How To Select The Most Qualified Painter
You Get What You Pay For
Your hear it in the back of your head when comparing two to three painting estimates and one of them is a third or even half the cost of the other two. You know that little voice that says “oh boy, this is a really good deal – how can they do it so much cheaper than the other guys?” That’s a question we all face from time to time. In fact earlier this week, we were hired to help a new client who was very upset because they hired a painter who was cheaper than the other guys. At first, they were excited about their good fortune and how they were going to save all this money on painting their cabinets. Everything sounded great, and were assured they were going to receive the same quality service that the others were going to provide for a higher price. Too good to be true? Most likely.
Tips For Selecting The Best Painter
- Extremely Quick Estimates - There’s a lot to take into consideration when estimating a painting project. Not only the cost of materials, but the contractor must know exactly how many labor hours will be suitable to get the project complete and what the cost of labor should be. A fair quote will be thought-out carefully.
- Untrustworthy Referrals - A professional should be able to give you reliable referrals and pictures of previous work upon request. It is vital that you see what kind of work they do before hiring them.
- Exaggerated Scope of Work - A dishonest contractor will find more problems than actually exist or will over exaggerate your problems to make you think that you can’t sit on them or your building will fall apart. An honest contractor will walk through the project with you, find existing problems, and recommend solutions.
- Cash Discount - Getting a deal just by paying with cash may sound nice until you run into a problem with the job. An unlawful contractor will ask for cash to keep the job off the books and avoid paying the IRS. Without a record of the transaction, the problem may never get resolved. Make sure to hire a professional painter with written records and a signed contract.
- Payments Prior to Completed Work - With large jobs, your painter may ask for money in advance to cover material cost. However, if asked for a large sum of money before the job even starts, your contractor may be scamming you. No more than a 1/3 deposit is good enough for a security of work.
- Oral Contracts - A contract should be in writing, no ifs, ands, or buts. Oral contracts lead to miscommunication between both ends and no way to determine who is correct. Your contractor should have a contract written out with a timetable of the scope of work, how much it will cost, liability requirements and any other important information necessary and have both of you sign it.
- No Insurance - Accidents happen. But if an accident happens and your contractor is not insured, you can be dealing with a lot of liability discrepancies and costs. Make sure to check if your contractor has insurance and how much they are covered before taking any risks.
