Adding a new coat of paint to your home’s interior or exterior surfaces can be an easy way to refresh its look. It can also be a great way to protect siding, kitchen walls or drywall from water, pest or other sorts of damage. Of course, you don’t want just anybody to paint your Lawrence KS home. Let’s take a look at some signs that a contractor may not have your best interests in mind when vying to complete an interior or exterior painting project.
Don’t Do Business with Contractors That Aren’t Licensed or Insured
There are many reasons why a contractor may not be licensed or insured. For instance, a person who is just starting out in the industry may not have the time or money to obtain a license or pay for insurance. A contractor may also decide not to get a license because that person isn’t qualified to get it or because this person sees painting as a side hustle as opposed to being a true business. You can rest assured that Absolute Painting is licensed and insured and treats each home painting project as the most important on its schedule.
Don’t Do Business with Contractors That Don’t Use Quality Products
It’s not uncommon for shady or inexperienced contractors to use paint that isn’t appropriate for your home. For instance, they may cover exterior surfaces with glossy paint when they should use eggshell or satin paint. Alternatively, they may use paints that have an oil base when it may be safer to use a product that has a water base.
Even if they use the right type of paint for an interior or exterior painting project, it’s possible that a shady contractor might use a product that doesn’t last long. It’s also possible that the product will be applied improperly, which could lead to a reduction in the paint’s useful life.
Don’t Do Business with Contractors That Won’t Provide References
Any company that is worth doing business with will gladly show you testimonials from previous clients. In some cases, you may even be allowed to talk to previous clients about their experiences with the company that you want to work with. Therefore, if you are not given any type of information about a contractor’s track record, you can assume that this person has something to hide. It’s also possible that you are one of this person’s first clients, which may mean that you’re taking a serious risk.
Don’t Do Business with Companies that Don’t Hire Their Own Employees
It’s not uncommon for painting companies to hire independent contractors to help with a given project. However, that may be problematic because house painters who are defined as such may not receive the same training, tools or other resources that employees would get. Furthermore, you can’t be sure that house painters who are working as independent contractors have been accurately or thoroughly vetted before they walk onto your property.
Don’t Do Business with Companies That Don’t Offer Warranties
A quality painting company will usually offer some sort of guarantee as part of their standard service contract. In most cases, a warranty will provide protection against mistakes made by anyone working for the company that is hired to paint your home. There is also a chance that you will receive protection against any defects caused by the paint itself.
Even if a company doesn’t offer any type of warranty, it’s still important to work with an entity that believes in customer service. At a minimum, anyone who paints your home should be expected to allow you to inspect any work that has been done before a crew leaves your home. This gives you an opportunity to have defects corrected before you hand over any of your money.
Don’t Do Business with a Company That Won’t Provide a Free Estimate
For most consumers, price is one of the most important variables that they consider when choosing a service provider. Reputable service providers understand that they may not offer the lowest prices for every project. However, they do know that offering free and transparent price quotes is part of providing quality service. They also understand that being honest with customers can actually be good for business because most clients will pay more to work with contractors who they trust.
If you are ready to update your Lawrence KS home, give Absolute Painting a call today. We offer free consultations and estimates, which means that you’ll know exactly what to expect from us if hired to work on your property. A member of our team will provide insight into the types of paint that look the best on your house as well as which colors may be best for a given space. Whoever visits your property will also take as much time as necessary to answer any questions that you have about us or your project in general.
