In this market it is extremely easy to get ripped off by a “slick talking” Painting Contractor with a sad story! Although most Painters are decent – you must pay close attention to exactly who you contract and make sure you understand going in- what you can expect and what your exposure is. painting asheville
Below is a guide you can utilize to ask your Painting Contractor – (These questions will confirm that you are working with a Professional and your chances of getting ripped off will be greatly decreased!
Question #1 – “What type of Insurance Do You Carry?” This is critical – most Painting Companies do not want to pay for Insurance. Some only carry “Liability Insurance” – which safeguards your property and everything inside. If a Painter spills paint on a high-priced couch or other furnishing. As an example – One of my painters accidentally spilled paint on a $1200 couch while painting for a client. Instead of involving my Insurance Company I basically wrote a check to cover it – (but my insurance would have covered the cost to replace it).
This Type of Insurance is Important but not as Important as WORKMAN’S COMP INSURANCE – I would say a great majority of Painting Companies do NOT carry Work Workman’s Comp Insurance – This is important to you because if a Painter is injured while on your premises then YOU are responsible…and could end up in a painfully costly lawsuit…
How To Avoid This Situation: First – Ask to see current copies of ALL Insurance – Workman’s comp – Liability…etc!! If you do not ask they probably won’t show you the proof!
Second Question – “How much can my price change between estimate and completion of my Painting Job?” – This is important! You have to be cautious or Painting Companies that give you a very reduced estimate so that they “win” your job. Next thing you know…Half way through the job after you have already paid your deposit or maybe FULL payment – They tell you -They need more money! What “can” you do at this point – You have a half painted house and money already invested. You are pretty much forced to pay more money – Again – with this economy there are desperate people trying to take short cuts.
How to Avoid This: Ask for an itemized price breakdown in writing and ask WHAT can change? Typically the price can change if you add more areas to be painted and that is expected. However – if a Painting Contractor adjusts your bill up, because they did a poor job with the painting estimate – you shouldn’t have to pay for that! (This is why Five Star Painting doesn’t Does Not Charge Any Money until after the Job Is completed And You Are 100% HAPPY).
Question #3 – “When will my home be finished?” This one is tricky – You see a lot of Painting companies around have multiple Painting projects going or they have Painters that only work once and a while. This can cause a HUGE delay and can drag a 2 week project on for MONTHS…Nobody likes strangers coming in and out of their house, especially if your project is an Interior Painting project!
How to avoid this: Get a firm date on your completion date – Ask the question: “Do you have dedicated Painters, or do they jump from job to job?” This way you will put the Painting Company on the hook…