8 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Professional Painter

When you receive professional home services, it’s important to know who you’re working with and what they are providing. The same goes for hiring a professional interior or exterior painter.

Make sure you take the time to vet the painters you intend to hire for your next home or business renovation. These eight questions can help you get started.

1. Do you have insurance?

In the United States, professional home painters must have insurance in place. And in Michigan, painters must have a policy of at least $1,000,000.

Painters insurance comes into play if an accident should occur – like a broken window, paint spill, falls, or other costly property damage. It protects you as the customer and ensures that your painting company will get everything taken care of.

If the painters you hire don’t have insurance, you run the risk of costly repairs and a subpar paint job.

2. Who will be on my crew?

This question is particularly important if the job will take a longer period of time. It’s good to know who will be performing the job and what their certifications are.

Ask about the crew, if you’ll have the same people each day, and if you can meet the project manager beforehand. This can give you more confidence in the painting company you hire.

This is also a good time to ask about what kind of background checks the company runs on their employers so you can rest assured that your home is in good hands.

3. How do you prep for each job?

Prep is the most important part of any paint job. It can make the difference between a long-lasting, quality job and walls that start chipping within a few months.

Ask your potential painters to explain their preparation process and what they recommend for your particular job. Make sure they work with different surfaces and understand how to treat each different area in your home (i.e. trim versus walls versus siding).

You also want to make sure they will protect your belongings in the process. Do they cover or move furniture and protect floors?

4. What kind of material do you use?

Not all paint is created equal – and that goes for the painting equipment, too. Now, you might not know the difference between good and poor-quality paints, but your painters should be able to explain that to you.

Ask them about the quality of the material they use. High-quality products may cost more upfront, but they will last the test of time and provide a much more satisfying result.

5. Do you have safety protocols in place?

Any professional home painter worth their salt has mandatory safety protocols in place for each type of job they offer. Ask the company how they train their employees on these safety procedures and how often they refresh that training.

Also, find out if it’s safe for you to be in the home or room while the job is taking place and what precautions the crew takes to protect your home from potentially hazardous materials.

6. Do you have references?

Always ask for references whenever you are looking to hire a painter. They should be able to point you to previous customers, client testimonials online, or even a portfolio that showcases the work that they’ve done.

This allows you to see the kind of work they’ve done, get a feel for their craftsmanship, and learn how other customers feel about working with them.

7. How do you adjust for poor weather conditions?

If you have an outdoor paint job coming up, make sure you are familiar with how your paint company handles unpredictable weather. What will they do in the event of a storm, extreme temperatures, or unexpected precipitation?

8. What kind of warranty do you offer?

Paint warranties typically cover defects in the paint job – in most cases, the warranty covers up to a two-year period. A warranty will ensure that the company redoes the job if a problem occurs due to an error in workmanship.

Talk to your paint company about their warranty options, and make sure you get your warranty in writing before they start the job.

Hire the Right Professional Painters for Your Next Home Project

At Visual Paint, we are happy to answer all of your questions. We want you to feel confident in our team and the craftsmanship we provide.

We have dedicated years to perfecting our craft, and we only hire the best painters Southeast Michigan can offer.

Give us a call today, or fill out our quote form to get a free, custom quote on your next painting project.