It’s not easy to choose a service provider, right? Most put their best foot forward during the initial introductions, maybe with detailed sales sheets that share five reasons why they’re the best. But they can’t all be the best, and experience tells you that you need to approach the hiring process with caution.
Here are a few ultra-practical tips for helping you sort through the estimates, picking the ideal painting pro for your project.
5 Simple Tips for Picking a House Painter
#1: Check Their Credentials
Being licensed and insured is essential, of course, but let’s dig deeper. How about local reputation and longevity? A painter with an established presence in your community is almost always a better bet, especially since they’ll have a deeper commitment to your satisfaction and their own reputation.
#2: Review Their Past Work
Whether they provide work samples or you do a search through their social media accounts, take a close look at the types of homes they work on. If you own an older, more historic property, for example, you need to be certain that they know how to navigate your surfaces, safety considerations, potential for lead being present, and know how to really care for your home.
#3: Consider the Value, Not Just the Price
It can be too easy to sort estimates by the cost at the bottom. We recommend taking a closer look, considering the value you’ll receive. For example, if a smaller, less reputable painting company offers a cheap price and quick turnaround time, is the stress, mess, and lower quality work really worthwhile? You may be painting again in half the time too, which is another key price consideration. Cheap work is almost always more expensive in the long run.
#4: What’s Included in Your Painting Estimate?
Your estimate should be extremely detailed and clear, outlining the scope of work, products used, surface prep included, and any necessary repairs. You don’t want to be surprised by a stressful, expensive curveball part way through the painting process.
#5: Look for a Painter Who Will Respect Your Home
You deserve a painting company that will respect and care for your property, and their process needs to reflect that. What are their containment and cleanup strategies? Will they cover and protect your landscaping? Will you be dealing with loud music and messy painters, or efficient, organized, uniformed professionals?
Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions, valuing your peace of mind.
Exterior painting especially is a sizable investment, and you need to be sure it’s done (and handled) correctly. The good news is that it’s not hard to pick the right professional, but it does require digging a little deeper into (and beyond) your estimate. Hopefully this quick summary helped, but if you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to us. Happy painting!
