8 Tips for Hiring a Painting Contractor

Adding a fresh coat of paint to the interior or exterior of your home or office is a surefire way to enhance its appearance, boost its curb appeal, and create a more inviting environment. But for most businesses and homeowners, going the DIY route can prove to be quite the intimidating task.

That’s why many home and business owners opt for hiring a professional. You need a contractor who not only has vast knowledge and experience with home and commercial painting, but will also offer a wide variety of other painting services that go above and beyond adding a fresh coat.

In fact, enlisting the services of a painting contractor can offer you several benefits in addition to their professional painting skills, including:

Providing proficient surface preparation to your properties exterior or interior, such as sanding, priming, filling in holes, etc.
Safely and securely moving any exterior or interior objects that could interfere with painting
Offering exclusive warranties or complete insurance coverage for any painting project
Granting a final inspection for your approval of their painting services

But with so much competition out there, how can you trust that you’re hiring the best painting contractor that will suit your home or business enhancement needs? Here are eight essential tips to keep in mind when hiring a local painting contractor.

1) Plot Out Your Plan

The first rule of thumb to take into consideration when hiring a painting contractor is knowing exactly what you want with your desired painting project. Painting contractors need to know as many of your desired details and demands as possible, to ensure that they get the job done right the first time around.

Some simple requisites to consider when initially discussing a painting project with your contractor can include:

Which interior or exterior areas of the property do you wish to paint?
What are your preferred colors, designed, textures, etc.?
Do you need a specific color for branding for your business?
Do you have any timeline or scheduling constraints?
What are your budgetary requirements and limitations?
Does anyone need to be present when contractors are working?
Is there a preferred time of year to begin painting?

The more defined you can be with your desired painting project, the better results you can expect from a painting contractor.

2) Be Forthright With Your Demands

In addition to knowing what you want to accomplish with your painting project, it’s just as important to be as forthright as possible about your desired outcome of the project with your contractor.

Whether you want them to divulge how many coats will be laid down, how surrounding areas will be protected from paint, discuss the length of their services, or review their warranties and insurance plans, it’s always best to get these nitty gritty details initially out of the way, rather than discussing them further down the road.

3) Do Your Research

This might go without saying, but it’s going to take a little effort on your part to ensure you’re receiving the best painting contractor services possible. For starters, every painting contractor you’re considering should, at minimum, be fully licensed for painting homes and commercial spaces and possess current insurance coverage.

Be sure to check out all of the online reviews of their websites, and compare their painting prices, estimates, and accommodations with their competitors. Painting contractors with significantly more experience than their counterparts should be higher up in your consideration list.

4) Follow-Up With Referrals

Any painting contractor who declines to offer you referrals of their previous clients should immediately be considered to be a red flag. While personal referrals are the most direct and reliable points of reference, be sure to check out any local community boards or social media groups that have recently enlisted painting contractor services.

You can even stop by places that sell paint and see if they have any personal recommendations for painting contractors in the area.

5) Interview Your Preferences

When you’ve started to narrow down your preferred list of painting contractors, it’s time to put their words to the test. Schedule a consultation with them and unload all of your questions and concerns, paying close attention to their answers, as well as how they provide those answers.

At the end of the day, after doing all your research and asking questions, now’s the time where it’s safe to say you can go with your gut instinct on who will provide you with the outstanding service your home or office needs.

6) Look at Their Warranty

Regardless of the type of project, any professionally completed painting should come with a warranty. This is critical because incidents can occur, and if the job is not done professionally, it can result in less durability and cause issues like fading or peeling if the paint fails.

Asking the harder questions is critical, and anyone who is a professional isn’t going to be offended because it will show you are informed. This means having them explain what areas need extra attention and, if there is a failure, how will it be addressed.

7) Understand the Prep Required by You

Whether you are running a large-scale corporation or painting a three-bedroom home, there will be different levels of preparation that need to take place for the project. Getting a solid understanding of what's required on your part, whether that's tree trimming, furniture removal, or any other prep work, will help the job be more successful, so ask for a preparation checklist to understand what is expected.

8) Get an Estimate in Writing

A professional is also going to supply you with an estimate in writing. When you do the walk-through on your property, the expert will be able to understand what's going to be required, and the document should include information including:

Start and completion dates
The company's information, including telephone number, address, name, and website
The total cost of the job
The project scope with the details of the application process and any prep work
Any applicable terms and conditions

Hire a Local Painting Contractor You Can Trust

The last thing you want to keep in mind when hiring a painting contractor is understanding that this should be a long-lasting business relationship, not a one-time painting gig. You want a painting contractor that’s neighborly, knows the area, and are people you could see yourself getting a cup of coffee with sometime.

At Get Fresh Paint, that’s exactly who we are with all of our Twin Cities and surrounding area clients. We offer vast experience in residential and commercial painting services, and consider all of our customers to be our neighbors as well. When you need top quality interior or exterior painting services, contact Get Fresh Paint today to schedule a consultation!