Finding a Good Painter

Of all the home improvement projects that a person can do, there is probably nothing that is going to have as much of an immediate impact as painting. Whether it is the monetary value of a home, or the curb appeal, or the simple tone of a room, painting can and does affect all of these. Because this is such an important task, finding a good painter can be a pretty intimidating task for anyone.

Believe it or not, it really doesn't matter what your potential home improvement project is, if you are going to be hiring someone to do the work for you, then you are going to be utilizing the same simple steps so that finding a good painter is no longer such a daunting task, but rather one that just takes a little time and effort to accomplish.

• Preplan. Before you start looking for a painter, you are going to need to know what you are going to hire him for. Take some time to plan out exactly what the project is going to be. What this means is that you should decide on what areas of the house, interior or exterior, that you are going to be painting. Look for the color and type of paint that you would like to use, how much it costs, and so forth. Write all of this down, including the cost of the equipment that you think you are going to be using, all of which is going to give you a starting idea of what your cost is going to be, which is always a good thing when determining a budget.
• Recommendations. If you have any relatives, neighbors or friends that recently hired a painter ask them for recommendations, while also asking your local building supply store and looking through the newspaper. Prior to calling any painter in for an interview, you should also call the local better business bureau so that you can get an idea of their work history, if there were any complaints and so on.
• Interview. After you have narrowed down your list of potential painters to about four individuals or companies, call them up for an interview. Have them come over and take a look at the project, and submit to you a written estimate for the work. This estimate should include a list of all materials, time schedule, and equipment costs. If they do not wish to submit an estimate, then do not use them.
• Contracts. Finally, once you have decided on a specific company or person to complete your painting project, then you need to have a contract written up to protect both you and the painter from any misunderstandings that may crop u. Include all aspects of the project into your contract, and you are ready to begin.