Hi there- John Mannion here from Mannion Custom Painting, LLC. I'm a professional contractor with over 20 years of experience. We are continuing to discuss what to look for when hiring a professional painting contractor. On our last discussion we talked about finding a contractor and what to look for. We will continue on. So, you have a few referrals and have checked out the contractors web site is applicable. Now you need to make contact, and I recommend a phone call to speak to the pro in person versus sending an e-mail. Speaking directly to the contractor or their office will speak volumes about the professionalism. Most pros will try and qualify the estimate by asking a few basic questions when you first make contact. We do this to qualify the lead. Some leads are price shopping, this is good for the consume, not so well for the contractor as it can be a big waste of time and money for us. So if you are price shopping tell the contractor this. So, we always try to qualify or leads, this is the norm and should be expected. You should be cautious of any contractor that does not ask questions about your project. Some basic questions you can expect are your expectations and time frame, how big a job, interior or exterior. If you both feel comfortable with each other, then it is time to set the estimate appointment. When the contractor shows up at your home or office you need to be on the look out for certain things such as signage. Does the contractor show up in a company vehicle, a clean well marked van or truck? Or are they in an unmarked car, with their friend driving?As professionals we are proud of our work and our company, and we like to show off our company name, so look for signage. Next look for the business card, is it professionally done, with matching logos from the truck? It should be, if not you need to ask why not? The contractor should be neat in appearance, groomed and have some basic estimating equipment with them. If not. why not? Ask! After a few pleasantries the estimate begins, most pros will take a physically measurement of each room or building, not just an eyeball. Some pros are real good at eyeballing but still exact measurements are your best bet. The contractor should discuss all aspects of your job from type of paint and finish to exactly what preparation will be preformed. They should inform you of how long they think the job will take, how many workers will be on site and the exact brand and grade of paint used along with how many coats. It is most important to understand brand and grade of paint being used, because they vary widely. The brand my be top notch but the grade could be sub par. So ask and make sure it is included in the estimate. I will mention here that some customers want to buy their own paint, as they think they will save money. Sometimes for the customer this is not always the case. As professionals, we have a vast knowledge of coatings and their applications and what is the best product to use when and where. A customer buying their own paint usually tends to try and save a few dollars by purchasing a cheaper paint. A cheaper paint does not cover as much area, does not cover as well and tends not to last long. So if additional coats are needed or painting is needed more frequently, it will cost the consumer more money. So my advice, let the contractor supply the paint, or at least direct you where and what to purchase. Oh, one last thing on the customer supplying the paint, most pros will not offer the material warranty unless we purchase the paint. Ok next installment we will continue on discussing what to look for when hiring a painting contactor.
Peace
John
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