What You Need To Know When Hiring a House Painter

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What You Need To Know When Hiring a House Painter

Your time is extremely valuable, so why not choose a professional like ottawapainter.com to complete your next painting project? Hiring painting contractors removes the stress for many homeowners, and should ensure that the job is done properly, safely, and in a timely manner.

That being said, it is crucial to work with the most reputable and experienced company available in your area. There are some tried, tested and proven steps that you can follow in order to ensure that you are contracting the best painting services that your hard-earned money can buy. Any important decision requires some careful consideration. Without further ado, here is exactly what you need to know when hiring a house painter.

Start By Conducting Some Research

With all of the technology available at your fingertips, it’s easy to conduct some basic Internet research on house painting contractors prior to calling them for an estimate. In this day and age even extremely small companies have an online presence in the form of websites and or information posted on social media sites such as Facebook.

Typically the reputable companies will post customer reviews and testimonials. When customers are proud of how their homes look, they are the first to talk about it. They are also the first to complain if something went wrong. If a contractor has posted little or no reviews, that is most definitely a huge red flag. Stay away from them, and move on to the next company on your list. On that note, it is always a good idea to find out the painting contractors status with the Better Business Bureau. If the company has less than an A minus or even a B plus status, that is another tell-tale sign that you should not waste your time or energy inviting them to do an estimate.

Get Estimates from a Minimum of Three Ottawa Painting Companies

Once you have completed your basic research, and compiled a short list of reputable painting contracts, the next step is to contact them to set up an estimate of the job cost. The basic rule of thumb is to set up estimates from three to five different companies. They should all fall roughly within the same price range. Start by eliminating the highest and lowest estimates, and focus on the one(s) in the middle. If the estimates vary widely from one another it is important to ask the contractors exactly what items are being included, and what are being excluded.

Interview Each Company

Hiring a painting contractor is like hiring a new employee, and the same type of interview process should be conducted. Always ask the estimator and or company owner the following list of questions, and base part of your decision on their answers.

1: How long have you been in business? (The rule of thumb is to only hire companies that have been in business for a minimum of five years. It takes that long to establish a proven track record of success.)

2: Are you bonded and insured? (This helps to establish if the contractor and any hired or sub-contracted workers are insured for both liability and injury. In order to protect your personal assets, only hire a painting contractor that is both bonded and insured. Always ask to see a copy of their insurance paperwork.)

3: Are you licensed and registered? (Most territories require painting contractors to be either licensed or registered. If the contractor is not, that is a red flag that they are not trustworthy.)

4: Do you offer written guarantees? (Painting contractors that perform quality work should be more than happy to stand by it. Those that do not offer written guarantees may have something to hide.)

5: Are you affiliated with any local and or national painting contractors’ associations? (There are always new methods, and techniques to learn in the contracting industry. Memberships in contractor associations are the best way to keep up with the times.)

6: What products do you use? (Only hire painting companies that use the best quality paint and other materials. It does make a tremendous difference on how the job will look, and how long it will last.)

If you follow this advice, hiring the best Ottawa house painters will be a far easier decision to make. It is a time-tested process that works well when deciding on any residential contracting company. Although it may take slightly more effort on your part, in the long run it will save time, money, and a lot of needless aggravation. Your house will look great as well.

This article has been sponsored by Ottawa Painter.

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