Not all contractors are created equal. Unfortunately, many painting contractors have a bad reputation and stereo-type. It may not be that easy to read through if you are not asking the right questions.
When interviewing painters, it is worth the 30 minutes to meet and review the job with them to get a sense of who you’ll be working with. Don’t just have “a guy” come over and phone in a price. It could be a disaster. You’ll also want to get a look at the appearance and overall presentation they are giving you. You may be giving them thousands of your hard earned dollars, and you don’t want to find out your half way through a project with a convicted criminal.
There has never been a contractor that has ever promised a “BAD JOB” to a potential customer, even if they are the cheapest price. You need to ask questions about the following:
- Scope of Work
- Products to be used
- How long in business
- How well do you know the employees or subs that will be doing work
- Liability insurance, workman’s compensation insurance, warranty information, financial stability, employee information (drug testing, background checks); etc.
As you interview the potential contractor with these questions, you will start to get a sense of who you will be working with. If you get a good feeling, be sure to ask for the documentation, don’t just take their word for it. If your gut is telling you “no” at the interview, then run away. It’s not worth it. These people will be working in and around your home and family for potentially days or even weeks.
Never give a deposit to an unregistered or undocumented company. In this day and age, if you don’t see them on the internet, you may want to wait on handing out your money, it could disappear. If a contractor is not stable enough to start a job without money, its usually not a good sign.
There are thousands of horror stories between homeowners and contractors. Most are rooted from hiring inexperienced contractors or hiring on prices that are too good to be true.
At ELCO Painting Inc., you can always expect quality work and customer service. Our experience is over 35 years in residential and commercial painting, from interior to exterior we guarantee your satisfaction when you choose us for your next painting project. The professional painting contractors assigned to your project are always courteous and efficient when carrying out tasks, so you’ll always be happy with our services.
