Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Hiring a House Painting Contractor


 

For most people the greatest investment in their lives is their home, so it makes sense to hire a house painting contractor when the time comes for a fresh coat.
While it is tempting to look for the individual who promises that they can do it for hundreds or sometimes even thousands of dollars less than a company can, it is important to weigh the risks against the potential savings that they are promising.

The first thing to remember is that a private individual usually isn’t licensed or bonded. This means it is easy for them to offer an estimate that will be far lower than that of the house painting contractor.
Individuals often do not pay into other things like unemployment compensation either. All of these things are reasons why they may be able to offer such an attractive price. However, opting to save money this way now can cost a lot of money later on down the road.

Because of the sudden explosion of homes being built, these individuals have literally come out of the woodwork. They are everywhere, such as in the yellow pages of the phone book, online and even producing flyers on local bulletin and community boards.

These are often people who have done this type of work previously, but they often do not have the skills required to handle the job from start to finish in the most effective and professional manner.

The fact that they are in direct competition with the house painting contractor that has given their estimate as well makes it even riskier. It is important for the homeowner to choose the company that will have their best interests in mind.

Another disadvantage with this type of individual versus a company that is licensed and bonded is that they will need a large sum of money up front. This will be needed to buy supplies and rent the necessary equipment.

This would not be an issue with a reputable house painting contractor. They will own their own equipment and have standing accounts with all of the local supply shops to get everything that they need prior to starting the project.

If opting to hire an individual versus a company, they may not show up on time or they may take a lot longer than they originally promised or estimated to finish the job. Often times attempts made to call individuals in this type of work are left unanswered.

This leaves the home owner with a job that is half completed and no idea of when the rest will be done. This will not be an issue with a professional house painting contractor.
They will have a crew who will likely be able to get the job done in a fraction of the time that the individual can, and they will be there because they are staking their reputation on a job well done.

The individual has nothing to lose, and if a resident has to end up taking them to court to get back the money, this could take months or in some cases even longer to settle a dispute. Meanwhile, the home is still not finished.

If this sounds like it is far-fetched, please know that it happens every day in this country. It only makes sense to hire a renovation company that is licensed, bonded and insured for the peace of mind, which in and of itself is priceless.