Hiring a painter for your home can be a challenge.  You try to get estimates but it can be a difficult comparing the estimates because paints may be different, expertise level is almost always different and you have to worry about whether your company is qualified.  Here are some questions I've found should help you hire the right company for you.

  1. Are you insured?  I believe this is the most important question you can ask any painter.  It is imperative if you are planning on painting the exterior of your home, but even if you are looking at decorative or faux painting on the inside of your home.  If anything goes wrong and the company you hired isn't insured then the damages will probably be covered by your Homeowner's insurance.  You definitely don't want that because it could spell the end for your coverage depending upon the claim.  Depending upon the location you might also ask if the contractor is licensed.  Although some locations don't require a license for painters.
  2. How many years have you been in business?  I never want to be the guinea pig that hires the company that is new.  I like hiring an experienced painting contractor that has been around the block more than once and has a history of completing high quality jobs.  This is also a good time to ask for references.  If they refuse or don't have any I get a little uncomfortable.  I also take the time to look online at reviews that have been left.  Look at the worst reviews as well as the best.  I also like to check whether they are apart of painting industry oranizations like the PDCA  or for more commercial type work the SPCO
  3. Are you planning on sub-contracting out the job?  I'm hiring the company to do the job not sub it out to someone else.  I need to know the guys that I hire plan on owning the work that gets done.  I always feel better if the people that I contract with are the ones that actually complete the project.  On some occasions subbing parts of a job are understandable, but I like to be informed prior to signing the contract.  It also puts the painter on notice that you will be paying attention.     
  4. What is the time estimate on completing the job?  Some painting contractors habitually book tons of jobs and then take months upon months to finish them.  I'm not unreasonable about the time frame, but in the end you aren't giving the contractor an open ended time frame to complete the project.  You need to have a fairly decent idea of the timing of the project. 
  5. Do you warranty your product and your service?  I don't want to hire the cut and run guy.  These are usually moonlighters who aren't actually a contractor but they are moonlighting on the side.  I will spend a few more bucks to find someone who stands behind the work that they do.  I also want to confirm there is a warranty on the paint that is being used. 
  6. What Kind of Paint do you use?  I'm not a painter so I can't tell you all the different options that are available, but whatever the project I want to know if it makes sense to use a certain type of paint.  Are they using an off brand paint or are they using Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore.  The type of paint used can also make a huge difference in the cost of a job.  Higher quality paints are more expensive the longevity of the paint might make it a better value in the long run. 

These are the main questions you should consider when hiring a painter.  I have hired a few in my time and I've found these questions very helpful in making the final decision.  If you live near Boulder County Colorado and are looking for reputable painters you should consider Blue Parrot Painting.  They warranty their work as well as the paint that they use not and the owner Tim Zaerr is the supervisor on every job.  He is a classically trained painter that provides very high quality work.