The right paint can enhance your home’s look to a great extent. While choosing the right color is not a major problem, finding the right painting contractor is critical to giving your home a great makeover. It would help if you found a contractor who offers the painting services you are looking for. You can get overwhelmed by the number of contractors available in your locality. Below are five simple steps to choosing a painting contractor for your house.
Reviews, Testimonials, and Recommendations
You should hire contractors with a good reputation in your locality. Pick contractors with a history of good work. Go through reviews and testimonials online to see what customers say about them. If possible, speak to previous customers to understand the contractor’s working style and quality of work. Speak to friends and family and get references if they have worked with any painting contractors in the past.
Budgeting
The budget is one of the first things to consider when planning a painting project. It would help if you had clarity on your budget even before looking for contractors. Your budget should consider the quality of materials used, the amount of prep work required, and the scale of the project. Shortlist contractors who have reasonable rates and not necessarily low fees. Sometimes, contractors who take extremely low fees use cheap paints, inexperienced painters, and extremely quick painting techniques.
Get Multiple Estimates
Get at least three quotes from three different contractors. Ask them the same questions and lay down the same expectations. Once you get the quotes, please go through them in detail and compare them. See if the estimates have the same amount of materials, prep work, and scope of work with detailed documentation of the entire process. Pricing is critical with any painting project. Ensure that every line item on the estimate is crystal clear. Ask the potential contractors to give you a breakup of the cost. The quote should include time frame, material, labor, paint, and travel costs.
Get a Contract
Put all the details on paper before starting the painting project. Create a contract between you and your contractor. This contract should be a legally binding document that contains details like name, office and home address, phone numbers, and license numbers. It should specifically mention what is included and not included in the project. Some painting companies also have a written guarantee for any peeling, chipping, blistering, excessive fading or chalking, and flaking that occurs within a specific period.
Ask the Contractor Questions
Once you narrow down on potential contractors, ask them as many detailed questions as possible. This is critical to understanding their work styles and services. You can meet them in person, email them, or speak to them over the phone. Some of the common questions to ask potential contractors include:
- How long have they been in business?
- Can they give references for past work and clients?
- Do they have a current insurance certificate? If yes, does it cover worker’s compensation, auto insurance, and general liability?
- What professional painting organization do they belong to?
- What are the products they recommend to be used in the project?
- Will they provide the paint or will you have to buy it?
- Do they have subcontractors or employees to work as a part of their crew?
- Are they lead-safe certified?
- Do they offer a warranty for the work?
- What is the timeframe to finish the job?
Benefits of Hiring a Painting Contractor
A good painting contractor will make your painting project a breeze. Given below are some of the benefits of hiring a professional painting contractor like Body Corporate Painting Brisbane:
- The painting contractor will help you with important decisions about corrections needed in your home, the color theme suitable for your rooms, and wall decorating ideas.
- The contractor will have in-depth knowledge about various types of paint and equipment used.
- A professional contractor will handle every little detail before beginning the work. They will clean up the walls thoroughly, cover furniture and other items neatly, and only then start the work.
- A professional contractor will know what precautions to take during the painting project. They will provide both a warranty and guarantee on various items. This means you won’t have to worry about your belongings and furniture.
- A professional contractor’s experience will help them do a great paint job.
- A professional contractor will save you money by preventing you from making costly mistakes when you paint the house yourself.