I turn away any job when the client refuses to pay anything up front. It sends a red flag. I also charge a scheduling fee which is non-refundable. I get 33 percent when I show up and begin work. Another percentage halfway through, and the balance upon completion after client is satisfied. There needs to be skin in the game for both parties as a measure of good faith. If you are dealing with a reputable company (did your due diligence, right?) why wouldn't you want to pay something as work progresses? We do this not only because we love to paint but we require cash flow to stay in business. There is not always 'money in the bank' as you suggest. It's tough these days. The suggestion buy 'Kim' 'Never pay a contractor a deposit' is nonsensical. http://www.youtube.com/e/b6_WEt9k_Hw?app=desktop
I've seen this done many years ago by a guy who did all sorts of jobs where I lived. My dad caught him painting his boss's roof and he was watering down the paint. We've had a hard time trying to get a painter for our house. We've had a guy that had been remmended by a neighbor and he hasn't showed up to paint for 2 weeks. I want to call him and my husband says no. I'm 69 years old and I'm about ready to go and paint our 2 porches, I've painted all my life and all the inside of our home. Maybe that's the way it should be with everyone that can paint pretty good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_WEt9k_Hw

Not all people live where they can hire a painting contractor, like you describe. People who live in small towns can only hire painters who have a very small business, and do two or three paint jobs per week. In this case, you do have to be very careful, when you hire a painter, as we have several, in our area, who are out to make a fast buck anyway they can.


According to the EPA, professional painters must check for lead -- especially if a home was built before 1978. Many DIY painters forget to test for lead paint. Testing kits are available in home improvement stores for less than $40. You can also hire a lead testing and removal professional to do this work quickly and efficiently on your behalf. Lead paint can be dangerous; it's far better to find it before you put time and effort into painting your home than after the fact.
Excellent advice because there are many unskilled workers who are "trying to pull the wool over the customers eyes". One has to study about the project for which they are in need. I happen to need dry wall repair and painting done in my home and feel the advice in this article will be a great help to me in hiring someone who is ethical and does good work. Thanks.
I am a painting contractor and have been since 2001. Make sure the estimate provides in writing: What is EXCLUDED as well as INCLUDED. It should state the manufacturer and type of paint going to be used. Estimate says ALL LABOR AND MATERIALS. My estimates to my customers say "guaranteed coverage" eliminates the conversations of 1 coat vs 2 coat. I have my customers submit colors 5 days prior to start date. Customers need to inform me if they are going to use pure white, dark reds, oranges, and bright yellows they need to inform me in that 5 day window, so I can adjust my pricing for 3 coats. Although this more uncommon now than years past because a lot of paint manufacturers have primer with paint products. Let the contractor know if your doing accent walls. This takes longer to cut in straight lines and it requires the contractor to purchase more paint. If you add anything on the scope of work have the painter write out the description and cost prior to them doing the work. Have the estimate say how many days it will take to perform the work. Ask how many workers will be doing the job. Make sure to enforce that number of workers their everyday until the job is complete. Do not give final payment until you do a final walk through. Walk the job when its almost complete and point out areas that you want fixed prior to the contractors final walk through. Its best to do while the workers are still in that particular area as they will have tarps down and areas covered and it will be easier for them to take care of. Purchase a roll of blue tape and stick it to areas that you want fixed. This is called a punch list.
Because it is next to impossible to find out information about local painting contractors on the Internet, the old adage “talk to neighbors” applies here. Some painting contractors display signs on the lawns of houses they are working on, but you find this more with general contractors and siding and replacement windows companies. So, other than the painter’s white panel van out front, you often do not know what is going on inside your neighbors’ houses. http://www.youtube.com/embed/b6_WEt9k_Hw

Steve, not only did you come off with an edge regarding the article written for Angie's list but you came awfully close to being slanderous. The article was written if you will have read his bio by a very well established professional painter. The issue regarding the deposit was put in question by a responder. I have read your response in full as you suggested, and companies as large as yours are just as likely to use the tricks of the trade as the small guy as you suggest, if not more so. A large company has less oversight and workers get lazy with the boss not looking over their shoulder. I have had experience in this area, and thought that i was dealing with a very reputable company that had been recommended by a couple friends, my insurance company, and my adjuster who had dealt with the company. I had terrible problems with the company, who do full restorations and like your company paint in all areas. To finalize your statement that Established businesses do not cheat customers is completly false and is a very misleading statement. I am suprised that Angies list allowed you to post such an outragious comment. All you have to do is look in the Civil lawsuits section of the Established businesses that are being sued or are under investigation for fraud and cheating their customers!
When hiring a contractor it is always best to hire one who is personally referred to you by someone you trust. Hiring through ads or phone book is hit and miss. Check with your local paints stores, they know the good guys from the bottom feeders. Go to the stores that sell the high quality paints like Benjamin Moore(nonpareil), Pittsburg, Sherwin Williams or Glidden. Don't go the the big box stores for referrals, the people there don't know squat!

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.


The last thing you want to realize part way through a paint job is that the painting contractors you hired isn’t the professional they told you they were. The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen is ask for the company’s licenses, if they don’t provide them on their own. Local and state licenses are certified proof that a painting contractor is legitimate and knows what he is doing. This way, you’ll have peace of mind that you are aren’t getting scammed and are working with a reputable company.


Painting professionals might charge more or less to paint your home's exterior based on its construction material. Some materials cost more to paint than others because of their texture, the paint required to properly cover them, and whether specialized materials are required to prepare them for painting or the elements. Find more information on the various types of siding available, as well as how much it might cost to paint or prepare each.

paint My House


basic formula? single color exterior labor only ranges from $0.85 to $0.95 per sq foot as a BASE starting point. Prices go up depending on multiple colors, slope of surrounding areas, multiple stories..etc.Some painters charge per window to mask off. Ive seen $25 a window to $50.  Interiors without flooring can be factored the same way. When you start having to do multiple colors, cut ins, masking, room isolation...etc. the price jumps considerably. I always start with a base of $0.85 a sq foot and figure it out from there. the season plays a major role too. paint and materials are charged separatly and are typically marked up at a minimum of 15%. I always tell clients this. that way they pick the paint out they want and what quality they want as well. Anyways...thats your base. 1250 sq foot home @ .0.95 a ft = $1,187.50 (one color). Pressure washing, Add another $45-$55 per hour. a 1250 sq ft home is not going to take longer than 2-3 hours if its a single story. 
Matching old paints can be a headache if your preferred paint color is no longer in production or you cannot remember the name or brand for your wall’s original paint. In these cases, it is best to select a tone within the same color family from a reputable production company. Selecting newer paint also ensures you’ll be using a higher quality paint that’s nontoxic and longer lasting. https://m.youtube.com/v/b6_WEt9k_Hw
Painting your home, both inside and out, improves its curb appeal, character and resale value. Painting is one of the quickest and easiest ways to give your home a face-lift -- and it yields some of the most dramatic results as well. If you have ever visited the painting section of your local hardware store, you know how overwhelming the multitude of paint choices can be. In addition to colors, there are finishes, stains, maintenance and other options to consider. And, if you're interested in adding a mural or trompe l'oeil, you're looking at a whole different set of choices and associated costs.
More recently, professional painters are responsible for all preparation prior to painting. All scraping, sanding, wallpaper removal, caulking, drywall or wood repair, patching, stain removal, filling nail holes or any defects with plaster or putty, cleaning, taping, preparation and priming are considered to be done by the professional contracted painter.
Make sure you use specific keywords in your search to narrow down the results. If you’re looking for someone to paint your dining room or stain your deck, try using terms like “interior painting contractor” or “deck staining contractor,” rather than just “house painting company.” This will give you more accurate results and show companies that provide the specific service for which you are looking.
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Hi there, Danny here. I'm a MA licensed Home Improvement specialist who absolutely loves all things design, construction and repair! I have over 15 years experience in the trades and I always arrive on time with pretty much every tool imaginable on my truck :) In my spare time I like to work on various art projects, I also have a knack for starting up disaster relief projects around the country.

Watering down the paint 50%? It will not cover. I am a contract painter and found that most people that I make a contract with immediately try to change the deal and get more than they are paying for. Sometimes, I let them cheat me as they may have other work that I wish to do but other times I put my foot down. I try to get the client to look at what I have done each and everyday if I am going from room to room. I cannot do this If I spray the entire project at once. Even when I have them inspect my work, they often just do not tell the truth and wish to scam me the contractor for more and more while paying the same as the original contract. Most people have not a clue how much work is involved in painting a house and just assume that the painter rolls out the work with no prep, sealing off the place to protect things that are not painted. All of my contracts state that if anything is in the way like babies, dogs, cars, plants and furniture that I cannot proceed and that it is their responsibility to move this stuff. I always seem to be turned into a furniture mover and never get paid to wrench my back. Fact is most people try to rob the contractor and this article tries to make it seem that the contractor is robbing the homeowners. My sister is a prime example of this as she always goes for the lowest bid yet expects a world class job. This means if you pay $500 for a two day paint job do not expect the contractor to live at your home for two weeks and make only $500.

Climate is another factor to consider. Sunlight, wind, rain and salty weather can all wear out exterior paint. Oil-based paint is durable against wind, rain and temperature changes, but sunlight tends to degrade it. Alkyd paint chalks and sheds very thin layers when it begins to wear. Latex paint is the more durable option for very sun-drenched and relatively dry climate areas. Latex paint with high vinyl content should be avoided, however. Acrylic resin is by far the more durable binder for outdoor latex paint. https://youtube.com/e/b6_WEt9k_Hw


EPA's renovation, repair and painting rule requires each firm to be certified, to have at least one certified renovator, and for the remainder of employees involved in renovation activities to either also be certified renovators or be trained on the job by a certified renovator. This section provides information on how to become a certified renovator.

interior House Paint Colors Pictures


Color – Color is of course the most important choice in your repainting journey. Selection should be guided by both your personal sense of style and practical needs. Taking your time with this choice is essential, and our team of painting experts can suggest complementary and accent colors to match your choices along the way. Do you love antiques, dark woods, and ornate carpets? You may want to go with bolder, richer chocolates, blues, and reds. Repainting your

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You can watch all the DIY YouTube videos you want and still not achieve that elusive, professional finish. Certain skills can't be taught; instead, they're learned through experience and practice. The painting professionals on the Handy platform know the tricks of the trade that'll leave your home looking its best. It's skills like these that allow your residential home painters to get your job done quickly and cheaply, without compromising on quality. Book your home painters through Handy, and you'll be connected with top-rated, reviewed professionals in your area. Painting and decorating might look easy on an online tutorial, but it can cost you an awful lot of time and money to discover that it isn't. Don't gamble with the way your house looks: book a professional house painter through Handy today and achieve the look you deserve.
This was very helpful. I wonder if i would really follow through and check to see if my painter was cheating me. I used a painter I found on Angie's List. This was 5 years ago. He did a great job. I know he did patching only for about a day and a half. We decided on the kind of paint before he started. that is what he used. I don't know if I could stay on top of him and watch him open every can of paint.

Enforcement of this Act by the Painter-Stainers Company was sought up until the early 19th century, with master painters gathering irregularly to decide the fees that a journeyman could charge, and also instigating an early version of a job centre in 1769, advertising in the London newspapers a "house of call" system to advertise for journeymen and also for journeymen to advertise for work. The guild's power in setting the fee a journeyman could charge was eventually overturned by law in 1827, and the period after this saw the guild's power diminish, along with that of the other guilds; the guilds were superseded by trade unions, with the Operative United Painters' Union forming sometime around 1831.[2]
This was very helpful. I wonder if i would really follow through and check to see if my painter was cheating me. I used a painter I found on Angie's List. This was 5 years ago. He did a great job. I know he did patching only for about a day and a half. We decided on the kind of paint before he started. that is what he used. I don't know if I could stay on top of him and watch him open every can of paint. https://www.youtube.com/attribution_link?a=b6_WEt9k_Hw&u=watch?v=XXXXXX&feature=share

EPA's renovation, repair and painting rule requires each firm to be certified, to have at least one certified renovator, and for the remainder of employees involved in renovation activities to either also be certified renovators or be trained on the job by a certified renovator. This section provides information on how to become a certified renovator.

interior House Painter Libertyville

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