Below are some insider do’s and don’ts to help you get the best deal when hiring a painter.

The Do’s:

1. Hire during the winter

In most cold states work tends to slow down in the winter due to the weather and holidays. A lot of painters work inside and out, so when it’s too cold to paint exteriors they have to do what they can to make up the difference with additional interior work. The holidays are busy and expensive which makes homeowners hesitant to consider home renovations. At the end of the day, a paint contractor needs to keep his crew busy which sometimes means coming down a little on their price.

2. Ask for a bid to be a “last minute filler”

The biggest challenge for paint contractors is managing their work schedule. Occasionally a customer postpones a job leaving a hole in the company’s schedule, that means lost revenue and wages. If you can be ready to start with a day or two notice many painters will offer you a discount.

3. Move your own furniture 

The impact of this tip may vary based on the type and amount of furniture you have in the areas to be painted. If there is a lot of furniture, or it is heavy or fragile, the painter might give you a small discount for moving it ahead of time.

4. Clean surfaces you want painted

 Poor cleaning can cause paint to fail. Painters often use TSP as a cleaner/degreaser, but there are many cleaning products that will sufficiently clean the surfaces for paint such as 409, or even warm soapy water.

5. Try and line up multiple projects at once

There is a lot of time associated with setup and take down of a paint project. If you want to paint one room and then wait to paint another at a later date your price per room will likely be higher than if you had both painted at the same time.

The Don’t’s:

1. Don’t try and save money by using cheap paint

Cheap paints often require more coats, which means you pay more in labor. Cheap paints are also likely to fail sooner, which means you end up painting more often than if you used a better paint. If you want to know if your contractor is using good paint, ask them what product they plan on using and then call the paint store and ask how it compares to the other paints they sell. You may not need the absolute best paint out there, but the store employee should be able to tell you if the paint you are asking about is right for your project.

2. Don’t hire the cheapest contractor without researching their reputation

 There is a small chance that a good painter will come in at the lowest price, but that’s not usually the case. It is your job to ask around and try and find out if the painter is skilled, reliable, and honest. I love the quote, “Would you rather pay 10% more, or pay for it twice?”

Everyone is trying to make a living. If the bid is too low, it forces the painter to rush and potentially cut corners in order to make a good hourly rate on the job. Just remember, you will see the paint job every day…

Final thought:

These tactics should be discussed before the contractor puts together the bid. Many painters don’t like to negotiate price after the bid is sent because it seems the customer doesn’t appreciate the value they bring.  If the painter does not discount their bid based on these factors, that does not necessarily mean they are taking advantage of you. Your painter may just be so busy that it doesn’t make sense from a business standpoint to discount your project. Other painters may just price different projects differently due to their strengths and weaknesses.

Money Saving Tips When Hiring a Painter

Do

1. Hire during the slow season-usually winter
2. Ask for a bid to be a “last minute filler”
3. Offer to move your own furniture
4. Clean the walls and baseboards yourself
5. Line up multiple paint projects at once

 Don’t

1. Try and save money by using cheap paint
2. Hire the cheapest painter without researching their reputation