In an ideal situation, hiring a painting contractor should be a straightforward process. You get quotes from a number of contractors, compare them, do some due diligence and then pick the one you think is best qualified. Sadly, this is not always the case, as many people make simple mistakes that result in unsavory outcomes.
In this article, we will look at 5 common mistakes that homeowners make when hiring painting contractors. Knowing these mistakes will help you avoid them so you can ensure that you get favorable outcomes
1. Not Verifying Insurance and Licensing
Some homeowners do not consider this to be important. No serious painting contractor will operate without adequate liability and worker’s compensation insurance policies. These two policies are crucial to ensuring you are not held liable for any accidents that happen while they are working on your property.
The worker’s compensation cover is important for taking care of any expenses that may arise from accidents and injuries to a worker or workers while working on your property. The liability cover, on the other hand, provides cover for any damage to your property during the project.
Unless you are willing to take on these costs should they arise, you should make sure that any contractor you choose to work with has these two policies active.
You can learn about all the important insurance policies for contractors in the construction industry here: https://www.blockadvisors.com/.
2. Choosing the Lowest Bid without Understanding What’s Included
A lot of folks are quick to pick the lowest bid and this is not always a smart move. In fact, it rarely is a smart move. You should rather go for the bid that offers the best value. This entails checking and comparing what each of the bids include.
You cannot just focus on the final figure to decide which quote to go with. A look at the line items will tell you what each contractor has included and what they are charging for each line item. By comparing the line items, you can easily come to an informed decision.
Quote comparison should be done with the same parameters. Compare apples with apples and oranges with oranges. For example, one painter can quote for the cheapest paint in the market while another quotes for the best and most expensive paint in the market. Their final quote will not be the same just as their final work will also not be the same.
Compare quotes for value and not for cheapness.
3. Skipping a Written Estimate or Contract
A gentleman’s agreement is all well and good until a dispute comes up and each party begins to remember things differently. The popular saying – “a short pencil is better than a long memory,” comes very much into play here.
Failing to carefully writing down estimates and contracts can be a costly mistake as you will not have any evidence to fall back to if the contractor fails to meet certain expected outcomes. To avoid such scenarios, have a contract drawn up, showing the estimates, deliverables and timeline.
4. Failing to Check References or Reviews
This is one of the most important steps you should go through when choosing a contractor. Reviews from previous clients can provide important insight into how a contractor works, helping you make informed decisions.
Thankfully, there are lots of review sites where you can find and read these reviews. It’s often not advisable to proceed with a contractor who you have no information on. Where you can, try to get referrals. Talk to your family members, friends and colleagues. If you can get referrals from people in your circle, you increase your chances of getting a reliable contractor.
Should you be unable to get a referral from your immediate circle, then going online and searching for contractors with favorable reviews should be your next option. Note that a contractor’s response (or lack of one) to negative reviews can also offer some insight. We know that some negative reviews can be false or simply vindictive. How they respond can tell you how they handle their customers.
You can read this article to find out how to determine if a reference is good or not.
5. Overlooking Surface Preparation and Cleanup Standards
For any quality and long-lasting paint job, the surface has to be properly prepared and primed. Painting is not just about splashing paint on the walls. A lot of time and energy goes into preparing the surface. This involves, scrapping, smoothing, filling, patching etc. All of these are done to ensure that the surface is smooth and ready for painting.
If this process is not clearly stated or included in the quote you get, insist on it being written. It will be a mistake to assume that the painter will do them even if they are not specified in the quote.
Next, painting can be a messy job so it is important that you know their cleanup standards. Some painters can complete a job and then leave you to cope with the cleanup process. Be sure to get details of how they intend to ensure that your home is put back in order when they are done.
Before signing off on the project, you should be satisfied with all the points we’ve discussed above.
Bonus Tip
Everything we’ve looked at above is crucial and should be given serious consideration. The last thing that you should also consider is the location of the contractor. For construction projects like this, it is always best to keep the job local. Go for local contractors as this can save you both time and money.
It won’t make much sense if you got a contractor from New York to come paint your home in King of Prussia, PA. It only makes sense that you get a painting contractor in King of Prussia for the job. No matter how good you may think the out-of-state are, with careful search, you can find local alternatives who can also get the job done, saving you both time and money.
Conclusion
When it’s time to paint your home, you have an expectation and want to be wowed by the result. Avoiding the mistakes discussed above is a good place to start to ensure you get the outcome you desire. Go through the selection process carefully, and you will surely find a painting contractor who will get the job perfectly for you with little stress.