You’d be forgiven for thinking that taking on an interior painting job that’s more than you can handle would be the biggest home decorating mistake you can make. In reality, it’s nothing of the sort – hiring a substandard contractor is far worse.

Unfortunately, most of those who end up working with bum contractors don’t realize they’ve made a mistake until it’s too late. The job’s well and truly underway, at which point you put the pieces together and figure you’ve hired badly…VERY badly.

Hindsight is always 20:20, so these tips might hold little comfort for those who’ve already made the wrong choice. But for anyone considering hiring an interior painting contractor in the near future, here are five basic checks to carry out, to ensure they’re the right people for the job:

Question 1. Do I Need To Do Anything Before You Arrive?

First of all, it’s always better to hire a contractor that’s willing and capable of doing whatever’s necessary. If it’s convenient and within your capabilities, they may ask that you remove pictures etc. from your walls, remove as many fragile items as possible from the room and ensure they’ve easy access to your home. However, it shouldn’t be a ‘requirement’ that you do anything specific before they arrive. Some clients have neither the time nor the ability to perform these initial tasks, which can and should be handled on your behalf if need be.

Question 2. What Sort of Prep Work Can You Do?

This is always worth asking, as prep is by far the most important part of the job. For some, prepping means doing little more than slapping on a coat of basic primer and waiting for it to dry. For others, the preparation process involves taking the quality, condition and consistency of the surfaces to be painted. Holes are filled, issues with rot are addressed and minor repairs are carried out on your behalf. Or to put it another way, rather than simply ‘painting over’ problems, a good contractor will identify and address them before going ahead.

Question 3. How Many People Will You Use to Complete This Project?

Finding out how many people will be working on your project is useful for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s always good to know exactly how many people you can expect to turn up at your house when the project begins. If you’d expected no more than two painters only for nine to turn up on your doorstep, it could make it tricky to accommodate them. Likewise, the number of painters brought in to tackle the job will impact how long it takes to complete the work. While questioning how many people will be used for the project, it’s also worth asking whether they are subcontractors or permanent employees of the painting company.

Question 4. What Time Will You Start and Finish Each Day?

This is technically a trick question, as a good painting contractor will be every bit as flexible as you need them to be. Within reason, of course. In any case, you need to establish ahead of time the working hours the painting company operates within. Some are happy to work any hours preferred from 6am to 10pm, while other limit themselves to say 10am to 5pm. Don’t simply assume that their working times will be suitable for your schedule and requirements – ask and make sure.

Question 5. Do You Offer Any Warranties or Guarantees?

When you think about it, there’s only one reason why a painting contractor would choose not to offer a warranty or guarantee. That being, they’re not confident enough in their work to do so. Slowly but surely, warranties and guarantees are becoming a standard part of the service package among all decent contractors. Some cover their work for six months, others a year or two. Across the board, any type of warranty is better the no warranty whatsoever. That said, the longer the guarantee, the clearer the demonstration of confidence in the contractor’s capabilities.

At Homm CPS, we work hard to provide high-quality, cost-effective interior painting and decorating services to suit all budgets. Backed by a market-leading warranty and our unrivalled industry experience, we guarantee unbeatable results at a price you can afford.

For more information or to discuss your requirements in more detail, contact a member of the team at Homm CPS anytime.