Painting the interior of your house can make your living quarters more attractive and give the illusion of an entirely new space. It also can give you an excellent return on your investment by increasing the value of your home. According to Open Door, the average return on investment for interior house painting is 107%. If you are considering hiring a contractor for your interior house painting project, here is a closer look at what you should know before picking one to do the job. Read on to learn more about what you need to look for before saying yes to just any interior painting service.
Work Samples
A house painting service should have ample experience in your local community and work samples to show you. Photographs and videos taken while walking through homes before and after painting them can show the transformations that occurred. You should be impressed with the results, which can make you more willing to select a contractor that has photographic or video evidence of recently done projects.
References
An experienced house painting contractor should have lots of happy customers. Some of those likely would be willing to vouch for the contractor and the quality of work done. You should ask for references and contact some if any are available. That is the best way to find out from others about their experience with the same interior house painting contractor. You also can check Google reviews and social media accounts that might reference the contractor and speak to the quality of work and professionalism that the contractor and its crew provided for others.
An interior house painting service that enjoys a good rating and has no complaints on record likely does good work. That is especially true if the contractor has been in business for several years and has worked on many local homes. A top rating combined with no complaints is a very good sign that a contractor will make you happy with the results.
Bonding And Insurance
When a contractor is working inside your home, a lot could go wrong. A painting crew likely uses some flammable products, such as paint thinner, which can increase the risk of fire and cause extensive damage. Other accidents also might occur that damage valuable items. You should ask about any bond protection and liability insurance that the contractor has in place to protect against the costs of accident damage to your home or valuables. If the contractor has no coverage or lacks a sufficient amount, you should find one that does have bond and insurance protection.
Local Chamber Of Commerce Membership
You might want to check with the local Chamber of Commerce to see if the contractor is a member. A local business that is a member of the Chamber of Commerce is known in the community and could have a good reputation. It is possible that there is no local Chamber of Commerce where you live, and lacking membership does not mean a contractor should be avoided. Be aware of the state standards that painting companies must adhere to, and find one that is diligent.
Materials And Labor Costs
You should ask the contractor what type of materials they plan to use, as well as the cost of labor. Materials include paint, tape, and patching materials that might be used to fill small holes. Other materials also would apply, such as paint thinner that might be used to mix the paint and clean brushes and other painting equipment. The size of the painting crew and the amount of time that it takes also might affect the labor cost, although many contractors already factor that in when quoting a price on an interior house painting project.
Delegation
You need to know who will do the actual prep and paint work inside your home. Although you hire a contractor for your interior house painting, the crew does the actual work. You should ask about who will do the work, how long they have been with the contractor, and who will supervise them while the painting crew is doing the job. If you can’t get any satisfactory answers, you might want to consider hiring a contractor who can give you satisfactory answers about the work crew.
Details
You might have different ideas about what is included in a quote on the cost of doing interior house painting at your home than the contractor does. Painting the interior trim may or may not be part of the cost estimate. If you think it is included but the trim work is not done, that could lead to a disagreement afterward and additional funds spent on painting the trim as well as the walls and ceiling. It is important to make sure you know exactly what is included in the quoted price before you agree to pay it.
Types Of Equipment Used
An interior house painting crew likely will use a variety of painting tools to get the work done. Spray guns and brushes for touching up the paint are very likely items. You might be surprised by a crew that uses paint rollers instead of spray guns, which can take much longer to complete the job. You should ask about the types of equipment that the contractor will use to complete the job so that you have a better idea of how the work will be done and how fast it will take.
Expected Timeframe
An interior house painting project is very disruptive to your home life – especially if you have the entire interior redone. You should plan ahead to minimize any disruption by planning how you will handle your home life while work is underway. The contractor should have a very good idea regarding how long it will take to prep and paint the interior and how many hours per day will be spent on the job so that you can plan accordingly.
Paint Plan
Your contractor also should have a general plan of which rooms will be painted first and which will be done last. You should ask ahead of time so that you know what the plan is for each room and when it will be done. Knowing the general plan will help you to make each room ready for the pending project and give you time to plan how to deal with it while the work is underway.
Cleanup Duties
You should not expect an interior house painting crew to restore all of your personal belongings to their original location after painting a room. Instead, you should ask the contractor who will handle the cleanup duties, including removing tape and paper from the windows, trim, and walls after the paint has been applied. Most likely, the painting crew will remove such items, but you might find yourself surprised by a crew that does not. Ensuring you know what will be done can help to prevent unpleasant surprises.
You can learn more about interior house painting, schedule an appointment, and get a free estimate when you call or visit us at The Magic Painting Company. We look forward to hearing from you and learning more about how we can assist you in making your home feel beautiful again! Call us today.
