Hiring a Painter without making sure that they are licensed, bonded and insured. If you do not do this, you could be in for a big (and expensive) surprise.

Solution:

Make sure the contractor is licensed, bonded, insured and that they pay workers compensation on all of their employees.

When you hire a painting contractor, it is important to be sure that they meet all of these requirements.   This way, if anything goes wrong on the job, you will not be stuck with the bill!

• Compensation Insurance - Insures that you will not have to pay if a worker gets hurt on the job.


• General Liability Insurance - Insures that if your property is damaged in any way from the job, you will be compensated for it.

Insures that if your property is damaged in any way from the job, you will be compensated for it.

You can go to http://www.oregon.gov/CCB, type in the company’s CCB number, and click on the information that comes up.  This will show the status of their license, the workers compensation insurance information, the liability insurance information, and the CCB bond information, as well as if there have been any disputes.

Hiring a painter without checking into the quality of their work and products- Sure, you’ve hired a painter to come in and paint your place. But many painters will skimp here and there to save time and money, leaving your home with a patchy looking paint job, or one that will not last for longer than a year or so.

Solution:

Ask them what their quality standards are- Quality means different things to different people. You want to make sure that they meet the following guidelines and ask what sort of a guarantee they offer. Be sure the bid they give you lists in detail exactly what they will do for you:

When you hire a painting contractor, it is important to be sure that they meet all of these requirements.   This way, if anything goes wrong on the job, you will not be stuck with the bill!

• Preparation - To insure optimal longevity of your paint job, the preparation work the contractor does before they paint is very important. Do they remove all loose paint and restore deteriorated wood? If there is lead based paint on your home, does the company follow the proper laws for removing it (to protect your health and the health of others)? Do they restore aging surfaces and make sure to caulk and seal all needed areas (such as windows, door jams, corner boards, holes, etc)?


• Product - What kind of paint are they using? Does it have a warranty of 25 years or more? For exteriors, do they use a product that is a paint and primer all in one, which assures that all surfaces get primed and have proper adhesion for years to come? Are they using paint that has 0 to low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) levels, and is none-toxic?
  
  (According to the EPA, indoor air is considered 5 times more toxic than outdoor air because of the solvents and VOC’s used in paint and other materials around your home…VOC’s have been known to cause nausea, fatigue, respiratory illnesses, headaches and have also been linked to cancer.)


• Application - How do they apply their paint? If they use a sprayer, do they make sure that they roll or brush during application (if the surface is rough or porous)? Are they detail oriented? Do they make sure your home looks good no matter how close you look at it (not just from the curb or the door)?


• Cleanliness - Do they keep the job site clean? Make sure that they will cover all areas that they will be painting around including concrete, doors, windows, furniture, etc. and clean up their materials when the day is finished.

Hiring a contractor based on the lowest price alone- Many times, the cheapest bid is not always the best bid. If a painter provides you with a significantly low bid, chances are they’re cutting costs elsewhere that could cost you more in the long run. We’ve all heard the saying, ‘you get what you pay for’. Well, if you are going to hire a painter to work on your home, you want to make sure that the paint will last for years to come, and that the quality will be superb.

Solution:

Make sure that they meet all of the standards we’ve covered so far. If they fail to provide you with satisfying answers, move on to someone who will!

Not asking for references- You find a painter who sounds great, but who you’ve never used before. How can you be sure that they will do what they say they will?

Solution:

Ask for references, and call them! This is a great way to know what kind of company you are dealing with.

• What was the quality of workmanship?
• How well has the paint performed?
• Did they stay on budget?
• If problems arose, how were they dealt with? 
• Were you happy with their attitude?
• Did they make sure that the job site stayed neat and clean?
• Was the contractor on the job site to supervise?
• How timely was the work completed? 
• Were they on time and did they call when they said they would?

Getting a bid, and then hiring a contractor who does not ask you questions about what you are trying to accomplish, and who does not give you any feedback. If a painter comes out to give you a bid, walks around and then just hands you an estimate, be cautious! They may be great at what they do, but if they are not asking the questions that need to be asked or giving you any feedback, you don’t want to be biting your nails wondering if they ‘got’ what you were trying to tell them.

Solution:

Communication! If you are going to hire anyone to work on your home or business, you want to make sure that they truly have your best interest at heart. Do you feel comfortable speaking with them? What sort of attitude do they have? Be sure to communicate your project goals and make sure that all of your questions get answered clearly. With Paintegrity, you can rest assured that we will meet and exceed all of the above guidelines. We have never had a dissatisfied client, and we can prove this through our testimonials, references and our excellent work ethic.