Subscribe to contentTips for Finding a Good Local Painter and Decorator
Are you looking for a good painter and decorator for your home project? Are you concerned about quality and price? Do you want a decorator who shares your vision? Contractors of all trades are constantly competing for business, which means the good ones will go out of their way to make sure the customer is happy. The following hints will help you find the quality painter and decorator you're looking for.
Check Service Review Websites
There are a number of websites, like MyBuilder.com and TouchLocal.com, where consumers can find listings and customer reviews of painters and decorators. While fraudulent reviews can be submitted either positively or negatively, these web sites are a good starting place to establish a long list of early candidates.
Check Trade Associations
The Painting and Decorating Association just one trade association which verifies and registers members. Their strict requirements include five years of industry experience, verifiable references, clear quote structures, and full liability insurance. The association conducts random checks of members' work, and investigates and resolves any complaints made against a member. Trade associations are one of the best ways to find a qualified painter and decorator.
Know Your Requirements
Individual painters and decorators have a variety of skills. What each one can do, and any special skills they may have are more important here than any of the other construction fields, due to the fact that their finished work is what everyone sees. You may run across a painter who is excellent at standard painting a wallpapering, but without skill in the stencilling work you want done. Be sure you know exactly what you want. Then be sure your painter and decorator can produce quality results.
Ask for References
Asking for references is standard when looking for any tradesman. But again, due to the nature of decorating work it's important to verify the skills a contractor claims to have. If you require a complicated wallpaper and border installation, you'll want to see something similar a contractor has already done. Ask for references who can verify the decorator's work.
Conduct a More Personal Interview
How a home is decorated should express the personality of the one who lives there. Because painting and decorating is more art than technical work, take some time to interview three or four contractors personally. Explain your personality, tastes, decorating preferences, and vision for the space. If you can find a painter and decorator with whom you can mesh, you'll have the greatest chance of getting the results you're looking for.
Request Written Quotes
When you've narrowed your search down to a handful of contractors, request written quotes from each. Quotes should be as detailed as possible, including materials and supplies. Due to the artistic nature of the work, needed materials are often difficult to accurately estimate. You'll want to know up front what your painter is planning for. You'll also want to settle ahead of time what will be done in the case of shortage or excess of materials.