The house painting business is a highly competitive market to be in and there are multiple types of painting contractors. While searching to hire a painter you will most likely encounter your local solo painter, small/medium-sized painting businesses (Like us), and large commercial painting companies. Each of these types of painting contractors will have slightly different pros and cons. Unfortunately, in a heavy market like house painting, you will definitely have your fair share of scammers.
Since we are an established successful Massachusetts based painting company, we wanted to create this blog to help homeowners not get scammed by other painting contractors.
1. Ask To See Reviews and Testimonials
Any good painting business will have a list of testimonials, reviews, and photo galleries to show to potential customers. Take us for example, you can find our online reviews and testimonials by searching “Zuck Painting” on Google. We also have a picture gallery on our website, Facebook, and Instagram page.
You can really get a good idea of how trustworthy a painting contractor/business is by looking at what their past customers had to say about them. Use the internet to your advantage so you know exactly who you will be working with and what kind of quality to expect.
2. Proof Read & Sign An Official Contract
Any well-established painting company will have a contract or agreement that the homeowner will sign so that both parties understand the details of the paint job. NEVER verbally agree and pay for a paint job without written documentation. The painting contract should clearly lay out everything that is going to be done to the house as well as the price for each of those items.
Most of the time the homeowner will get a copy of the contract and the painter will keep a copy as well so that there are no discrepancies about the price. We make sure that the customer is informed about everything that they are being quoted on and exactly how much it will cost. To schedule, your FREE estimate with a trustworthy painting company visit our Contact Us page or call us at (508) 250-7272
3. If The Price Sounds Too Good To Be True, It Probably Is…
As a homeowner, of course, you are looking to get your house painted for the lowest price possible. However, there are a few things to consider before you say yes to the lowest bid. For example, you might want to ask them if they are insured. God forbid an accident happened on the job on your property, the chance of the responsibility landing in the hands of the homeowner is slim however, there are a fair share of horror stories out there that will make you want to be a little more cautious about who you hire for the job.
We don’t advertise ourselves as bidding the lowest price. To keep our business honest, genuine, and safe for our employees as well as the homeowners we work with, our prices will come in somewhere in the middle ground. Right in between your local solo painter and a commercial painting company.
4. Never Pay In Full Upfront
If you just completed an estimate and a painting contractor asks for you to pay in full upfront, that’s a red flag and you should avoid that contractor at all costs. There are no official laws, rules, or guidelines for this, however, most official painting companies (Including Us) will only ask for a small downpayment of around 10% – 20% of the full price for materials to get started on the job. The rest of the 80% – 90% of payment is only expected once you, the homeowner, are 100% satisfied with the job that was completed.
5. Ask Lots Of Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions and communicate with your painting contractor. Let them know exactly what you want to be done to your home and ask about anything you don’t know about.
Our estimator is there to help you as much as possible and it makes it easier for the estimator to come up with a price knowing exactly what parts of the house you want to be painted and how.
We hoped this blog helps out all of you homeowners that made it to the end. Please keep your eye out for scammers because they are certainly out there. They saturate the market and create a bad reputation for legitimate painting businesses like us.
If you are in the Massachusetts and Rhode Island area looking for a trustworthy painting company well you are in luck just call Zuck! Our phone number is (508) 250-7272 or visit our Contact Us page to schedule a FREE ESTIMATE.