Painting your house. It’s a job that must be done right inside and out. So, you decide to hire someone. The next step is to rule out the buddy who says he’ll do it cheaply. This job needs residential painters who are professional in every sense of the word and who have experience in Vancouver’s climate and business practices.
Good reviews alone aren’t enough. Any company can make those up. And it takes more than merely saying they’re committed to quality, service, and customer satisfaction. That’s just standard talk.
So, how do you choose your painter wisely, and what should you expect from real pros?
The Painting Company Must Always Be ‘Above Average
Sadly, it’s easy to find bad painters and paintwork. Despite companies boasting dazzling reviews all over the internet, subpar work is common in the painting industry. Many homeowners are rightly concerned about unprofessional service, shoddy work, spills, drips, and call-backs for work that wasn’t done right the first time.
You want a company where the people are professional, courteous, flexible and who, most importantly, will LISTEN to you and help you get what you want. You need painters who respect you, your wishes, your property, your timetable, and your sanity. They must be impeccable with how they clean up, treat the Lower Mainland’s delicate and unique ecosystems, and work with Vancouver’s weather to do a good job the first time. The best painters are experienced in all situations and the local conditions, so they know how to overcome any problem.
But how do you find such painters for your residence?
Always Check with the Better Business Bureau
Before you check the testimonials and photographic portfolio, one inquiry to the Better Business Bureau could tell you much more and save you some time.
A+ is the highest-level rating the BBB can give. You shouldn’t accept anything less. Ever.
The BBB will explain why a company has received its rating. Ratings are affected by how long a business has been operating, if it complies with laws, how many complaints the BBB receives if the company doesn’t provide adequate information when the BBB asks for it, and if the company succeeds or fails at meeting necessary competency standards.
Portfolio, Testimonials and Reviews
It stands to reason that if a company is proud of its work, it will point you to examples. Up-to-date examples, not ones that are 15 years old.
You also want to read testimonials and even talk to some of the people who provided them, if you can, to be sure they are real and not made up to impress customers.
When it comes to reviews of Vancouver painters, plenty say the people were nice and friendly. These reviews are well and good, but they don’t tell you anything specific. Look for reviews that mention painters who do a proper clean-up, who don’t leave drips, who apply coats efficiently yet thoroughly, who keep their promises, who don’t dump their equipment on your lawn while they work, who treat your house and possessions as if they were their own, and so on.
Estimates and Payment Options
Simple. (1) Your estimate/contract should leave nothing to chance, so feel free to compare it with a competitor’s contract wording. Knowledge is power. (2) You shouldn’t have to pay the painter one red cent until you are satisfied.
This may mean you must learn a few terms about things like facing off, wrapping around trims, etc. Being prepared is good. The right painter will walk you around your residence, highlighting every feature and explaining precisely what will happen. No surprises.
Painting In and Around Vancouver’s Rain
An experienced residential painter knows how to work in and around Vancouver’s rain without dragging a job out for weeks. A cheap and shoddy painter will use our regular rain as an excuse.
Follow all these steps, and you will be well on your way to having your home painting project be smooth, straightforward, and successful.