You can buy a couch for $ 15,000.00. You can also furnish a three bedroom house for the same price. What’s the difference? The materials used and who made the furniture. The same is true with a paint job. The type of firm you hire (large with high overhead, or a small painting company like Greg Mrakich Painting where the owner is the salesperson, color consultant and the primary or the only painter doing the work) and what materials they are using will affect the price.
If you have never hired a particular painting contractor or firm, ask for customer references and follow-up on them. Even if you’ve found the painter through a service such as Angie’s List, don’t be afraid to ask if they would hire the painting contractor again. It is also reasonable to ask if the final bill matched the estimate and if not, why? There are times that I have charged less than the estimate which is always a pleasant surprise for my customers. For instance, when quoting a job that includes wallpaper removal, I won’t know until I get started how easy or difficult the wallpaper removal will be, especially if it was hung directly on a surface that was never prepped (primed and finish coat). My final bill will reflect the degree of ease or difficulty. That being said, I would never charge a customer more than my estimate without first talking it over with my client.
Paint manufacturers sell different quality levels of paint – from the low-end contractor grade to the high-end, top of the line quality paint. If you are getting multiple estimates, be sure to ask what grade of paint and manufacturer the painter has priced. You want to be sure you are comparing apples to apples.
When you choose a painter, you are trusting someone with what is probably you biggest investment. If it is interior work, you are more than likely trusting them to be in your home when you are not there. If it is exterior work, you are counting on them to provide a finish that will not only make your house look great, but also protect it over time.
A good painter will never try to cut corners with the prep work. He (or she) will also not try to eek out a few more dollars for himself by using a lessor grade of paint. When he says he is going to apply two coats, he really is going to apply two coats – even if you are not there to watch him do it.
All these factors go into the price of the job. I would rather give a prospective customer a realistic estimate that reflects a quality job, using the best materials, than do a low ball estimate using lower quality materials and taking shortcuts to get the work.
For more information about Greg Mrakich and Greg Mrakich Painting, click here. Or, if you live in the metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact me, click here.
Tags: Greg Mrakich Interior Painting Tips, indianapolis area painting companies, Indianapolis area painting contractors, painting estimates
