Before Hiring a Painter, Ask These 7 Questions

Considering repainting your home’s exterior? Or maybe just want to add a new sparkle to your aging kitchen cabinets? Whichever your painting needs, hiring a painting contractor is the best way to guarantee quality, professional and long-lasting results.

Professional painting contractors have the right skills, experience, and tools for every kind of painting job they offer. While there’re plenty of skilled and experienced painting contractors out there, it’s not a guarantee that the first painter you will meet has what it takes to reliably execute your project.

To help you find a suitable painting contractor for your painting needs, we put together a list of seven questions you can use to filter your options. Have a look:

Question #1: How long have you been in business?

When hiring a painting contractor for a big job such as exterior painting, you want to work with painters that have been in business for quite some time. They have the skill and experience to take on any unusual challenge that might arise along the way. They will professionally asses your project and offer insight on the project needs and timelines.

Question #2: Do you use your own employees or sub-contract from others?

This is an important question if you’re very particular about the quality of your final paint job and the background of the painting crew. While there is nothing wrong with subcontracting painting services, there is a high chance the lead painter doesn’t have sufficient background information about the painting crew as well as their capabilities.
If your project regards interior painting, you want to be 100% confident about whom you let into your house. So, preferably, work with a painting company that has its own full-time painting crew.

Question #3: Do you have insurance?

A professional painting contractor should carry sufficient business insurance cover as well as policy cover for their painting crew. For most residential painting projects, a liability cover of one million dollars should be sufficient. Other than demonstrating their integrity, the insurance cover will protect your property from damages resulting from the painter’s activities.

Question #4 Do you have a portfolio and references?

It’s important to have access and be able to judge the painter’s job quality through their references. Most companies will actually have reference projects readily showcased on their website for your assessment. Additionally, if they can offer you some references that attest to their work, that would be great.

Question #5: What kind of paint do you use?

The quality of paint is as important as the painter working on your project. Using low-quality paint will lead to paint failure signs such as peeling, bubbling and fading sooner than later. The bottom line here is to make sure the quality of materials used on your project is remarkable.

Question #6: Do you offer a written Guarantee?

Whether or not a company is willing to guarantee their work says a lot about their confidence in what they do. Find out how long they guarantee their work and if they can put it in writing. Some company’s guarantee expires as soon as they walk out of your door. You don’t want that.

Question #7: What is your payment schedule?

Payment should not be uncomfortable or awkward in any way. Ask your painter about their mode of payment as well as payment schedule. Ask them exactly when payment is expected and if any deposits are required before the job begins. Ideally, a painter should not request full payment at the beginning of the project.

Bottom Line

If you follow the above seven hiring questions, getting a reliable painting contractor will be an easy and stress-free process worth your money.

If you need professional assistance with your painting project, we can help. We have years of experience servicing the areas of Louisville, Shelby County, Oldham County, Anchorage, Prospect, and Jefferson Town, Kentucky. Call us today for a free estimate and join our long list of happy clients.