Best Practices for Hiring Interior Painters
Are you thinking about hiring a professional painting contractor to do interior painting within your home or business? Have you thought about what the best practices are for hiring interior painters? Well, there are a few things you should know before you open up the phone book and just start making calls. You really never know what type of person or company you are going to get until you meet with them face to face. And even then, you can’t always trust that they are being honest and up front with you. So before you waste a whole bunch of time interviewing possible painters – do you research and be prepared so you can find the perfect candidate for the job.
When meeting with someone for the first time, how do you know what kind of work they actually do? Well, here are a few things that you can take inventory on as you are talking with them.
• Cleanliness – Many painters may meet with you after a long day of painting and they do wear clothes that can be covered in paint. That is ok and completely understandable. But if they are showing up sweaty, stinky, and dirty and they don’t apologize for their appearance – this may be cause for concern. If the person cannot keep themselves clean and presentable then maybe there would be an issue with them doing that within your home.
• Personality – Everyone has a different personality type, so if someone comes in that is less talkative and more subdued, that is not a big deal. But if someone comes in who is loud, obnoxious, talks over you, does not take the time to listen – then that could be a problem. You definitely want to find someone who you can work with, get along with, and of course someone who will take the time to listen. A great way to see if a person is really connecting with you is to watch whether or not they keep good eye contact.
• Time – Most people are in a rush now a days to go somewhere, and unless the painter has a valid excuse to hurry through the consultation – you should definitely not feel rushed. They should be willing to take whatever time is needed to answer any questions that you might have. But keep in mind, that this does not give you the right to keep the person there for hours picking their brain about every little detail. Be considerate of their time as well.
There are several important questions that you should ask interior painters during the initial in home consultation. These will help you figure out a little bit more about their painting techniques and possible work ethic as well.
1. How long have you been in business? If the company has only been in business a couple years, don’t make your decision based on that. But if they are only in business a little over a year or so, then be sure to get references on their work.
When meeting with someone for the first time, how do you know what kind of work they actually do? Well, here are a few things that you can take inventory on as you are talking with them.
• Cleanliness – Many painters may meet with you after a long day of painting and they do wear clothes that can be covered in paint. That is ok and completely understandable. But if they are showing up sweaty, stinky, and dirty and they don’t apologize for their appearance – this may be cause for concern. If the person cannot keep themselves clean and presentable then maybe there would be an issue with them doing that within your home.
• Personality – Everyone has a different personality type, so if someone comes in that is less talkative and more subdued, that is not a big deal. But if someone comes in who is loud, obnoxious, talks over you, does not take the time to listen – then that could be a problem. You definitely want to find someone who you can work with, get along with, and of course someone who will take the time to listen. A great way to see if a person is really connecting with you is to watch whether or not they keep good eye contact.
• Time – Most people are in a rush now a days to go somewhere, and unless the painter has a valid excuse to hurry through the consultation – you should definitely not feel rushed. They should be willing to take whatever time is needed to answer any questions that you might have. But keep in mind, that this does not give you the right to keep the person there for hours picking their brain about every little detail. Be considerate of their time as well.
There are several important questions that you should ask interior painters during the initial in home consultation. These will help you figure out a little bit more about their painting techniques and possible work ethic as well.
1. How long have you been in business? If the company has only been in business a couple years, don’t make your decision based on that. But if they are only in business a little over a year or so, then be sure to get references on their work.
2. Are you licensed and insured? This is very important when working with an interior home painting contractor. For instance if they accidentally spill a can of paint on your brand new area rug, then if they have the proper insurance – you know that the expense of any accident would be covered. If not, then the painter will have to pay out of pocket and who knows how long that could take.
3. Can you provide me with references? References are a great way to see what other people are saying about the company and their work. You may even be able to contact the person who gave the reference and ask them directly any questions that you might have about the work that the company did for them
4. What is your set up and prepping process? Different painters have different approaches when it comes to set up, prepping, and even clean up. Make sure they offer what it is you expect. If you are not able to move furniture and they do not offer this service, you may want to go with a company that does. If you have to hire someone else to do the wall repair then you may want to find someone that offers everything instead of hiring several different people.
5. How long will the job take? Make sure they can get the job done within the proper time frame. The last thing you want is for the painting company to be hanging around for a couple weeks. You can always mention that you would like to get it done in a certain amount of time and see what they say. They might be able to work with you on that.
6. How much will the total cost be? For many, this may be the deciding factor. But this is a huge mistake. Just because a painter is charging you substantially less than another painter, this does not mean you are getting the best deal. That person may not be as clean and neat. They may rush through a job and not pay much attention to detail. That is why it is very important to do your research first and be prepared.
So, finding the best practices in hiring interior painters is as easy as asking questions. And please don’t hesitate to use the free PainterSource.com service that provides you with a list of qualified painters in your area. All you have to do is put your info in the yellow search box above. We are happy to be able to help you and making it easier for you to find the best interior painters within your local region.
So, finding the best practices in hiring interior painters is as easy as asking questions. And please don’t hesitate to use the free PainterSource.com service that provides you with a list of qualified painters in your area. All you have to do is put your info in the yellow search box above. We are happy to be able to help you and making it easier for you to find the best interior painters within your local region.