Painters should have a proper business license; this gives them access to wholesale pricing and lines of credit at a paint supply store. It's also important that your painter is bonded and insured. Bonding means that a third party company has reviewed the professional and has granted him or her a certain amount of surety bonding. The bond helps protect the homeowner from financial damage if the contractor refuses to complete work or doesn't pay subcontractors. Insurance protects both the painter and the homeowner in the event of an accident, injury or damage to the property. Ask to see all of these pieces of information and verify the dollar amounts.
Safest way to ensure that everything is fair is to get it ALL in writing , signed by both parties. Specify each item that needs repair. Also, BUY the paint YOURSELF. That way, there is no incentive to water it down, and you KNOW that you are getting the grade/quality you actually purchased. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish; if you are paying to hire a painter, buy the best paint that you can afford, to ensure maximum life of this home improvement.
When you’re having the interior or exterior of your home painted by a contractor, you don’t have to worry about doing the labor yourself. However, you do still have to make a decision about the color you want your house painted. Many homeowners think this is an easy decision, and go into the store saying they want a certain color; blue, for example. But once they make their way over to the blue paint section, the choice suddenly becomes much more difficult. Do I want robin’s egg? Powder blue? Light turquoise? The options are limitless.
I managed commercial construction projects for many years, have built and remodeled several properties, and never once have I encountered any of these scams. The tone of this article is deeply troubling. The author seems to be saying that ALL painting contractors are inherently dishonest, and that has not been my experience. The underlying advice here is sound: get it all in writing and cover as many contingencies as possible--so pointing out potential pitfalls like coat coverage is helpful. But do that in the spirit of clear communication of expectations, not with the expectation that the person you are hiring will try to cheat you at every turn. Not every contractor takes outrageous advantage of change orders; not every contractor will sneak past necessary preparation and/or repairs. Contractors of all sorts get a bad rap as it is; reinforcing a stereotype with articles written from this point of view just seems unproductive.
