What questions to ask a painter

Moving home, or renovating a room? How do you know which painting company to choose with so many painting businesses to choose from for your job?

How do you know if you are working with a real organisation or just a paintbrush guy? 

It can be hard to know what to look for and when to start if you aren’t in the habit of hiring a painting contractor. The following guide details 6 easy questions to ask each painting company that offers a quote for your property.

What are the 6 questions to ask a painter?

Are you a licensed contractor?

Trade person can have a reputation of being a bit dodgy. There are many fantastic painting forms out there but there are also quite a few of the bad ones. Licensing regulations have been established, set out by the Building and Construction Commission (NHBRC), in order to keep the industry to a minimum level to give consumers trust. The NHBRC allows painting contractors to comply with the licensing requirements in order to enter into contracts and accept jobs. They are:

• Effective completion of either a painting and decorating apprenticeship, painting and decorating Certificate III or prior experience accepted by the NHBRC
• Completion of managerial course accepted by NHBRC 
• Meeting the required financial criteria as laid down by the NHBRC

These regulatory guidelines guarantee that a contractor who has fulfilled the minimum criteria to apply for a licence is complied with by you. If they do not comply with these regulations, they face the possibility of losing their trade license.

If any problems occur as a result of faulty or unfinished work, damage to your house, or if you suspect a contractor is violating the rules, the NHBRC is still available to provide advice and assistance. 

It is best not to risk hiring an unlicensed painter, and you will better off with a professional licensed painting contractor. If you have problems finding legitimate painters, go to Biiz Hub where you can get free no obligation quotes from our local trusted painter.  

Are you insured?

Painters need to have at least two types of insurances. A public liability insurance and a workcover insurance. 

Public Liability Insurance 

Tradies can often slip up and damage items at home or even cause structural damage through their work. It is important to remember that protection for your home and contents may not always be covered by your personal insurance. A public liability insurance creates that safety net for customers and covers the house and content from damage caused by the contractor. 

Before you hire a painter, ask to see their public liability insurance to guarantee a coverage. 

WorkCover

While painting does not appear as risky as other careers, in their everyday jobs, painters may face a variety of risks. Building and construction sites can be a relative minefield when it comes to collisions and casualties, no matter how much protective steps are placed in place. Worckcover ensures that all employees are insured by their employers. 

It is a standard for all firms of workers and pays the cost of care and recovery from work-related accidents or injury. 

Do you have any references?

Just because someone has training for painting doesn’t mean they know how to run a business. It’s one thing to understand how to paint an interior, but quite another to understand how to communicate with customers, work professionally and manage a respectable business. 

For this reason, it is important to figure out the company’s background, what their former customers think about their job and whether they are competent and easy to deal with. 

It is advised that from each company you get at least 3 references. This varied collection of references would allow you to see if the time test stands for their work and the goods they use. Start searching somewhere if they refuse to supply them.

Speaking with former customers directly will also give you a better understanding of the consumer experience. Ask the painting firm who you are considering to hire to provide phone numbers of former customers. 

Their reactions to these inquiries will be invaluable and will assist you to distinguish the newcomers to the longtime painting professionals. 

Do you use high quality paints?

When constructing or repairing your house, painting may seem like a huge investment. But you’re making an investment in your home for the next 5 or more years. 

High quality paints are designed to satisfy quality standards, such as those produced by Dulux, Taubmans, Wattyl and other major paint firms. These paints are formulated with a high concentration of costly and high-quality materials and ingredients. This makes it simple to spread the paint, covers it in 2-3 coats, makes it washable and guarantees a long-lasting, flawless finish. 

On the other hand, poor quality paints may seem enticing because they are less pricey. Low-quality paints, though, are just that. Bad quality! This means that more paint coats may be used to cover surfaces, the finish may be substandard and it will not wear as well as more costly paints in the long run.

How long will the job take?

The last thing you want is for your home or workplace to be out of operation for longer than possible, as thrilling as it is to see your property transformed. 

Chances are some of your furniture will need to be relocated, drop sheets will be put on the floor, and over furniture and fixtures, stuff will get a little dirty whether you intend to continue living or working in your home or office whilst painting the interior. In order to avoid disruption, an accomplished painter should be able to inform you how long the job will take and work on a reasonable schedule. 

If you have a strict deadline that you want the painter to meet, the painting company must have the manpower necessary to complete the job on time and on schedule. 

Do they provide a contract and written quote?

The best way to find out what your painting job costs is to get quotes and contracts drawn up from local painters. That will give you a sense of what current market prices are. The more detail you give for your job the more relevant the quote will be. If your painter has a full picture, it’s possible that the quotes you get will be a more reasonable final amount. 

Do not accept a quote without any information. Id there is a disagreement down the line, this will cause frustration. Make sure what you’ve asked for is in the written quote. If the item is not included in the quote you will not be able to prove that it was discussed prior to commencement of the job. 

Ensure that the brand names and other specifics of the paint they use are written in the quote. If the painting company puts the name of the paints they use in the quotation, you know they have nothing to hide.

Biiz Hub provides thousands of users with various businesses from carpenter to gardening and pavers . Simply search for tradesmen in your area and select the business that best suits your needs. 

If you’re needing help finding a professional painter for your latest project, click the link below to receive multiple quotes from your local trusted professional painters.