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Financial News
How to Choose the Right Painter
Updated: Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - 12:24 PM
While many homeowners are
quite comfortable handling interior paint jobs on their own, a
professional painter is usually enlisted for painting the home's
exterior.
Since painting your home is critical to your home's appearance and
value, finding the best possible painter is essential. Consumer
Reports offers the following tips for making the right
choice:
Don't agree to let the painter assess the condition of your
home's exterior without you. Note how long they take to
conduct the assessment. The more time spent, the more realistic the
estimate will be. Ask about the size and experience of the
crew.
Be clear about expectations. It's not just the
number of coats that are applied that determines quality and
price-preparing the surface prior to painting is key. If you want a
surface that's free of unevenness from prior paint jobs, you'll
need to say so, and be prepared to pay extra. But if you can live
with some imperfections showing through, point out what level of
prep is acceptable and what isn't.
Check references and work. Call references and go
see jobs that were done several years ago to see how the painter's
work is holding up. A history of positive references is a good
sign. Use recent projects to check the skill of a contractor's
current crew. Ask how surprises or problems were resolved.
Consider credentials. Membership in a trade or
local business group isn't a guarantee of quality, but it shows a
level of commitment and reliability. For licensing information in
your state, check www.contractors-license.org. Also check with the
Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org), your state's attorney
general's office, or a local consumer-affairs agency to learn
whether the contractor has a history of unresolved
complaints.
Get estimates. Always seek three written
estimates. Each should include a breakdown of labor, material
costs, the number of coats of primer and paint, the brand and model
of materials, and a detailed description of the amount of surface
preparation that will be done.
Check for lead. If your home was built before
1978, older coats of paint could contain lead. So extra precautions
might be needed.
Get a complete contract. It should include all the
contractor's key information: name, address, office and cellphone
numbers, and license number, plus whatever details were in the
estimate. Make sure it's clear what is and is not included in the
job. Avoid a large down payment and withhold the final payment,
typically 10 to 15 percent, until you are satisfied with the job.
Get a copy of each painter's liability and workers compensation
insurance certificates. Otherwise, if someone gets hurt while on
the job, you could be on the hook.
Ask for a guarantee. The painter should promise to
correct any chipping, peeling, blistering, flaking, or excessive
fading or chalking that occurs within two years after the job is
done at no or little cost. If he tells you the paint itself has a
warranty, remember that doesn't include labor, which is a far more
costly proposition than material.
