When it comes time to paint, many homeowners make a decision on whether to paint their home themselves, or to hire a painting contractor to paint their home for them. Hiring a contractor may initially seem expensive, but when you factor in the time it takes to paint, prep the room with tape and materials, prime the walls, add an accent wall and do all the cleanup, in most cases, you’re looking at hours of even days worth of work.

In most situations, a days long project is not realistic for many homeowners, and it’s often best to look for a reputable painting contractor to do the work for you so you can kick back and relax. Before you hire a contractor and invite them into your home, there are important questions that you should ask your painting contractor first. Here’s a list of our top questions to ask your painting contractor when you’re selecting one for your painting project.

How Long Has The Company Been In Business?

One of the first questions you should ask a potential painting contractor is how long the company has been in business. This will ensure that they have experience in the painting industry, they’re reputable and are not trying to scam you with their services like many classified and marketplace websites.

Do They Offer a Warranty?

Life tends to be unpredictable and you never know when something may happen to your home. When the time comes to hire a painting contractor to paint your home, you’ll want to inquire about their warranty policies. Most warranties will cover workmanship and the quality of the paint product being used on your walls. If it chips or peels within the first few years, you’ll most likely be covered under warranty. Always inquire about the company’s warranty policies to ensure you’re protected.

Do They Have Customer Testimonials?

When you’re looking for a painting contractor in Vancouver, one of the best questions you can ask is if the company has customer reviews or testimonials. If other people are saying they did a great job, chances are you’ll receive the same result and you can rest assured that they are a reputable company capable of handling your project. If the reviews are negative, you may want to continue your search.

Do They Have a Portfolio of Past Projects?

Pictures can speak a thousand words, and every home service company should have a complete portfolio of high-quality photos from their past projects. Any contractor can talk the talk, but nothing will tell you how experienced they truly are until you see the work they can do for yourself. Always ask for photos of previous projects to assure you that you are making the right choice in hiring them.

Do They Use Subcontractors?

Subcontractors are another company that is hired by the primary painting company that you hire. The subcontractors in these cases are generally the ones who are doing the work and are the ones that are inside of your home. This means that you did not approve the team that is actually doing the work and coming in and out of your home, which can lead to accountability issues when the parent company blames the subcontractor and vice versa. Always be sure that the painting company you’re using has an experienced, in-house team of painters and isn’t using subcontractors.

How Will You Communicate?

There’s nothing worse than working with a company that has poor communication skills. If you want to change a colour of ask how many hours they’ll be on the job for that day, you’ll want to be able to get ahold of them immediately to have your questions and concerns answered. You also want to ensure that they communicate openly with you as well when it comes to the progress of your painting project. Be sure to check with your painting contractor to see if they communicate via phone, text, email or other methods of communication and let them know your preference.

What Brands of Paint Do They Use?

When you’re looking to paint your home and hire a professional painting contractor in Vancouver, you want to ensure that your painting contractor is using high-quality paint brands and not simply shopping at the local Home Depot. A reputable painting contractor should be using high-quality paint brands such as Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore to ensure long-lasting results. The lower the quality of paint, the more dull it will appear over time.

What Prep Work Do They Do?

Before any painting contractor even picks up a brush or roller, it’s crucial to ensure that proper preparation is done to ensure a perfect finish. Always be sure to ask what’s included for preparation work before hiring a painting contractor. A reputable company should always have a clear process for pre-painting preparation, such as ensuring the furniture and floors are covered, and any holes are filled and sanded.

Although most reputable painting contractors will take care of the prep work for you, always be sure to confirm that it is included and in your written estimate and agreement. If it’s not included in the painting services, you’ll want to ensure all of the preparation work is done before the painting crew arrives. If you expect the company to take care of the prep work for you, be sure to check with them before hiring.

What is The Bad Weather Policy?

Mother nature tends to have a mind of her own, and can easily throw a wrench into your plans. If you’re hiring a painting contractor for exterior painting in Vancouver, you want to ensure that they do not work in poor weather. Whether it’s windy, hot, humid or other environmental factors, each one can impact the overall quality of your paint job. Make sure that the painting contractor you hire is only painting in optimal exterior painting conditions.

Are They Insured?

Accidents can happen at any time, and that’s especially true given the nature of painting itself. You want to ensure that your Vancouver Painting Company has both general liability insurance in the event that your property is damaged during your painting project, and also has workers compensation to cover an accidential injury to one of their workers so you’re not on the hook for those costs. Always ask for copies of insurance documents prior to hiring a painting contractor in Vancouver.

How Much Will It Cost?

It’s always a good idea to get multiple quotes for your project and determine the average cost for the project. A quote that is much higher or much lower than the other competitors could indicate a problem, especially if the quote is drastically lower than others. Always be sure to find out why there is such a drastic price difference and ensure that nothing is being overlooked to provide the lower price point. As a general rule with painting, you get what you pay for, so always ensure you go with a reputable, quality painting contractor and don’t get stuck solely on price.