What to Know Before Hiring a Professional Painter

The colour of the walls in your home says a lot about your personality and taste. You want to create an atmosphere that will help you feel relaxed and at peace, but painting on your own can be a time-consuming task. You might want to consider hiring professional painting services instead. Here are a few things to keep in mind before you make this important decision.

Should You DIY or Hire a Professional?

At the end of the day, deciding whether you want to paint your home on your own or hire a professional comes down to your personal needs, lifestyle and routine. Here are some key factors that will come into play:

Time

If you’re a working family with kids to raise while juggling social gatherings and extracurricular activities, then time might not be on your side. The DIY approach may not be the best option for you.

From purchasing the supplies, picking out and buying colours, prepping the room and priming, there’s a lot that needs to be done. Painting on your own requires much more of your time as opposed to hiring a professional painter.

Safety

Getting up on a ladder to reach the highest corners, ceiling, and points of a wall can be a safety hazard.

Not to mention leaning out of windows or hopping onto roofs for outdoor purposes. When you hire a professional painter, many of these risks are eliminated.

Quality

Not all of us are born artists, and that’s okay. When you hire an experienced painter, you can expect incredible results because they have the proper training and years of experience under their belt. 

How to Prepare for Professional Painting

Just like you’d prepare your home if you were painting, you must do the same with professional house painting. Make sure that you:

  • Move the furniture away from the walls or into an entirely different room
  • Cover your furniture if necessary to protect it from stray paint
  • Remove artwork and frames from the walls
  • Unscrew outlet covers from the wall
  • Set aside a preparation and staging area for the painters where they can set up their supplies
  • Clean your walls
  • Keep your pets out of the area that’s being painted

Where to Look for Painters

There are three main ways to find reputable painting services to use: referrals from family and friends, online research and website reviews.

When you get a recommendation from family or friends, you know you can trust their opinion. 

When doing online research for painters or painting companies, make sure to read their ‘About Us’ section so you can get a good understanding of their experience, talent and mission. 

Yelp and Google reviews are also great starting points. If the company you’re looking at has a very low rating or they have multiple negative reviews, that’s a sign to look for a better option.

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What to Expect

While hiring a painter is a process in itself, there are some things to take note of after the hiring is done too:

Make sure your painter arrives on time. You want someone who is punctual, and professional and takes their job seriously, or else they won’t take you or your home seriously.

Ensure that the painter surveys your home before giving you a quote and starting the project. Look elsewhere if this is not done. They should record measurements, take photos and ask you questions.

The painter should ask you what colour scheme you prefer or if you want any special finishes or textures. 

Check to see if your painting service has the proper licensing.

Types of Painters

There are various types of painters to choose from, and it will depend on your personality and needs. There are smaller, family-owned businesses with one to five people.

Or you can choose a smaller commercial company. Another option is looking for a company that specializes in decorative painting.

Estimate and Pricing

When it comes to pricing, it’s important to understand the indirect and direct costs.

Indirect costs:

  • Equipment payment
  • Utilities
  • Contractor rent
  • Salary for staff

Direct costs:

  • Paint
  • Labor
  • Gas

Contact Us

Painting your house is a major milestone, and you want to ensure that it looks perfect. At Prestige Painting and Contracting, we want you to love your home with its newly painted walls. Our services also include exterior painting and wallpaper installation. We are proud to be an award-winning company that has served the GTA for many years. Get a free quote today, and let’s freshen up your home.