At Fresh Paint, our goal is to make the painting process as easy as possible. We’re asked to come to resolve deficiencies and inadequate work on a regular basis. We wanted to share our best practices to help homeowners get the job done right the first time. Whether you’re painting a small room or a large home, here are 5 questions that you should ask your painting contractor:
1. Do you have insurance?
This should be the first question you ask any contractor—not only painters! It should be no problem for a contractor to send you their WCB and liability insurance forms.
Damage to your home or an injury to a painter on your property is the worst-case scenario for a painting job. These issues are rare but there is no excuse for a painting contractor to not have proper insurance.
2. How will my project be managed?
A good painting contractor will always be a phone call or text message away. A poor painting contractor will leave your questions unanswered. They may not tell you who is coming to paint, and worse, may not even tell you when they will arrive.
Good painting contractors will always be responsive to your questions. Experienced contractors will ensure you’re aware of scheduling and notified of any issues or changes.
At Fresh Paint, each project has a dedicated project Ace. Our Aces work with each client from the estimate to the final walkthrough. We have found this ensures work done right, on time, and on budget.
3. What does your quote include? How much will my job actually cost?
Not all painting quotes are created equal! We often chat with clients who have significantly different estimates for the same work. This can happen for 2 different reasons:
Inferior Products or Scope of Work
Different painting contractors may not quote for the same quality and scope of work. Even when looking at the same project for the same customer. Differences can include the number of coats of paint applied, the quality of paint used, and much more.
Poor painting contractors will cut corners and may use inferior products. This leads to costly touch-ups or worse full repaints. The most expensive painting job is the one you pay for twice!
Extras Extras Extras…
There is a wide range of obstacles that can present themselves in every painting job. Rearranging furniture, accessing hard-to-reach areas, or even recycling excess paint can create extra fees. In the worst case, a job may not be done on time and you may be asked to pay for extra days of work!
When work has already started, it can be difficult and awkward for homeowners to say “no” to extra charges. It can also be a hassle to deal with the company afterward. Many homeowners simply cut their losses and vow to never use the same contractor again.
A better solution is to find a trustworthy contractor from the start. Fresh Paint provides project rates that always include detailed information about any obstacles that may impact the completion of a painting job. Make it easy and book your free estimate today.
4. Do you provide a warranty?
This one is simple! Any painting company worth its brushes should provide a guarantee on their work. This should extend beyond the warranty of the product and include a guarantee of the workmanship itself.
As the customer, you should be fully aware of what is covered and for how long. You should also have that in writing.
Fresh Paint offers a 24-month peace of mind guarantee on all completed work with few exceptions.
5. Can you provide references for the quality of your work?
Local references are among the best guarantees you can have that your contractor is trustworthy and will do good work. Bad painters don’t last long in the same neighborhood.
Any contractor can say the right thing. But only those who do good work will be able to point to long-lasting completed projects. Even better if you can talk with a previous customer!
Fresh Paint is proud of the work we do. We’ll make it easy. We’ll answer all the above questions (you don’t even have to ask), we love showing off our reviews, and are happy to introduce you to our prior clients. Let Fresh Paint make your project easy today.