We asked the experts, Roman Paint Pros, a Westmoreland County, Pa Painting company that very question… They outlined some of the most important questions you should ask to during your painting estimate:
Contents
1. Licensed and Insured
Is the company a registered business entity in the state where the work is being performed? Does that business entity carry liability insurance? And how much are they covered for? Request to see copies of both the current business license and current business insurance, according to Roman Paint Pros Westmoreland County, Pa Painting company.
source: bergerpaints.com
2. Owner Operated or Sub Contracted Work
Is the guy doing the Estimate also doing the work? Or does he use Sub Contractors? Who are the Sub Contractors? Are they insured? What’s their experience level? It’s very important to know who is actually performing the work. You don’t want to pay a slick sales guy a lot of money for a painting project and then have him send you out a couple of $10 an hour painters to do the work. For the companies that do use Sub Contractors, they must carry their own insurance. It’s also important to know the Sub Contractors experience with projects similar to yours and to ask a little about their backgrounds, so you know who you are letting in your home or business.
3. Prep Work
Do they perform all the necessary prep to ensure the paint job will last? (patching, filling nail holes, caulking, priming) The most crucial part to insuring a paint job will last is to protect the surface from moisture. This applies especially when using latex paint, the most common paint used. Therefore the surface must be protected before coating it. Often low-level painters will just try to slap on cheap paint without prepping the surface and it’s no wonder why the paint doesn’t hold up.
4. Premium Materials
What brand of Paint will be used and what’s the warranty on that product? We would suggest using a Sherwin Williams Super Paint or better. A lot of times painters try to get away with using contractor grade materials. Which fade and flake a lot faster than the higher quality products. For your trim which gets a lot of hand and foot traffic, it’s recommended to use an oil based product such as Sherwin Williams Pro Classic or Industrial Enamel. The more acrylic in the paint the more expensive and the better quality the paint is. Acrylic provides a hardener to your surface almost like a helmet.
source: klhomestaging.com
5. Always ask for a professional form contract with a very detailed scope of work so that…
There’s no room for disagreements or corner cutting. You know the old adage “anybody can paint” gives a black eye to the industry. Many unprofessional painters will write your estimate on the back of a business card. It’s very unclear what is agreed upon by the time the painter returns to do the job. Therefore, disagreements can happen, things get overlooked, and contractors end up charging homeowners for things that should have been standard.
By asking those questions to the individual providing you with your painting estimate, you will be able to weed out the Craiglist Unprofessional Painters from the Professional Paint Contractors. This will ensure you as the homeowner or business owner that your home or business will be properly prepared, painted with quality materials by masters in their field.
