If you’ve made the decision to hire a professional painter, first of all…congratulations! Having the experts take care of things on your behalf really can prove to be an absolute godsend. Especially if you don’t have a great deal of experience, or lack the time/inclination to really go to town on the project yourself.

Chances are, you’ll find yourself with certain questions you want or need to ask, before taking on a team of pro painters. Though in most instances, two specific questions have a habit of taking precedence over all others:

When can you start, and how much will it cost?

Obvious and important questions perhaps, but far from the only questions you should be asking. Or for that matter, the most important questions you need to ask before making your final decision.

If you’re planning to involve the professionals, it’s probably safe to say you’d prefer the best possible result. If not, there’d be little point hiring a pro painting team in the first place. But with such an extensive range of service providers to choose from, it sadly isn’t quite as easy as just picking the first painting team that comes along. It’s a subject we’ve touched upon before, but is nonetheless important enough to warrant repeating…repeatedly!

So for those in the process of seeking a professional home painting team for any purpose, here’s a quick rundown of five important yet often-overlooked questions you really should be asking:

#1 Are You Licensed and Insured?

First and foremost, you need to determine whether or not they are in fact licensed and insured to be doing what it is they do. If the answer is yes, that’s a good thing. If the answer is no, head for the hills and don’t look back. Far too many homeowners seem oblivious to the fact that if a team of professional painters doesn’t have the appropriate insurance coverage and credentials, liability lands with them…as in the customer. This means that if anything goes wrong, you’re the one that could end up in trouble. Hence, it’s entirely in your best interests to ensure that any painters you work with are comprehensively licensed and insured. If in any doubt, ask for evidence.

#2 Where Can I Find Reviews and Customer Feedback?

Trust us when we say that the reviews and testimonials listed on painters’ websites aren’t always worth the virtual paper they’re printed on. After all, how likely would it be for any professional painting team to list negative reviews and write-ups on its own website? Of course, the answer is…not very likely at all.  As such, it’s worth checking as many external sources of information as necessary, in order to build a more accurate and complete picture of the service provider you’re looking at. If unsure where to look, feel free to ask – Houzz, Yelp, Angie’s List and even Google typically serving up all the information you’ll ever need.

#3 What Kind of Surface Preparation Do Your Provide?

Some painting teams do little more than apply their coats of paint to various surfaces. Unfortunately, this in no way guarantees a decent result. As we’ve touched upon many times before, surface preparation is just as important as the painting process itself. If not, considerably more important. This is why you need a professional painting team that takes surface preparation seriously. If it isn’t made abundantly clear as to what kind of surface preparation is provided as standard, feel free to ask. In some instances, you may be expected to deal with the more intensive aspects of surface preparation yourself. Working with a high-quality service provider, all bases will be covered by the team you hire.

#4 Which Brands of Paint Do You Use?

Last but not least, the answer to this question probably won’t prove entirely revealing to anyone who isn’t already familiar with quality brands. Nevertheless, you can use the information provided to then research the quality of the paints used. One thing’s for sure – any painting team that tries to convince you all paints are essentially the same is not a team of painters you should be working with. In terms of quality, longevity, durability, value for money and even basic safety, there are massive differences from one paint brand and product to the next. Only ever work with a team that stands by the paint brands they use and can tell you exactly why they use them.

For more information on selecting the very best pro painter for any home project, get in touch with a member of the Homm CPS team today.