Finding Albuquerque Painting Contractor

If you’re like a lot of homeowners you enjoy doing projects around the house but if your home is very large or higher than one story, painting can be a bit daunting especially where heights are involved. This could be one place where having a qualified painter do the job is a better idea than trying to tackle the project yourself. Albuquerque painter will have all the right equipment and can get the job done quickly.

The idea behind painting your home is to make it look better but if the work is shoddy or the paints and primers are of low quality, you won’t achieve the desired results. Anyone can paint but to do the job right takes a certain degree of talent so you don’t want to hire anyone that claims to be a painter until you check them out first. No matter what the size of the project is, you need to feel assured that you’re hiring the best painter for your specific job.

How to Locate Albuquerque Painting Contractor

When you make the decision to hire a Albuquerque painter there are a number of places you can start. Your local paint store or home improvement center is always a good place to check. Contractors, including painters, will use the bulletin boards at these places to leave their contact information. Look on the web for sites that maintain a list of local Albuquerque painters. The certification process that is sometime involved can be take time and money and usually only professionals will make the effort.

Check with people you know to see if they have any past experience with a painter. Possibly they can show you the work that was done and let you know if they were pleased with the job or if they have any complaints. If you feel the Albuquerque painter provided professional work, you can ask for his contact information. Look through the business directory of your phone book. It’s still considered one of the most reliable ways of locating businesses and services.

Meeting with Albuquerque Painting Contractor

It’s probably not in your best interest to grab the first Albuquerque painter that that comes along with a low price. When asking for an estimate take some time to actually conduct interviews to help you find the right painter for the work you want done. Select a few painters to do an onsite inspection of your home. Take this time to discuss their experience within the trade. Inquire if they have worked as a subcontractor on larger jobs. Working as a subcontractor within the industry is a good sign of a painter that provides quality work.

Request proof of current state license and insurance policies from each Albuquerque painter. Albuquerque painter should carry liability insurance that protects the homeowner in the event of damage. You’ll also need to check that they carry workers compensation if they have any employees. If someone gets hurt while on the job, you don’t want to be held responsible for some hefty medical bills. The painter should also be bonded. If for some reason he walks off the job and leaves you with unfinished work, a bond will protect you and help you get the project completed.

Ask for references from each Albuquerque painter and follow up on them, but don’t rely on references alone. References can certainly be helpful but keep in mind that if there are any unhappy customers, you’re not going to get their contact information. Call your local Better Business Bureau to check for any past complaints. If you do find any you need to know what they are and if they were ever taken care of. A complaint or two is not unusual but finding out how they were taken care of is very important.

Once you have a few painters in mind, it’s time to get some estimates. Since every Albuquerque painter handles a job differently, from the brands of paint he prefers to the methods of cleanup he uses bids can get confusing. It’s even possible for the prep work to vary since one painter may take the time to scrape and sand the surface while another may use a power washer. The varying amounts of work can make a big difference in the numbers you see on your bids. You should supply each Albuquerque painter with a list of what you would like included in their bid. This way you are essentially comparing apples to apples and should see some uniformity in all the bids that will make comparing them much easier.

Signing a Contract with Albuquerque Painting Contractor

Once you have the Albuquerque painter you want for your project, you need to put together a contract. A contract should include a detailed outline of the job stating exactly what work is to be done, how it will be done and the paint that will be used along with the cost of materials and labor and an agreed upon payment schedule. The contract should also include the painter’s address, phone number and cell phone as well has his state contractors license and insurance policies copies. You’ll also want a date for completion of the job.

Check with the painter to see if he provides a guarantee if there should be any chipping, peeling or fading within a year or two. Get it in writing that the painter agrees to fix the problem at little or no expense to you. The makers of the paint may provide a warranty but that’s not going to cover the cost of labor to have the paint job done over.

Remember that you want to hire a painter you can trust. He may be working when you’re not around and it’s difficult to keep an eye on what he’s doing. When that final coat of paint is on you won’t be able to tell if the surface was primed or if there were two coats of paint or only one. When you want to hire a qualified Albuquerque painter, you should keep in mind that like any other contractor, he’ll be working in your home and you want to find the best person for the job.