I have just finished remodeling our home, so we are wondering how to find the best commercial service to help with the painting of the walls. So I appreciate your suggestion to ask them about when they will start and finish the project so that you can be sure it will match your timeline. Since we were hoping to move in within the next few weeks, we will be sure to find a commercial painting service that can fit that timeline.
I can see how asking for feedback from one of the contractor’s previous clients would help us get a good sense of how their service would go. We recently moved into a studio apartment and we’re really looking for a professional interior painting service to help us out. I’ll be sure to ask for references when I finally get a hold of a contractor over the weekend.
My husband and I have decided to have our house repainted as it’s full of “decorative paintings” from our toddlers. I agree that making a good list on which parts of your house will be repainted is a good idea. Also, if you’re not sure, ask. Always ask. This will help further your communication with the contractor it will also help them understand what you really want and/or need. Thanks for the great tips!
I like that you said to understand the timeline for a project when you’re hiring a professional painter as well as knowing the warranty. My wife and I want to get the side of our house painted this summer and I’m hesitant about getting the right company to do it. It would be a plus to know when the work will be done so I’ll have to ask this to potential painting contractors.
Thanks for your helpful tips in hiring a painting contractor for my home. Since I’d like to get my house repainted after years of leaving it as it is, it’s nice that I have read some of your tips to find the best painter. With that said, I’ll prepare a list to specify each work and see how a contractor can work with that. Besides, I shall then follow your advice to Insist on a top-quality product.
My husband and I recently found out that we’re expecting our first child. We plan to transform our guest room into a nursery, so we’re looking for a painting service. It’s great that you mentioned we should ask for written quotes from various painting contractors to find the right one that fits our style and budget. Thanks for the tip!
My husband and I have been considering hiring painting contractors. I think it’s going to be the best option for us. I’ll definitely remember the tips for hiring them. Thanks!
My husband and I are thinking about having our whole home repainted so that we can start out with a blank slate when it comes to redecorating. I appreciate that you mentioned that it’s important to ask the contractor when the job will be started and finished. We’ll have to make sure that we do that because I think that would help us plan everything better with the contractor.
Thanks for sharing this blog about Tips for hiring a painting contractor. I like how you advise making a list of everything that the painter must complete. I can understand why doing this would enable you to gather exact prices before to making a choice. My mom is looking to hire a painter to help her paint all the rooms in her basement. She will need my support in preparing this list so that she can use it during her session.
Hey there! Thanks for sharing these helpful tips for hiring a painting contractor. It’s crucial to get written quotes from multiple contractors and discuss their process, insurance, and licensing. Make sure to have a clear contract and ask about cleanup and eco-friendly options if it matters to you. Also, consider quality control and only pay the final amount when you’re satisfied. These steps will surely lead you to a great painting experience. Happy painting!
I’m in the mood to make my bedroom at home in Carindale more pink, so I’m thinking of giving it a new paint job next week to welcome the change of season while we’re at it. it’s good that you mentioned that when looking for painting contractors to hire, we must specify the same details for them so that they’re quoting the same work and we can compare them accurately. I’ll be sure to do so once I find painting contractors here in Carindale to consider hiring for the new paint job my bedroom needs soon.