Selecting a Painting Contractor

It Doesn’t Have To Be A Daunting Task

selecting a painting contractorSelecting a good paint contractor that you can trust to do a high-quality job is a daunting task. At Lake Area Painting and Decorating, Inc., we believe that the more you know about how to select a good paint contractor, the more often you will select our company. We have six decades of experience painting people’s homes the right way. Taking the time to read this page can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of unnecessary heartache.

The information contained on this page is based on data provided by the following organizations:

  • Better Business Bureau
  • Certified Contractors Network
  • The Attorney General’s Office
  • The Department of Labor and Industries
  • Painting Contractors of America

They provide this information as “Criteria Guidelines” for homeowners.  We hope this information will help you select the right contractor for your project.

Ask These Questions… Do Your Homework

Does the company carry insurance and is the coverage adequate?

Owners have been financially harmed by uninsured or inadequately insured contractors.

How long has the contractor been in business?
The more experienced a contractor is, the better.  Most businesses (80%) fail within the first 10 years.  If you need help in the future how can you be assured the contractor will be there for you?

What is the company’s workmanship warranty?

Most warranties are bogus; they don’t warranty all previous paint jobs.  If the paint is failing due to the last guy it will not be warrantied.  We fix historic problems.  Many paint problems date back to the very first coat of paint.

The longer the warranty the better. But are you confident the company will live up to its warranty or will the company still be in business? The professional contractor often performs well beyond the written warranty period because he knows that this is what builds customer loyalty and referrals.

Specific Questions:

References:

  • You need names, phone numbers and address – in abundance.
  • Have you been seeing their signs in the same neighborhoods for years?
  • Look for repetition; do they work for the same homeowners, time and time again?

Product Selections:

Good paint or varnish is important, but preparation is far more important.  The cost of paint is small when compared to the project; only the very best products should be used.

Preparation:

50%-80% of any painting or varnishing job goes into preparation.  Our paint job is only as good as all previous paint jobs combined.  We fix problems, we solve problems.  Our projects look nicer and last twice as long – just ask our customers. What’s important?  Preparation, preparation, and more preparation.

Job site protection:

This area receives more complaints than any other.  Are they neat and clean, provide good protection and clean up, and clean up systems?

Employees:

Years with the company?  Direct employees or subcontractors?  Do you want the new employee’s hired today working in your home tomorrow?

How long will it take?

Will there be just one or two men and have they been working together for a couple of weeks? Or will the contractor bring a team with a leader that works together every day. Many contractors are over-committed or understaffed, resulting in rushed jobs and/or long delays for the customer.

Schedule:

Will they show up?  When? Was it discussed?

Proposal:

Is it complete?  Does it answer all your questions?  How will they protect your flooring and furniture?   How many hours of patching and sanding?  How much preparation or repair?  The devil is in the details – or lack of them.

Job site management:

What if you are gone all day?  Do they speak English?  Who will be in my house?  Who will manage my job?  Will the job site manager be there all day?  Will I have cell phone & email numbers for the job site manager?

Confidence:

It all comes down to trust and confidence.

When comparing contractors all of the above questions can help you determine who is going to do the best job for YOU!  Lake Area Painting & Decorating is invested in all the above items, insuring you that quality is embedded at every step of the way.  What can you expect?

A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE, BEAUTIFUL RESULTS and LONG TERM DURABILITY!