7 Things to Ask Exterior Painters Before You Hire

Every homeowner needs this list!

 

Painting your home exterior is a considerable investment. We know it can be hard to know if a paint contractor will give you your money’s worth. Here are a few quick and easy questions you can ask in the estimate appointment to help you with your decision.

First, we recommend getting three paint bids. Usually one company will stand out above the others.

1. How long have you been in business in Colorado or elsewhere?
2. What is your method for applying paint? (We apply a true two-coats of paint. “Wet-on-wet” application is NOT a true two coats and will void a manufacturer warranty. There are a few products like Sherwin-Williams™ Duration® or Emerald™ that are one-coat products but must be built to a certain thickness.)
3. Who do I contact if there is a problem during the paint project? (It should be the owner or the project foreman.)
4. Do you warranty your labor?(Some charge for a warranty. Some don’t.)
5. Do you scuff sand areas of peeling paint or do you just primer it? (No matter what primer they use they should ALWAYS scuff sand.)
6. What’s your typical amount of time spent on prep? (At least a full day)
7. Are you using actual primer or are you just painting? (They should use primer unless they are using Sherwin-Williams Duration or Emerald.)

Simply print this article and check off the questions as the estimator covers them. Make note where they fall short of the standards we share. Be proactive and ask the questions they haven’t answered.

TIP: Be sure the written estimate reflects the answers they gave you for each question. For example, if they say they will do two coats, make sure it is detailed in the bid. When you sign a paint bid it becomes a contract.

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Things That Make or Break Exterior Painting Time Tables

 

When gathering paint estimates here are a few important factors to keep in mind when asking for a timeline.

1. Damage. More specifically, the amount of time it will take to repair the volume of damage. This is the single most important factor in timeline. We can paint a large home with minimal damage (1 day prep) faster than a medium sized home with extensive paint damage (2-3 days prep).
2. Weather. In Colorado Springs we have a window of warm weather to paint exteriors and have them cure properly. Summers can have daily storms and a brief monsoon season. Most of the time, though, our crews can make progress each day.
3. Size and shape of home. If you have a large home it will take longer to paint than a smaller home. Even if your home isn’t large, but you have 2-3 stories it will take longer to paint than a larger ranch style home.
4. Crew size. The contractor just starting out by themselves with no help is going to take longer. The painting crew of 2-4 is where maximum efficiency is reached. Crews larger than that actually decrease quality control.

Check out our recent article Typical Timeline for Exterior Painting in Colorado Springs for more specific information about how long it could take to paint your home.