It’s spring (or at least it is while i’m writing this) and you are thinking about getting your house painted. The first question that probably comes to mind is how much is painting my house going to cost?
There are a bunch of factors in choosing a contractor but today I just want to talk about the question you need to be asking. “Is the paint included in this price?”. Asking this can help you budget more effectively and avoid any unexpected expenses. We’ll explore how painters usually handle paint costs in their estimates and offer tips on what to ask before hiring a professional.
How Painters Quote Their Services
- So a professional residential painter will typically quote your project based on factors like square footage and linear footage. They will decide how long each element will take (labor) and how much material it will take (paint)
- They will then take the cost of both the time to install and the amount of material needed to come up with the price for your project. Seems simple right? Not always
Is Paint Usually Included in the Quote?
- So most professional painters do include the cost of paint in their estimates: Professional companies typically have accounts at local paint stores. Most professional painters also get a discount on paint from the larger paint brands like Benjamin Moore and Sherwin WIlliams.
- The potential red flag could be when your painting contractor asks you to supply the paint or does not define if the paint is included in the estimate. This opens the door for “hidden fees” and can create a bad situation and leave you spending way more than you originally budgeted.
Benefits of Having Paint Included
- Convenience: All you have to do is let your trusted painter do their thing and use a paint they are accustomed to working with..
- Quality Assurance: When you have a painter you trust they are going to be a wealth of knowledge when it comes to making sure the right paint is being used. When your painter is the one choosing the products and picking up the products he is solely responsible for the outcome of the performance of their work. (Unless it’s a manufacturer issue) Which does happen unfortunately.
What to Ask Your Painter Before Hiring
- Is the cost of all materials included in the price you are showing me?
- What Brand and also what model of paint is included in this price?
- How much more would it be to upgrade my paint?
Conclusion:
This simple but extremely important question can have a large impact on the flow of your project. Remember it’s OK to ask questions when getting an estimate. Never feel like you are going to offend a contractor by asking these very important questions. Our job as contractor’s at this stage is to make sure we are both inline with your goals. We want to make sure everyone is getting what is promised and what is agreed on.
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Bart Caldwell is a entrepreneur and business owner. With his ambition, tenacity, and dedication to hard work, he has built Caldwell Painting that is respected throughout the industry for their high-quality services and innovative solutions. Bart’s passion for excellence in all service areas has seen him build a solid reputation as a reliable problem solver and leader. His reputation of professionalism, integrity and quality has made him one of the industry’s most sought-after business owners.