Not everyone has the time to handle big home improvement projects independently. There’s too much to do these days, so you need to look for help if you want to change your property looks. The same is true with painting your home.
There’s good and bad news if you need help giving your home a fresh coat of paint. The good news is that plenty of skilled painting experts are available to help. The bad news is that there are more than 234,000 painting businesses to choose from.
It can be challenging to find the best painting contractor for your needs with so many choices. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know to find a painting contractor that will do a great job.
Consider Your Painting Needs
There’s sometimes more to painting than throwing a coat of paint on the wall. Not all surfaces are the same, so it can take a more nuanced approach to do a painting job right.
Before choosing a painting contractor, you must understand your painting surface and general requirements. When you have this information, you’ll know how to tell a contractor what you need and let them know what they need to complete the job.
If you have any special needs, you can filter out contractors who don’t have the experience or equipment to take on the job. A quick search online can tell you more about potential requirements that you may need.
The other thing to consider is furniture. If you have anything in the way that will disrupt painting, will a painter move them? You’ll need to figure out if you want to move things yourself or if you need to find a contractor that can handle moving furniture.
Compare Costs
The last thing you want to do when hiring a painting contractor is to hire the first person you come across. There isn’t a set price for painting jobs, and price can vary based on complexity, materials needed, and labor rates.
That’s why you need to get several quotes from contractors before you choose. In the ideal scenario, you’ll get at least three options.
These quotes should detail how much everything costs. You can better understand what pricing in the painting industry is like and use that information to make a better choice.
Verify Licensing
Contractors can’t decide to work in homes one day and start immediately. There are rules people need to follow to do contracting jobs correctly.
That’s where licensing helps. Home contractors have licenses they need to get to work in local areas. Each area has a unique set of rules, so a license from another location may not always be enough.
A contractor should be able to provide license numbers to you to verify. You can check with your local government to see the validity of a license.
Look for a Written Contract
While some painting jobs may be easy to figure out and handle, not all of them will be. If you have a larger project, the chances are good that there are many little details that you need to get right.
The question is, will the contractor you hire do the same?
Unfortunately, some painters will miss parts of the job and call it a day. Without a contract that details all the work a contractor needs to do, it can be challenging to get someone to come back out to finish a job.
A contract protects you in this situation. Tell your contractor every little detail of your job when you speak with them. Once they have all the details, have them include all work required in the contract.
If there’s ever a dispute, you can reference the contract to show your contractor they missed something. It’s better to get something in writing and not need it than get stuck with an unfinished painting project.
Ask About Availability
If you’ve gotten to the point where you found a painting contractor that seems like they can handle the job, you’re almost finished with your work. You have one more important consideration before you commit to any work or sign a contract. Will your chosen contractor be able to make it to your property promptly?
Unfortunately, some painters will book themselves solid and don’t have much availability for new clients. You can wait a while before someone gets to your property to complete the job.
If you want your job completed quickly, you can’t afford for this to happen. Ask about scheduling with a contractor before you commit to them. If they can’t make it to your home quickly, the chances are good you can find another provider that can.
Check Out Online Reviews
One of the great things about the internet is that it allows anyone to go online and give their opinions about something. Because of that, people have plenty of places to talk about their experiences with companies.
Painting contractors are no different. If a painting contractor does excellent work, there should be no shortage of great reviews about their service on the internet.
A quick search should provide you with all the reviews you need to help you make your decisions. Combine these with reviews on the BBB website for companies you’re considering to make hiring a painting contractor easier.
Start Your Search for the Best Painting Contractor Today
While it may not seem like painting is a big deal, there is a way to do it right. Unfortunately, you won’t get the service you need from every painting contractor. Keep the guide above in mind to find the best painting contractor for the job.
If you’re curious about how to find help with your other home improvement projects, head back to the blog. You’ll find more great articles to help you make the improvements you need.