How to Find and Hire the Right Painting Contractor

Painting your home can be a huge hassle, especially if your time (and patience) is limited. Luckily, there are professional painting contractors available to do the work for you – and, being professionals, they're trained to do an awesome job. But finding the right painting contractor isn't always easy; you've got so many options, and the process of sifting through them all might seem overwhelming.

Breathe easy. We've got some tips for selecting the perfect painting contractor for your next project.

Request multiple bids.
Once you've found a few painting contractors that seem promising, ask them each for an estimate. Then, make a comparison. If the estimates do not fall more or less within the same price range, you may want to ask questions as to why this is the case. What is being done differently from the competitors? Is the lower price due to greater efficiency or is this company cutting corners? While it's tempting to choose the contractor who offers the most competitive price, be sure to find out how they're able to do so before making a final decision.

Make sure the contractor is licensed.
Verify that you're dealing with a certified professional by asking for confirmation that the contractor is licensed with the State of Michigan. They should have either a Residential Builder's license or a Renovation and Alteration contractor's license. If they lack the proper certification, it's probably safe to assume they are not sufficiently qualified, and you might be better off exploring other options.

Confirm that they carry the proper insurance.
Save yourself from paying some expensive medical bills by verifying that the contractor is appropriately insured. Ask for proof of liability insurance, as well as a certificate of worker's compensation insurance if their team consists of multiple employees. Go a step further by calling the company's insurer to verify that their insurance is active. If any of this insurance is missing or inactive, you will not be legally protected against whatever damages or injuries might occur on your property.  

Ask for references.
Sure, any painting contractor will tell you that they're the best one for the job. But don't take it from them; request references from previous clients. Get their contact  information and speak with them directly about how the job went, how satisfied they were with the results, and whether or not the workers conducted themselves respectfully. If possible, visit the project site and evaluate the work for yourself.

Check out their photo album.
Most contractors will have photos available from other jobs they've completed. Take a look at these photos on their website or on professional review pages and get a feel for their work. This will give you an idea about how well this particular painter matches your preferences.

Look at online reviews.
See what others are saying about the company by visiting sites like Houzz, Angie's List, and HomeAdvisor and taking a look at their customer reviews. How well do they rate overall? What are some of the most prevalent concerns? Does anything stand out as especially bothersome, or are the comments generally positive? As fellow homeowners, these reviewers will typically offer the most realistic assessment of the contractor's work. If one contractor has five stars and the other has two, that's a pretty good clue as to which one you should choose.