| |
Searching For a New Jersey
Painting Contractor?
What to Look For in a New Jersey Painting Contractor
If you've ever hired a house painter, most likely you already know that, even though they all promise to
provide the best service, not everyone delivers.
So how do you know which one will?
If you don't know how to hire a contractor or want to get an idea of what kind of service you can expect from a particular
home painter, the following guide will help you with that.
Guide to Choosing the Best
New Jersey Painting Contractor
Initial phone call
Notice how your phone call was handled - was it answered right away? If not, how long did it take the painting contractor to get back to you? If the contractor is too busy to return your call within an hour, that's an early sign of potentialcommunication problems later down the road. You want a house painter who will always be easily accessible to answer your questions and concerns before, during and after the project.
Initial appointment
Was the painter on time for your initial appointment? Of course we don't live in a perfect world, but did he call to let you know he's going to be late? You'll greatly appreciate the virtue of punctuality after the project starts, especially if you've ever been in a position where you had to wait for hours each morning waiting for the painting crew to arrive.
First impression
Did the painting contractor produce a positive first impression? Or did he seem messy and disorganized right from the start? The way a home painter looks is often indicative of his work and might give you a glimpse into how your projectwill be run (clean-up, attention to details, work organization and so on).
Attitude
Look for friendly and respectful attitude - was the contractor polite, did he wipe his feet before entering your home, etc?House painting projects usually last several days and can be tiring, but a home painting contractor with a good attitudewill make communication easier, so the whole project will go smoother.
Professionalism
A professional painter will act more as a consultant than order taker. Professional painters are familiar with differentproducts and materials and will usually give you some ideas and suggestions for what your house really needs. They should also explain to you how the work will be done, what methods will be used and how long the project will take. Also, contractors who take their profession seriously, usually belong to trade organizations that allow them to continuously improve their skills and stay on top of industry news.
Safety
Every New Jersey painting contractor must carry 2 types of insurance for your protection.General liability insurance protects your house from damage, while workers compensation insurance protects you from being liable for injuries on your project. House painting can be a dangerous project, so always ask to see proof of insurance before hiring a painting contractor.
Past performance
Quality house painters always have a trail of happy customers behind them and will gladly provide you with references and testimonials (and the more the better). Ideally, you will not even have to ask for that, because a paint contractor who has a great customer satisfaction record will naturally want to show it off.
Guarantee
Ask the home painter whether he guarantees his work in writing. Currently, the industry standard is 2 years for labor andmaterials - anything less means you are not getting the best value for your money. A contractor who cannot guarantee his work for at least 2 years, will probably use cheap materials and/or cut corners on surface preparation.
Employees
If easy communication and high quality are important to you, make sure the painting contractor will use only full time, trained employees and NO subcontractors or unqualified workers on your project.
Written proposal
Professional painting contractors will put all promises and agreements on paper, and will give you a written proposal that describes the scope of work, surface preparation, number of paint coats, price, start and finish dates and warrantyterms. A written contract clarifies many issues and leaves less room for misunderstanding and disappointment later down the road.
And finally, remember that every time you hire a home painting contractor, you contribute to the state of contractor industry. Unfortunately, right now there are more bad painters than good ones, but if more people supported professional house painters, everyone would benefit in the end, and finding quality painting contractors wouldn't be such a problem anymore.
So choose your New Jersey painting contractor wisely!
Do you have a question for us?
Please click here to contact us directly.
Compare New Jersey painting contractors
This simple checklist will help you evaluate each NJ house painter you consider for your project.
Worst places to find New Jersey house painters
Find out where not to look for quality painters.
Best places to find quality New Jersey painting contractors
Top 7 places we recommend.
Return to Mistakes to Avoid (Hiring Painting Contractors in New Jersey)
Return to Home Page
Looking for a New Jersey
painting contractor?
Back to Top
|
