When refreshing your home’s appearance, one of the most common projects that come to mind is repainting it. A new coat of paint helps improve your home’s curb appeal and raises its resale value.

An interior paint job can net you a 107% return on your investment (ROI). Meanwhile, an exterior paint job typically results in a 55% ROI.

With those kinds of returns on the line, the only real way to go about this project is to hire a professional painting contractor. Having a professional do the job for you is always the best option — especially if you want to ensure the process goes as smoothly and quickly as possible.

Hiring a reliable painting contractor isn’t always easy, though. Today, we’re giving you a step-by-step guide on how to hire a painting contractor.

Three reasons to hire a professional painter

Painting is not just one of the most popular ways to increase the aesthetics and value of your home. It’s also one of the easiest home improvement projects.

Here are three reasons to hire a painting contractor:

1. Professionals have Experience

Generally, painting doesn’t require a lot of special tools. All you technically need is a brush or roller and some paint, right?

Who isn’t capable of dipping a brush into the paint and then swishing it on their walls?

However, painting isn’t always as quick and easy as it looks when you actually do it. The job often requires more than just a brush and a can of paint.

Unless you’re a professional, it’s hard to know exactly what pre-painting preparations your interior or exterior walls need before the painting begins. 

However, a professional painting contractor will know exactly what to do. Not only that, they have the experience, tools, and manpower to do it well.

A painting contractor will be able to spot areas that might need repair, sand the walls with the right tools to ensure the paint sticks to the wall, and basically prep the wall as necessary.

2. Expertise and knowledge about tools and types of paint

Another huge perk of hiring a painting contractor is the expertise they bring to the job. They don’t just know how to prep and paint. They also know the best tools and types of paint to do it.

• Did you know that specific kinds of paint are allergy-friendly?
• Or that some are more mold or water-resistant than others?

Your painting contractor knows all of this. Depending on your rooms and needs, they can recommend and use the best type of paint.

3. Professionals save You time

Lastly, painting contractors will save you a lot of time. As the saying goes — time is money.

Let’s say you know the ins and outs of painting and have the tools to do a great job. The question now is whether you have the time to do it.

The answer will most likely be no between work and your other responsibilities. Even if you have some spare time, would you rather spend it painting your home or getting some much-needed rest before the next work day?

With a professional painting company on the job, you can simply relax. There’s no need to stress about finding the right paint, mixing your paint colors properly, or prepping your walls for the job. 

More importantly, you can breathe easy knowing that you’ll get amazing results at the end!

Find and Hire a Painting Contractor in 7 Steps

All the benefits we listed above hinge on one crucial factor — finding a reliable and trusted professional painting contractor.

For the most part, you’ll find the right one as long as you do your due diligence. If you’re not sure what that means, you can simply follow our tips below.

Here’s how to hire a painting contractor in seven clear and easy steps.

1. Determine What Your Painting Needs Are

First, consider the scope of your project. It’s hard to find the right contractor for the job if you’re not sure what the job is!

Here are a few things you should know (or at least have an idea of) before looking for a painting contractor:

• Budget: Determining your budget allows you to weigh your options better later. If you look for a contractor first, there’s a risk you find a company you love but realize later that they’re out of your budget.
• Deadline: Decide on a timeline for the completion of your project. Are you planning to put your home on the market by a certain month? Perhaps you have guests or an event you’re getting the house ready for? Your deadline needs to be before then.
• Area coverage: This is a deciding factor in costs. The bigger the area that needs work, the more you can expect to pay. What exactly do you want to get repainted? Is it just one room or the entire house interior? Do you need to have the facade repainted as well?

2. Research Potential Painting Contractors

One of the easiest and best ways to ensure you get great painting contractors is to ask around! Ask for referrals from family, friends, or colleagues. 

Ideally, approach those who may have had renovation work done in the past couple of years. That way, you know their information is still up to date. 

Like anyone in today’s digital age, don’t forget to check online reviews and ratings. 

Even if a person or company comes highly recommended by someone you know, it pays to do your own research. This isn’t a hard task to do thanks to Google and social media.

Look for contractors with a long history of positive references and testimonials. Another thing to look for is examples and pictures of their past work. 

If possible, try to find before and after photos. It’s also great if you can see how their paint job holds up over a couple or several years.

When researching potential painting contractors, make sure to look for contractors with experience in the type of painting project you need, too. This is why you need to know the scope of your project.

Some contractors may have glowing reviews, but if they specialize in exterior painting, and you need to freshen up your interiors, they might not be the best fit for you.

3. Meet With Potential Contractors

Once you’ve got a list of potential contractors, it’s time to meet the pros. Schedule meetings with the contractors you’re interested in — and if possible, do this in your home.

Having the initial consultation at home makes it easy for the painting contractor to assess the areas that need repainting. They can better understand the condition, the type of work necessary, the paints and tools they’ll need, and more.

During your meeting, some important things you need to ask or talk about are:

• Experience and qualifications: Ask them about their licenses and business years. You can also ask about their certifications and how they ensure their team’s skills remain sharp.
• Approach to the project: Ask the contractor how they would go about doing the paint job. What does their prep work entail? What safety measures do they have?
• References: Try to get contact information about their past clients so that you can ask them about their experience working with the contractor, how the paint job holds up, and more.

4. Get Detailed Quotes

Ensure you get detailed and written estimates from each contractor you’re considering.

Don’t just settle for an arbitrary number, either. In fact, if a contractor insists on something like that, you may want to put them way down the list (or leave them out entirely).

When getting price quotations from a painting contractor, ask for a detailed cost breakdown. Aside from the cost of labor, it should also include the cost of materials, an estimated amount of paint or primer they’ll need, and the brand and model or type of paint.

The quotes should also include details regarding surface preparation and insurance coverage. If you can, request for a project timeline or their estimated schedule for the job.

When you’ve got all the quotes from potential contractors lined up, it’s easier to review and compare them.

5. Check for Licensing and Insurance

One thing you must always remember to do is to verify that the painting contractor is licensed to do business in your area. No amount of good reviews and references will make up for the lack of a license.

Ask for proof of their license during your first consultation meeting. You can also check their website to see if they have their licensing information there or call them to request proof.

It’s also good practice to see if they are registered with the Better Business Bureau.

Another important thing to check is insurance and workers’ compensation coverage. 

Make sure the contractor you choose carries liability insurance. It’s also best if they’re bonded, so you have greater peace of mind if any accidents happen — whether it’s to the people you hire or your home.

Request for a copy of the liability insurance details and workers compensation insurance certificates of the contractor you end up choosing.

6. Sign a Contract

After a thorough consideration of all your contractor candidates, it’s time to obtain a contract.

When it comes to any legal document or contract, there is one essential prerequisite:

• Read and understand your contract in full.

To do that, you need a complete and specific contract. Ensure it includes all pertinent information, from the price quotations down to the last details of the project.

Your contract should clearly state what is included in their services or duties and what isn’t and what their satisfaction guarantee or warranty covers.

Additionally, review and understand the payment schedule and cancellation policy. If anything should happen and you need to cancel (or perhaps postpone) the job, you’ll want to know what it may cost you financially and legally.

Lastly, get a copy of the signed contract for your records. This will come in handy if you ever need to dispute anything.

7. Monitor the Project

Just because you’ve chosen a trustworthy and dependable painting contractor doesn’t mean that you’ll be fully hands-off with the project. It’s still your home they’re working on!

You don’t want to be the last to know about any issues they may encounter, especially if it would require any project cost or timeline adjustments.

Check-in with the contractor regularly to ensure the project is on track. Keep an open line of communication with your contractor so you’re updated on important details regarding the project.

This will make it easier to address any issues or concerns they or you may have as promptly as possible.

Conclusion

If you’re trying to save money, going the DIY route when all you want is a fresh touch of paint may seem like a no-brainer.

However, painting is a lot more difficult than it seems. A lot of people who try DIY-ing their house repainting end up doing something wrong or even regretting their decision to do it themselves.

If you want to be assured of the quality and speed of the paint job — while decreasing the risk of potentially damaging your home or hurting yourself — the only solution is to hire a professional painting contractor.

As long as you follow our step-by-step guide and all the tips we shared here, we’re sure you’ll find the right contractor to bring new life to your home.

For more painting tips or contractor inquiries in Tampa, FL, and the surrounding areas, check out Peach Painting! Call us at (813) 851-2217 for a free quote.