June 2008
Picking a painter: How to spot a pro
Illustration by Jason Schneider
Twice as many homeowners hire a contractor to repaint the exterior of their home as do it themselves. Some advice:
Be home for the initial meeting. The longer the contractor takes to assess the condition of your home the more realistic the estimate. Even an experienced painter will need more than a quick walk-around. Ask about the size and experience of the crew. Be wary of the promise that your job will be cheaper because it’s a demonstration project to get more work in your neighborhood.
Be clear about expectations. It’s not just the number of coats that are applied that determines quality and price. Preparation is key, but it’s also the area where contractor and consumer expectations go awry. If you want a surface that’s free of unevenness from prior paint jobs, you’ll need to say so, and be prepared to pay extra. But if you can live with some imperfections showing through, point out what level of prep is acceptable and what isn’t.
Check references and work. Ask for references, call them, and go see the work. Examine jobs that were done several years ago to see how the painter’s work is holding up. A history of positive references is a good sign. Use recent projects to check the skill of a contractor’s current crew. And ask how surprises or problems were resolved.
Consider credentials. Membership in a trade or local business group isn’t a guarantee of quality, but it shows a level of commitment and reliability. For licensing information in your state, check www.contractors-license.org. Also check with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org), your state’s attorney general’s office, or a local consumer-affairs agency to learn whether the contractor has a history of unresolved complaints.
Get estimates. Always seek three written estimates. Each should include a breakdown of labor, material costs, the number of coats of primer and paint, the brand and model of materials, and a detailed description of the amount of surface preparation that will be done.
Choose the product yourself. Your painter might try to talk you into a paint he prefers. Use our Ratings (available to subscribers) to check for top performance or to choose one you want the painter to use.
Check for lead. If your home was built before 1978, older coats of paint could contain lead. So extra precautions might be needed.
Get a complete contract. It should include all the contractor’s key information: name, address, office and cell- phone numbers, and license number, plus whatever details were in the estimate. Make sure it’s clear what is and is not included in the job. Avoid a large down payment and withhold the final payment, typically 10 to 15 percent, until you are satisfied with the job. Get a copy of each painter’s liability and workers compensation insurance certificates. Otherwise, if someone gets hurt while on the job, you could be on the hook.
Ask for a guarantee. The painter should promise to correct any chipping, peeling, blistering, flaking, or excessive fading or chalking that occurs within two years after the job is done at no or little cost. If he tells you the paint itself has a warranty, remember that doesn’t include labor, which is a far more costly proposition than material.
Be home for the initial meeting. The longer the contractor takes to assess the condition of your home the more realistic the estimate. Even an experienced painter will need more than a quick walk-around. Ask about the size and experience of the crew. Be wary of the promise that your job will be cheaper because it’s a demonstration project to get more work in your neighborhood.
Be clear about expectations. It’s not just the number of coats that are applied that determines quality and price. Preparation is key, but it’s also the area where contractor and consumer expectations go awry. If you want a surface that’s free of unevenness from prior paint jobs, you’ll need to say so, and be prepared to pay extra. But if you can live with some imperfections showing through, point out what level of prep is acceptable and what isn’t.
Check references and work. Ask for references, call them, and go see the work. Examine jobs that were done several years ago to see how the painter’s work is holding up. A history of positive references is a good sign. Use recent projects to check the skill of a contractor’s current crew. And ask how surprises or problems were resolved.
Consider credentials. Membership in a trade or local business group isn’t a guarantee of quality, but it shows a level of commitment and reliability. For licensing information in your state, check www.contractors-license.org. Also check with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org), your state’s attorney general’s office, or a local consumer-affairs agency to learn whether the contractor has a history of unresolved complaints.
Get estimates. Always seek three written estimates. Each should include a breakdown of labor, material costs, the number of coats of primer and paint, the brand and model of materials, and a detailed description of the amount of surface preparation that will be done.
Choose the product yourself. Your painter might try to talk you into a paint he prefers. Use our Ratings (available to subscribers) to check for top performance or to choose one you want the painter to use.
Check for lead. If your home was built before 1978, older coats of paint could contain lead. So extra precautions might be needed.
Get a complete contract. It should include all the contractor’s key information: name, address, office and cell- phone numbers, and license number, plus whatever details were in the estimate. Make sure it’s clear what is and is not included in the job. Avoid a large down payment and withhold the final payment, typically 10 to 15 percent, until you are satisfied with the job. Get a copy of each painter’s liability and workers compensation insurance certificates. Otherwise, if someone gets hurt while on the job, you could be on the hook.
Ask for a guarantee. The painter should promise to correct any chipping, peeling, blistering, flaking, or excessive fading or chalking that occurs within two years after the job is done at no or little cost. If he tells you the paint itself has a warranty, remember that doesn’t include labor, which is a far more costly proposition than material.
