Painting Contractor

Q. What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A. When negotiating with a painting company, find out how many painters will be on site. This will affect how long your project will last. Often time, homeowners are so eager to start that they do not realize that they are dealing with a two men crew painting with brushes a big 3,500 square feet home. Such a project take much longer than a 7 men crew painting and spraying the same house. Choosing the perfect painting contractor is no small feat. You will live with your decision for the next 5 to 7 years. It is much more than getting a great deal or picking the right colors. If all goes well, the painting contractor who did your house the first time will be invited again in the future.

Q. If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

A. When ready to bid your exterior project, never approach only one painting company. Have at least 3 painting contractors visit your property and recommend their work. You will learn about each of their different processes and procedures and it will help you make an educated decision.
Also, there is one sales tactic going around now that you should be aware of. Painting the exterior of your home is something that has to be done every 5 to 7 years. Do no fall for extended warranty on paint or labor. Painting contractors who employ this tactics are up-selling property owners and betting on the fact that most homeowners are moving within 5 years.

Q. What questions should a consumer ask to hire the right service professional?

A. It is human nature to get attracted to a low bid. But as a consumer you also want to be well taken care of. Here are things that matters in the painting industry and that you should look at before making your decision.
What is the painting contractor history with the BBB? Are they a member of a professional organization in their own Industry such as the PDCA (Painter Decorator Contractors of America).
Do they have a proven track record of consistent quality & success?
A good thing to look at is their attention to detail throughout the bidding process. This is a good indication of their future work! The attention to detail in the scope of work for example, is a strong indication as to how much that contractor really cares about making sure things are done correctly.
Are products and methods of application being indicated clearly?
Can your contractor explain to you how he or she ascertained a bid price high or low?
Did they use a time standard and can they detail the man hours for the project?
Can they break out the time for each component of the project? (Ceilings, Walls, Windows, Base, Casings, Door, Sills, ect.)
Putting together an accurate bid is like putting a puzzle together where all pieces fit to become one final end result.
If they used a sq. ft./ price, what is it and does it make sense to you?
How much time did they spend at your home or business really looking at the different elements of your project?
Top painting contractors in the Denver area know very well what the market is bearing based upon the time of year and the current climate of the buying consumer base. Here is a good new to take away from this segment: good contractors are always more right than wrong with their pricing. Because the industry is very competitive. So, when you get bids from painting contractors and there is a large gap between one of them, you can tell immediately that something is very wrong with that one. Do not be fooled to believe that this is the right choice for you base simply on economics. It is a definite gamble with your hard earned money. Ultimately, like most of us you want peace of mind.
This can be true for even those that will present themselves very professionally, have great testimonials or a great website. Very often, all this is a front.

Here are some reasons for these large gap.
POOR ESTIMATING SKILLS- Companies with many estimators are trying to keep up with volume, new franchise owners or contractors with no experience. You must find a painting contractor who cares about being right and offering a great service to his consumers. It is easy to be wrong, to be the lower price and to sell more within an industry. At what cost?
INSURANCE- Always verify their active worker compensation and their liability policy. Workers comp. is often compromised or not in place will always lower a bid. Especially with owner operators (someone who is the owner and will be painting with his crew) Owner-operators will almost always opt out of their workers compensation and can do so legally because they can save a lot of money doing so. Again putting you at risk!

The best advice I can give consumers looking for a quality painting or remodeling contractor is not to focus only on their budget as a knowledgeable contractor will surely come along and give them an accurate estimate. They should focus on the painting contractor they think is right, indicate he knows what he is doing and he's fair. If consumers do that they will always get the most for their dollar and work with contractors who will work hard to take care of all their needs and ensure their happiness until the end.