Often times, a painting company will have many positive reviews online. You may also ask for referrals from family, friends and church members. They should be able to provide you with a few good painting companies that fit your needs.
You should ask if their painters are actually employees and not sub-contractors. It costs more to pay workers, withhold taxes, ensure safety compliance and train employees than just hiring someone off the street.
Ask for Referrals
Asking your friends and family for referrals is a free way to find a painting contractor that you can trust. Personal recommendations can provide you with a more complete picture of the company’s reliability, customer service, and quality of work than just an online review alone.
A great painting company will be committed to providing quality service and will go above and beyond the call of duty. This will ensure that they show up when they are supposed to and will follow the specific instructions for each project. They will also make sure to cover furniture and other surfaces with plastic before beginning the work.
To generate more referrals, use email marketing to offer a monetary incentive for your past customers to recommend your services. Also, encourage them to leave reviews on your Google Business Profile and social media pages. These are primary ranking factors in your local search results and can help you capture new leads for your painting business.
Check Online Reviews
Online reviews can help give you a good feel for the reputation of a painting contractor. They can also tell you a lot about the quality of work that was delivered by a company, so look for a variety of reviews across platforms and watch out for things like odd post timings, suspicious grammar/spelling, repetitive reviews from the same person, and generic/short responses.
You should also look for a painter that is licensed and insured. They should have a general business liability insurance and worker’s compensation, which will protect you in case they get hurt while working on your home or if anything gets damaged during the project. Illegitimate contractors are unlikely to carry these policies, so they will likely cut corners in other areas, such as workmanship, to make up for this deficit. This will often leave you with a substandard job that will not hold up over time. This is why referrals and online reviews are so important.
Check the License
Painting contractors should have full licensing and insurance in order to provide residential painting services. This will help protect you in the event that something goes wrong during your project, and it shows that they take their work seriously.
It's also important to check how long the company has been in business. The longer they have been in business, the more familiar they will be with common challenges that can arise during a painting project.
A good contractor should be able to provide you with the name of their insurance carrier, and the contact information for that provider. You can then call them to verify the coverage.
Another thing to ask is how many people will be working on your project. A good contractor should be able to explain the process of how their team will work with you throughout your painting project. This will help prevent miscommunication and potential misunderstandings. Having a clear plan of action will also help you manage expectations throughout the process.
Check the Insurance
The painting contractor should have both general liability and workman’s compensation insurance to protect you as a customer in case of any accidents. It also shows that the company is serious about being professional and responsible.
You should ask to see copies of their insurance certificates and license. Make sure the coverage is appropriate for the type of project you’re hiring them to do and that it is current.
A reputable painting contractor will provide you with a written contract that outlines what is included and not included in your project, as well as the timeline of when the work will be completed. Be wary of companies independent painters near me that only offer oral promises as they are unlikely to keep their word once the project begins. The top painting contractors will also provide a warranty on their work, which should be clearly explained and kept on file in case any issues arise later on. A one to two year warranty is standard in the painting industry.
