9 Things to Look for When Hiring Exterior Painters

Custom Care By Caleb on June 1, 2022

orlando house painting exterior

If you need to have your Central Florida home or business painted, the first step might be to ask your contacts for a referral or to Google “exterior painters near me” or “Orlando . Since there are various painters in the area, you’ll have to decide who can meet your needs the best. Fortunately, it’s almost always possible to tell whether a contractor will provide a good service before you hire them.

To avoid disappointment, always choose someone who has worked in the industry for several years. You can also look at the customer reviews on Google and HomeAdvisor and, if the project is large, you can contact previous customers and ask them about the service provided. Additionally, you should look for someone who is licensed, is willing to meet with you and inspect your property, provides a clear budget, and is good at communicating.

9 Things to Look for When Hiring Exterior Painters in Central Florida

1. Longstanding Experience 

While hiring a new painter could be a good choice because they can provide you with fresh, up-to-date perspective, they might not have the necessary experience to do a good job, especially if your project is complicated. For this reason, you should always choose a company that employs some more experienced team members as well as freshly qualified painters.

For example, our staff at Custom Care by Caleb have over 30 years of experience combined, and we have worked on countless projects during that time. No matter what material and structure needs to be painted, it’s likely that we have completed a similar job before. While our more recently qualified staff can provide innovation, the experienced employees can make sure the project is realistic and will be completed to a high quality standard.

2. Great Customer Reviews When You Google “Exterior Painters Near Me”

You can find reviews for painting companies on a wide variety of platforms such as Google or HomeAdvisor. These can be very informative and show you what previous customers thought of a company’s service. If a painter has a high number of five-star reviews and customers mention positive qualities such as punctuality, fair pricing, and a great service, it’s likely that you will have a good experience when working with the employees. 

While text-based reviews are important, you should also try to find some that provide pictures. Seeing the “before and after” photos can help you determine whether you like the painters’ style. Sometimes, these kinds of pictures can be found directly on the painting company’s website, but at other times, you will have to scroll through the Google reviews to find them.

3. All the Licensing and Insurance in Place 

There are many reasons why it’s important to hire licensed contractors who have the proper insurance in place. Most importantly, this can protect your family’s financial security because you won’t be liable if one of the employees gets injured while working on your project or a painter makes a mistake that damages a part of your property. The liability insurance will cover the cost, and you won’t have to pay for the medical bills, loss of income, and repairs.

Another major benefit of hiring a licensed professional is that there is quality control. There is no guarantee that an unlicensed painter has completed the relevant professional education, so the quality of their work might be inferior. In contrast, someone with a license has been trained to meet all the local and national requirements, and they can therefore provide a superior service.

4. A Willingness to Meet with You

Most painting projects are large, and it’s likely that you will have to pay your contractor several thousands of dollars if you want the entire outside of your home to be repainted. To make sure the painter fully understands the structure of your property, they should come to your house before beginning the job. That way, they can check that your surfaces are ready and make sure that the chosen paint fits the materials of the home. 

If a contractor isn’t willing to visit your home prior to the start date of the project, it’s likely that they don’t take their work very seriously. In this case, you might want to choose someone else who will be more accommodating.

5. A Clear Budget 

The average 2,500-square-foot home will cost you $6,000 to $9,000 to paint. The exact price depends on the current cost of labor, the cost of the materials, and the complexity of the job. If the walls are all easily accessible, it will cost you less than if there are hidden or hard-to-access portions. After your contractors have visited your home and assessed its size and structure, they should be able to give you an accurate quote.

This must include both the direct costs, such as the paint, labor, and gas, and the indirect costs, which include the company’s overhead like their support staff and leasing costs. Before you sign anything, read through the quote carefully to make sure you are not being overcharged and to determine whether there are any additional fees should the contractors fail to complete the project on time. In most cases, there shouldn’t be a charge for overtime.

6. Great Communication 

When Googling “exterior painters near me” and researching companies, watch out for clues related to a painter’s communication style. You should always choose someone who gets back to you quickly, since this will make the work much easier. A great contractor should be able to communicate effectively with their customers, suppliers, and team members, and they should be good at coordinating various jobs. 

Fortunately, it’s easy to tell whether a company is effective at communicating. Scan the reviews for words such as “responsive”, “professional”, and “courteous” to find out what previous customers are saying about the employees’ communication style. You should also pay attention to how the company responds to your initial message or call. If they get back to you quickly and are friendly on the phone, you’re likely to have a good experience.

7. Good Planning Skills  

If you’ve hired a Central Florida painter with a lot of experience, you can ask them to help you plan the project, not just execute it. They can tell you what kind of paint you should use, which areas need to be painted, and how you can get the job done with a minimal amount of hassle. Your painters might also be able to give you advice about the best time of year for the job, so you can plan it around the weather and your seasonal schedule. 

However, your contractors shouldn’t be trying to control the entire project or overrule your directions. Instead, they should guide and assist you without pushing you into anything you don’t want. Let your painters know what you are planning during the initial consultation phase and observe how they react to your plans. If they are happy to consider your opinions and viewpoint, there is a good chance that they will be easy to work with.

8. Everything in Writing 

Some contractors are eager to work on a project, but they can’t deliver on their promises. This results in low-quality work and lengthy delays. To minimize the chance of a bad experience, you should always ask your painters to put their offers, quotes, and details about the job in writing. That way, you have proof of the type of work they promised and the timeline of the project. This can be very helpful should there be an issue with the quality. 

9. References from Previous Customers and Other Trusted Sources 

References aren’t always necessary for regular projects, but if you’re hoping to get a large building painted or you want to go the extra mile for peace of mind, you can ask your contractors to provide the contact details of their previous clients. Then, you can give these people a call and ask them about their experience working with the painting company.

Some of the questions you should ask include: Was the job completed on time? Did the painters stay within the specified budget? Was everyone professional and courteous? What is the quality of the work like? You could also ask whether the customer would hire the painters again for future projects.

Take the Next Step

Googling “exterior painters near me” is only the first step, and you shouldn’t necessarily choose the first contractor on the list. Instead, you need to examine what each company has to offer and then determine which one is the most suitable for your job. Start by eliminating anyone who isn’t licensed and doesn’t have any experience painting properties in Central Florida. They are unlikely to provide you with the best service possible. 

Next, you can find out more about the remaining companies by checking out their reviews, asking them for a quote, inviting them to view your property, and discussing your plans with them. If necessary, you can also get references from previous customers. Send us a message now at Custom Care by Caleb to find out more about our services and to get an estimate. We will be delighted to learn more about your project.