FAQs
- What should the customer know about your pricing (e.g., discounts, fees)?
Risks to Consider Before Hiring the Low Price Painter Choosing the Lowest Bidder for Your Painting Project Always Seems Like a Smart Way to Save Money… Most Times It Doesn’t Work Out The following information is provided to assist homeowners and property owners in choosing a professional painting contractor in Kane and Dupage Counties. There are some pretty common reasons why some painting contractors offer what appears to be a “great deal”. It can be hard to resist the savings especially if you are at the end of a renovation project that ran over budget. We ask you to look beyond price and choose a painter that brings the most value to your home or business. We believe that our painting process is probably the most important thing that distinguishes ourselves from our competition. We can provide you with a written step-by-step painting process for all that we do. Our clients consistently rate our work as outstanding. We invite you to check out our ratings and reviews. We will also provide you with at least 50 local references that you can call. Some Ways a Painter Can Cut Corners on Quality to Offer a Lower Price A quality painting project starts with proper prep work. Shortcuts in prep work can show up in as little as 30 days and most low bidders don’t include a warranty that you will be able to enforce. At that point you will have to live with the blistering and cracking paint or hire a professional painter to fix it. The biggest cost for a painting contractor is labor so cutting corners on prep work is the easiest way to make a profit on a low bid. Here are some of the most common ways the low bidder will cut corners on quality to reduce their labor costs: Applying one coat of spackle when multiple coats are needed – seams and other imperfections will show through Using caulk instead of tape and spackle on cracked seams or in corners – the cracks will be back in short order Substituting cheap caulk – inferior caulk is prone to drying out and splitting Skipping a true superior primer (we only use the best primer money can buy) coat and applying paint directly to bare wood or drywall – when the paint blisters of cracks – painting over the area will not fix the issue – it will continue to blister and crack Using the lowest grade of paint from well-known manufacturers. Most manufacturers have up to five lines of paint and spending $20 more per gallon can make a big difference in the final project Not properly cleaning the surface first – if there is any residue on the surface it will affect how well the paint adheres Hammering in nails or even screws instead of replacing them will cause the same nail pops in the future Hiring untrained and part-time workers that are learning how to paint at your expense– this avoids taxes and it also exposes the homeowner or property owner to liability in case of an accident The Top Reasons to Eliminate Low Bidders It can really be attractive to take the lowest bid on a painting project because “anyone can paint”. If their bid fits your budget it can be even more attractive. Unfortunately, choosing the low bidder almost never works out. Before you sign any proposal consider this information carefully. Many contractors will use a low bid as the place to start negotiating. Ethical contractors provide their best price up front and will include all the details on materials and methods. Bids that are 15% or more below other bids can’t be the same job. A 15% profit is a solid profit on a quality panting job so if their bid is 15% or more below other bids it would mean they are working for free. Of course, no one works for free so they will substitute lower quality materials or take short cuts in order to save labor costs to make money at the expense of quality. There are some “nice folks” that will give you a bid that is “fantastic”. If a bid seems a bit too good to be true, it is. Ask for 10 references for similar projects and call each one. You can also learn more on our references page. Many low bidders save money because they are not properly licensed and many don’t carry insurance or don’t carry enough insurance. This puts the homeowner at risk. And by not being licensed the contractor cheats the government and if they will do that they will just as likely cheat you. Effective April 22, 2010 all painting contractors and painters are required to be certified in Lead Safe Work Practices to perform work that disturbs paint in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978. If the contractor is not properly trained they will expose your family to unnecessary health risks. Ask for their Lead Safe License and check it at the EPA website. There is a difference in quality painting jobs and it will be easy to see.
- What is your typical process for working with a new customer?
Interior House Painting Process and Payment Schedule Dear Valued Customer, Many times homeowners have questions about the process of painting their house. Below is a detailed preparation and painting procedure for a typical home. My partner and I have over 40 years of experience and have successfully completed over 1050 painting projects since 2008. Based on that experience, we believe our process will ensure that your home will be painted on time, for the price quoted and your expectations will be met. As the homeowner, you will be responsible for the underlined steps. 1. The homeowner provides the initial deposit per the signed proposal. 2. Many times additional rooms are added to the project after the initial proposal and we are happy to accommodate. We do require a signed change order to add the additional work. 3. Homeowner selects all colors before work begins. We recommend flat for ceilings, walls and closets that are not in high traffic areas. Eggshell or washable matte is a better solution for high traffic areas. Samples can be applied if requested. We recommend applying color samples in different areas of each room – to take into account different lighting. Primer coat will be tinted to approximate color of finish coat color. This will allow homeowner a chance to see the colors in each room. Our 40 years of experience recommends that you view the colors in the morning, at noon and during the evening. Believe it or not, from that tiny little swatch to your wall, the color may look different! 4. Homeowner to make sure all windows can be opened. If you are unable to do this due to physical or other reasons we will make arrangements with you to get this step done. 5. We wear shoe covers to protect your floors where needed. All furniture will be lifted (not dragged) or slid using protective furniture pads and then covered with drop clothes and/or plastic. 6. Upon the start of your project, your first payment is due per the signed proposal. 7. We bring our own lighting to insure sufficient coverage and preparation. 8. When necessary, all hardware, fixtures, doorknobs will be removed and replaced. We number and label all hardware, fixtures and doorknobs to make sure they go back in the same place. Wall plates will be put back straight with all screws aligned in the same direction. We actually remove the plates and replace the screws immediately, so as not to lose them. Although this takes longer, it ensures that they go back where they belong. 9. Scrape and sand areas to be painted (always done prior to painting). We then dust and tack cloth to remove dust. 10. Spackle, caulk or fill all minor wall imperfections, cracks, nail pops and voids with premium grade materials. 11. Make minor carpentry repairs like nailing in loose moldings. These minor repairs are included in the contract price. 12. Evaluate interior and report to homeowner any areas that need other than minor repairs. If required, we will make necessary repairs. This would be at a time and material rate or a firm price as agreed upon by homeowner. 13. All trim work is caulked with a product with a 30+ year life. 14. Primer/sealer is applied to all unprimed trim, spackled or repaired areas, new drywall or deep base colors. 15. Re-evaluate surface condition of areas to be painted and, if necessary, sand, caulk and putty. 16. Spot prime any re-sanded surfaces. 17. At this point, a second progress payment is due per the signed proposal. 18. Apply 2 finish coats of interior paint unless specified. In some circumstances additional coats may be required to insure a quality job. This would be at a time and material rate or a firm price as agreed upon by homeowner. 19. Any doors that need painting must be left open or ajar for approximately 4 hours to dry. 20. Give a final inspection of the home’s surface condition and make any necessary final touch-ups. 21. Conduct a walk through with homeowner to insure satisfaction. 22. At this point final payment is due to Al & Brian’s Painting. We hope this has helps you understand the house painting process and answers any questions you may have had. We understand your home is of great value to you; therefore, we will make every effort to keep it clean and safe. All garbage and debris will be removed daily. We will also leave all leftover paint clearly labeled as to where it was applied. If you should have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to speak with either the Site Supervisor or Brian.
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
The United States Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship Training, Employer and Labor Services Certificate of Completion of Apprenticeship for Painting. OSHA 30-hour Occupational Saftey and Health Training Course.