Are Your Painters Meeting the Mark?

So you’ve picked the contractor, but now you’ve got cold feet. Did you make the right choice? Here are the main things to look for to check you’ve hired a real professional.

1-Do not pay any money up front. There are some painting contractors that do ask for a down payment. I do not recommend going with the company. Honestly, there is no reason for it. It is a sign they are not professional and they want to lock you in before any work is done. You are locked in, but are they?

2-Communication. A great contractor will talk you through the work and the timeline. “Today I finished the preparation and priming. Tomorrow we will be putting on the finish. I should be done here tomorrow.” Once there is a contract signed, phone calls and emails should be answered in at least 24 hours. Of course there are emergencies but poor communication is unacceptable.

3-Appearance. Do they look like they just crawled out of bed? Is there more paint on their clothes than on the house? Do they have on white painters pants and a white shirt? If they don’t look professional, they aren’t professional. It really is that simple.

4-Are the employees on their phone texts, talking, and not doing the work? A great company will manage the employees phone usage. Of course the business owner will be using their phone, but the employees should only use it on breaks.

5-Are they clean? What I mean by clean is they should clean up everyday. Do they use drop cloth when they walk in? Do they cover the furniture? Do they wipe the dust off of wall art and mirrors? Cleaning should not be saved until the end and should be built in throughout the process.

6-Show up on time. Things happen, but they should give you a phone call if they will be late or not coming that day.

7-Use your common sense. I know you may not know about painting, but you can observe how the team works. Do they look like they know what they are doing? Do they appear to be working like they’ve done this before? Don’t doubt your common sense just because you are not a professional painter.

Hopefully this blog post reaffirms your hire and you are enjoying the experience of transforming your home. If not, don’t be afraid to speak up. You are the one paying, so you are in charge.