Socaz Painting

It may seem obvious to the homeowner that the contractor will remove any old wood, trim, empty paint buckets, worn out drop cloths or other detritus associated with painting, but unless this is stipulated in writing, the contractor may not remove everything once the job is complete. Having everything in writing, with your contractor, makes certain that every small detail is going to be taken care of.

A paint job using premium-grade paint should last somewhere around ten years, depending on the weather conditions in the homeowner’s area. In any event, a painting contractor should offer a guarantee with the job and the ways in which the guarantee will be honored should be spelled out. A vague guarantee is meaningless; get the terms in writing.

Every genuine painting contractor, such as those at United Home Experts, has a license issued by the state that guarantees that they meet certain basic qualifications. A license also means that the contractor has something to lose should he or she not perform according to the terms of a written contract. Certain basic standards must be met even if those standards are not stipulated in writing, giving the homeowner considerable leverage when dealing with a fully licensed contractor.

Occasionally a contractor will imply that several painters will be on the job in order to get the job finished quickly. However, far fewer people may show up to do the actual painting and the job can then take twice as long as the homeowner had been led to believe. This is common. There is no guarantee that even a written contract stipulating the number of people to be assigned to the job and the amount of time required to finish the job will solve all of a homeowner’s problems, but such a written guarantee can give the homeowner at least some leverage. It is not unreasonable for a contractor to add a clause to the effect of “weather permitting” when bidding an outdoor job.

Unless the homeowner requests a “contractor’s grade” of paint be used in order to save a few dollars, the homeowner should demand that a premium-grade paint is applied. The reason is that the cheaper grades of paint will often cause a bleed-through after only a short time and simply will not stand up to normal wear and tear nearly as long as a premium grade of paint will. Also, put in writing ahead of time how many coats of paint will be applied.

This is an important question and it is just as important that a contract provides a detailed answer and not offer vague generalities. Have the contractor put the entire process of preparation in writing and make certain that he or she dates and signs it. Holes and bad spots in walls must be repaired. All surfaces to be painted must be scraped and/or sanded to remove as much of the old paint as possible. Ask how many people will be part of the preparation process. For homeowners who are unaware of it, preparation is equally as important as the painting process itself.