Choosing a Reputable Painting Contractor
Let’s face it, painters are not all well-reputed, and you don’t want the surprise of get ripped off when all you want is to improve your home. You know you have to be informed as a consumer, but where exactly do you begin? How do you recognize a good painting contractor?
Collect Prospects
There’s an abundance of resources when you’re trying to find prospective painting contractors. Begin by asking for recommendations from a friend or relative. As well, you can explore the website of your local Better Business Bureau and scan some consumer reviews features at consumer sites such as Angie’s List or Yelp. Usually, better-reviewed and higher-rated contractors are more conscious about qualiy and customer satisfaction.
Get Several Bids
It’s always wise to ask for multiple bids so you can make comparisons. Avoid the temptation of picking a prospect just because they are the cheapest, by far the most dangerous way of deciding which contractor to hire. But a little healthy competition is always welcome, and it helps to keep prices reasonable.
Meeting the Candidates
One of the key reasons behind people’s dissatisfaction with their painting contractors is that they never asked the right questions before coming up with a decision. Treat your first meeting with your prospects like a job interview. They are literally interviewing for your business so don’t hold back when you want to ask questions, including the tough ones. You need information about your potential contractor before you hire them, not when they’ve begun priming your walls. By not asking at all, you could be setting yourself up for a disaster.
When you don’t ask the right questions, you will tend to decide primarily on price. But take note, you don’t want the lowest price. You’re looking for a contractor you can trust to give you with a quality job and and the best value for your hard-earned cash.
Asking for References
Your last act of due diligence in picking a painting contractor is to ask for references. If a contractor is worth their salt, they will have a ready list of references to give you so you can see and assess their work for yourself.
After all, the most credible sources of information about your prospects are those who have actually worked with them in the not so distant past. Again, be sure to ask all the vital questions, and end with “Would you be happy to hire the same contractor for a future job?” The answer to that last question will be the most telling of all. Now you can make a confident choice.
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