Hiring painters can be a stressful experience. Their expectations may include moving all furniture, taking down wall hangings, and covering surfaces which could get painted over.
Painting contractors will do a comprehensive walk-through and pose numerous questions to put your mind at ease when hiring them, so here are a few things to remember before selecting one or more painter Melbourne for hire.
Experience
An established painting contractor will have the experience required to complete projects on time and within budget, while also knowing how to avoid potential pitfalls and provide recommendations.
Request references from previous clients and, if possible, visit past projects personally to gain an impression of their craftsmanship and how well they interact with customers. This can give an accurate representation of how well a painting contractor operates as an enterprise.
Be sure to find out whether the company employs its own painters or subcontracts their services, and if contracted work is being outsourced ask if the subcontractors have undergone background checks and provide full insurance. Also inquire into warranty policies offered – at minimum one-year warranties should be covered.
License
Painting isn’t something you should trust to just anyone; therefore it is vitally important that the contractor you hire has been granted approval by their local council to perform their services and can act as protection if something goes amiss during your project.
Professional painting contractors will always provide an in-depth estimate before beginning a job, outlining all costs and schedule. In addition, they should cover any furniture that will not be receiving paint while also laying down plastic wherever necessary for safety purposes.
Hiring painters may not be simple, but with proper planning and preparation it’s certainly achievable. A job board helps immensely when it comes to attracting potential candidates for hire.
Insurance
A reliable painting company will carry adequate insurance for their contractors and crew members, such as general liability, worker’s comp, commercial auto and E&O (errors and omissions).
General liability will protect property damage or bodily injury caused by contractors working in people’s homes and businesses, making this essential coverage.
Workers’ comp is mandatory for W2 employees and covers accidents on the job site. Although this type of insurance can be costly for contractors to carry, skipping it puts their customers’ wellbeing at risk.
Ask about their warranty policies; great painters should stand behind their work by offering written guarantees against chipping, peeling, blistering or excessive fading of paint. Furthermore, it should also include an estimate on when they plan on finishing the project.
Warranties
Warranty policies offered by painting companies should give you assurance they stand behind their work, so be sure to inquire about these prior to making your selection.
Painters should always be more than willing to address any inquiries you have about their services and operations, making the selection of an unresponsive professional an unlikely path toward successful project completion. If they refuse, consider this a warning sign as they could prove hard to work with on your task.
Firms that take their business more seriously often have valid insurance, customer testimonials/referrals and pictures of past work to show for themselves. Furthermore, such businesses often are members of professional trade associations and community organizations, which show their dedication to the industry; some may even provide formal training programs for employees.
Reputation
Reputable painting companies will always welcome any inquiries you may have, which helps avoid miscommunication or misunderstandings during a project, which could potentially lead to less-than-desirable results.
If you have questions or reservations about paint fumes, cleanup or any other aspects of the project, ask them to clarify these. For instance, it would be good to know whether they will take steps to protect furniture and lay out plastic on areas they will walk over.
Furthermore, it’s essential to evaluate a company’s track record and testimonials from previous clients – Angie’s List, Yelp and Google Reviews can all be excellent resources to gather this information.
