Questions to Ask a Painting Contractor

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1 The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten ~ B. Franklin This document is designed to save you: MONEY & TIME & FRUSTRATION by avoiding a bad contracting experience. The fact is Abilene is full of handymen painters who are often inexperienced, unlicensed and unqualified people who masquerade as professional painters. Many homeowners are so focused on COST that they forget to look for the VALUE. This document is about putting the power back into YOUR hands! Here are ten deadly questions that will help you quickly separate the professional from the ones you want to stay away from. Feared Question #1 Do you have insurance? Painting contractors should possess two types of insurance: Comprehensive Business Liability, which protects your property from damage by the contractor. A million dollar limit in liability coverage is probably the minimum any painting contractor should be carrying. Workmen s Compensation, which protects the workers and you (from liability), while they are working on your property. Workmen s compensation is very costly; so many painting contractors will try to work without it. As a consumer, you should never consider working with a contractor that does not have these insurances in place. If you re not sure about the validity of a contractor s insurance, call the insurance carrier and confirm it is a current, active policy. You have a right to confirm a contractor s insurance before you hire them. Contractors without insurance may pull the following tricks: Just tell you that they are insured, hoping you won t pursue it further. Try to pass off their auto or health insurance as being insured. Changing the dates on an expired policy Diamondback Painting is fully insured with a $1,000,000 policy.

2 Feared Question #2 Should I be concerned with your crew in my home or on my property? This feared question gets to the heart of who will be performing work in your home and whether your home and belongings will be safe. Sadly, there have been numerous documented cases around the country where employees of a hired contractor have burglarized, injured, or even killed the homeowner. What s worse, in most cases it was later found that the bad employee had a criminal background that was unknown to the employer. In learning about who will be performing the work in your home, you should ask additional questions about their hiring policy and whether they conduct criminal background checks. Contractors can tell you they have worked with everyone on their crew for the last 42 years, but how do you really know? Dig deeper to see if they can provide information to back up their claims: Ask for the name of the company that provides the background check services. Ask to see examples of the reports they provide. If they can t provide answers (or the answers sound suspicious), it s best to avoid that contractor. Diamondback Painting s hiring policy involves a comprehensive screening process that includes a background check, a driving record review and reference checks. We periodically review our employees background checks and all employees have signed consents for drug & alcohol testing. Our goal is to always hire the best professionals to represent our company and to create a positive working environment.

3 Feared Question #3 Are the workers on my project employees or subcontractors? Many painting contractors will use subcontractors instead of hiring employees because it will lower their costs. Subcontractors are typically paid a flat fee, and the contractor also does not have to pay for social security taxes and employee benefits. However, you put yourself at risk when you hire a contractor who uses subcontractors: The contractor may be tempted to find subcontractors offering the lowest possible fee so they can make more money on the job. This can translate into low quality of work. Since the subcontractor gets a fixed fee and is not paid hourly, they may be tempted to cut corners to get the job done quicker. If the contractor uses subcontractors and not employees, it increases the probability that they do not have workmen s compensation insurance. The contractor may not know the people on the crew, which makes it likely that background checks have not been performed. All of these scenarios can impact the quality of work you get as well as the safety of your home and belongings. For this reason, it is better to hire a contractor whose workers are true employees. The big trick is calling subcontracted guys employees and hoping homeowners will never find out the difference. To protect yourself you can ask further questions such as: Can I see a sample of an employee s check stub? Who does payroll for your business? Diamondback Painting employs all of our painting professionals as full-time staff. Many of our painters have been painting for over 5+ years with our company. We continuously train our staff to be up-to-date on the latest techniques and paint products in order to produce the highest quality of work. We have classroom and field training for our employees and standards for each scope of work for them to adhere to. Our quality assurance is top-notch because of our employees and their knowledge.

4 Feared Question #4 What kind of materials do you use? The quality of materials used on your project will impact how it looks and how long it lasts. There is a huge difference in quality among coatings like paints and stains. There are also many specialized coatings that should be used for specific applications. Differences in the costs of a $9 gallon of paint versus a $50 gallon of paint represent real differences in the ingredients, with higher-priced paint having more expensive ingredients that look better and last longer, such as resins, binders and even titanium. In addition to coatings, the quality of other materials matters too. For example, the quality of caulk your contractor uses impacts its lifespan. The bottom line is that you should ask for details about the products that will be used on your project while also making sure that the contractor understands what they are using and why. The biggest trick is not to specify the types of material to be used on your job and use the cheapest materials available. This saves the contractor money while impacting the quality and lifespan of your paint project. Ask about the materials that will be used and make sure they are specified in writing. Diamondback Painting specifies the exact products to be used on each job we bid. While each job is unique and may require specific products to achieve the longest life at the best value or maximum durability, we do have set standards. Kelly-Moore and Sherwin-Williams are our main suppliers who provide us with their Premium Paint Products. All of our exterior projects are backed by a Lifetime Warranty from the supplier. We will also use Benjamin-Moore and Behr Marquee paint products upon request.

5 Feared Question #5 As the estimator, are you going to be personally involved in my job? If not, how will my project be managed? Project Management encompasses the planning, execution and follow-up of the service you have purchased. It is important because it will help your project run smoothly and ensure that you get the results you are looking for. Good project management includes: A professional proposal that is detailed with specifications that list the services you have agreed to have performed and can guide the crew during their work. A specific system for executing each phase of the project (such as set up, preparation, surface protection, paint application, clean up, etc.) All changes to the project (additions or deletions) communicated in writing and signed by both parties. An end-of-project walk-through where the project manager walks the job with the client to assure satisfaction. Project management is important for contracted painting jobs because it helps with communication and lowers the chance of complaints. This is an area where there are fewer tricks and more poor business practices. If the bid is low, you can be assured the painter s pay is low; they have no benefits and not much incentive to do a great job. How can a project be professionally managed when there are no professionals working on the project? Diamondback Painting employs a full-time estimator to focus on getting estimates to customers as quickly and accurately as possible. The estimator creates the Scope of Work and budgets the work in coordination with Crew Leaders. Crew Leaders are assigned to each job to oversee the project, which includes meeting with customers, reviewing the Scope of Work and communicating and organizing the painters to meet Diamondback Painting s high level of customer service and product quality. We also utilize Customer Report Card s to obtain feedback from our customers.

6 Feared Question #6 What kind of training do your employees receive? How often? This is another reason why you should always hire contractors who have employees and not those who use subcontractors. If the company you hire uses only subs to paint, they have no control over the training those subs receive. However, even if you choose a contractor with employees, this does not guarantee that those employees receive training. The sad fact is that training just isn t in the budget for most contractors. However, training is very important in the painting industry: It reduces mistakes. It helps to assure a consistent, high-quality product. It allows projects to be completed in a timely manner. If a company has a formal training program, it s a safe bet that they have their act together. They can do training in-house through regular meetings of their employees. They can have field training systems in place, usually coordinated with classroom training sessions. They can also use trade associations, such as PDCA (Painting and Decorating Contractors of America) or paint manufacturer s representatives to stay up to date with the latest materials and techniques. Before hiring, find out if the company trains its employees. However, a contractor could say yes, and you d never know the difference. They may also say we train in the field does that mean that the painters will be learning and making mistakes on your job? To be sure you have a clear picture of training, probe to get more information. Some questions you may ask include: May I see a written job description for your employees? ( does it outline what skills they need to have at certain stages of their career?) How do you conduct training? How often do you conduct training? Diamondback Painting conducts 16 hours of classroom training and 80 hours of field training for all new employees. Employees are routinely trained on new products and techniques as they become available. Every employee has a job description for their level of expertise as well as a Pyramid of Performance ranking to chart their progress with the company. Our goal is to have the best employees in the industry!

7 Feared Question #7 I m concerned about safety; do you have a written safety program or any on-going safety training for your workers? In addition to training on painting techniques and materials, it is important that the company you hire provides safety training for its employees. This is important even if the contractor has the proper insurance because: Accidents on the job are highly disruptive, causing delays or even complete halts of the work. With or without an accident, unsafe work practices can cause damage to your property. The best scenario is to avoid mishaps in the first place, and the best chance for that to happen is if the contractor takes safety seriously. This can include a written safety policy manual, regular safety training, and an overall culture of safe work practices. The best way to avoid getting tricked here is to have the contractor show and tell. Ask to see their safety policy manual. Don t accept answers like, it s at the printers, or my sister-in-law is retyping it as we speak. Ask about the contactor s safety training, including how often, where, who attends, and the like. Diamondback Painting incorporates safety training during our Orientation of all new employees. Crew Leaders are trained to identify potential risks and areas of concern when completing each project. All employees comply with ongoing safety training as new techniques and methods arise. All employees are supplied with safety equipment, including respiratory devices, gloves and stable, functioning ladders. Additional equipment is used as needed, to include lifts, scaffolding and repelling harnesses.

8 Feared Question #8 Is your company a member of the Better Business Bureau, a local chamber of commerce or any trade associations? Membership to organizations like the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the local chamber of commerce and trade associations demonstrate that the company is stable, and the contractor is committed to his or her trade. BBB membership requires a small yearly fee, and it demonstrates that the contractor is confident in the company s service record and doesn t mind if potential customers want to check them out. Membership at the local chamber of commerce or other community organizations demonstrates stability and that the company cares about the community. Membership in trade association shows a commitment to delivering the highest quality in painting services. Such associations often provide education, training, technical consulting, and a written code of ethics. Professional painters are well-established and committed to their trade and to their communities. Membership in professional organization is just another way to pick them out from those companies that aren t as qualified. The obvious trick here is for unaffiliated contractors to use the BBB, PDCA, Chamber or other organizations logos without being a member. The BBB continuously goes after unscrupulous companies that attempt to trick customers into thinking they are members. Nearly every organization has a web page these days; if you suspect something, do a little searching to find out the truth. Diamondback Painting is a member of the following professional organizations: BBB Big Country Home Builders Association Abilene Association of Realtors Big Country Apartment Association Diamondback Painting frequently participates in National Paint Week where we give back to the community by donating our labor to paint community facilities in and around Abilene.

9 Feared Question #9 Are references included with your proposal? How do you put together your reference list? A professional company that is proud of its service record will provide you with references, either by request or even without being asked. Some companies will give you references with your proposal, and others will even give you references before that. When you get a reference list, there are some additional questions you will want to ask: How does the company compile references? How do you determine who gets on the list? Did the company get permission to use the names on the reference list? How old or new are the names on this list? Ideally, you want a variety of older and newer projects, and you especially want to check on a very recent project, such as something completed last month. When you do get the references list, don t take the information for granted. Take a few minutes to check these references. Ask these homeowners about the experience while services were provided and also how well the job has held up over time. Painters with bad reputations can avoid the problem of reference checks by giving their customers lists of relatives and friends. The people will say great things, and the customer won t be the wiser. The best way to avoid this smoke and mirror trick is to ask specific questions about the project. If the reference seems hesitant, doesn t know the details, or gives sketchy responses, be skeptical. Diamondback Painting does not currently include references on our proposals for residential jobs. Our references can typically be found online through social media sites such as Facebook, Houzz, Yelp and Google. We do supply references to home builders and general contractors due to the size of scope of those projects. Customers are able to specify on the Customer Report Card if they would be willing to be listed as a reference. We do also publish the address of exterior projects recently completed so that potential customers are able to conduct drive-by inspections of the high quality of our finished projects.

10 Feared Question #10 How long is your warranty, what does it cover, and how is it funded? If you hire a contractor for a painting job, you ll want some assurances in the form of guarantees or warranties. Knowing the importance of warranties, some companies even give unrealistically long warranties such as 10 years, 20 years or even lifetime warranties. The sad fact is that most of these companies will be out of business long before their warranties expire. So what is a realistic warranty that you can trust? Here s what you should look for in a great warranty: 1-year warranties are common and okay, provided that the work is well done. Most paint failures will show signs within the first year anyway. 2-3 year warranties are also common. Anything above that and you should look closely at the fine print. A decent warranty by the contractor will provide both labor and material for a covered defect. Paint manufacturers may provide longer warranties on their products, but these only cover replacement of the material. Most warranties will have exclusions, so it is important to find out exactly what the contractor s warranty does and doesn t cover. Warranties should always be in writing and available for your review. The question, how is your warranty program funded? will probably get you some puzzled responses. The fact is, most contractors have never even considered how to pay the expenses associated with warranty callbacks, and some contractors just seem to vanish when they get a warranty call. A professional contractor budgets in preparing for callbacks. Ask the question and see what kind of response you get. Sometimes, how the question is answered is more important than the answer itself! The biggest trick of sneaky contractors is to provide an unrealistically long warranty or may avoid warranties by not giving you a written copy of the warranty conditions or just adding a line or two in a contractor s proposal. Make sure to always get your full warranty in writing. Diamondback Painting provides a 2 Year Craftsmanship Warranty in detail with each proposal. Additional warranties are extended on exterior painting projects and will be listed on the Scope of Work. A warranty certificate is provided in each closing packet. Diamondback maintains a Warranty Fund in a Certificate of Deposit with a local financial institution. Our company has been in business since 2008.