Questions to ask a painting contractor (before you hire!)
The goal for our last blog post was to help you narrow down your choices when considering who you’re going to hire for your painting contractor. In it our last point was that the contractor you hire should be willing to answer any questions you have. Well, maybe you’re stuck trying to figure out what to ask. Totally understandable.
That’s what we’re here to cover today… so that you can know what you don’t yet know and ought to know!
Generic questions you could ask the contractor:
Do you have insurance?
How long have you been working as a painting contractor?
Are the workers on my project your employees or subcontractors?
Will a consistent crew be at my house throughout the project?
Are you going to be personally involved in my job? If not, how will my project be supervised?
Who is my point of contact throughout the process? And how do I contact them?
Do you have written safety guidelines for your workers?
What precautions are taken to protect my property?
Is your company a member of the Better Business Bureau, a local Chamber Of Commerce, or any Trade Associations?
Are references included with your proposal? Or do you have a list of customers who would be willing to verify the quality of your work?
How long is your warranty and what does it cover?
Is your price an estimate or a true final cost?
What is your payment schedule?
How will my house be prepped for painting?
Is there anything I need to do to prepare for the start of the project?
Do you use primer?
What kind of paint and materials do you use?
How many coats of paint will you use?
How many painters will be on the job and how long will the job take?
What could potentially delay the job?
What happens if I am not able to have someone home while your crew is here?
What will be cleaned up after the job is completed?
What is your process for dealing with lead paint?
What happens if there is any property damage during the project?
(If exterior:) What is your policy for dealing with less than ideal weather conditions?
Additional things to look out for & consider:
(If interior:) How many rooms will you want to be painted in the long run? It is usually more cost-effective to bundle them into one timeline.
What do you value more: price or quality? As in most fields, there are different scales to both and they don’t always align.
Pay attention to how the contractor communicates with you. Are you being listened to?
Asking questions will put you and the right contractor on the same page. (If at any point in the asking process you feel you are not on the same page and can’t seem to get there, it’s probably a red flag.) The best thing you can do for yourself is to educate yourself on the contractor’s communication, approach, and qualifications for your project in order to help you avoid misunderstandings or disagreements down the line. So, ask…and trust your gut!
