41,034 Painters

What can I expect from professional painters?

Exterior and interior painters should both follow similar procedures in terms of their process from start to finish. Most paint contractors can help you choose paint, including the color, brand and sheen that’s right for your job. If they aren’t helpful with this first step, that should be a red flag to you. Next, the paint pros should prep the area to be painted, if necessary; this means fill in cracks and holes, remove wallpaper and caulking, protect trees, plant, floors, furniture and outdoor structures, and pressure wash outdoor surfaces to ensure the paint has a clean and smooth surface to adhere to. Good house painters will arrive on time, keep you updated on daily progress, and leave everything clean after finishing each day.

To help make your local painters job easy, stash fragile or valuable objects out of the way and make sure the walls are clear of photos or artwork. Also, make sure pets have somewhere to stay during the painting process so they don’t interfere with the professional painter in any way. Speaking of pets, ask your house painter to use low or zero VOC paint to be more environmentally-, pet- and kid-friendly — this will allow you to resume normal use of your home soon after painting, with no harsh smells or chemicals to bug anyone.

Questions to ask prospective painters:

• Can you provide me with references?
  
• Are you licensed and insured? (Check liability insurance and workman's compensation.)
  
• How do you charge, and what does that include?
  
• Can you give me a written estimate?
  
• What do your services include?
  
• Is there a warranty on your work?
  
• What is your experience with similar projects?
  
• When can this job get done?
  
• What happens when the cost exceeds the budget? What about changes due to materials or labor pricing changes? What kinds of situations do you foresee that would cause extra costs?
  
• Who provides the paint?
  
• Are there any important considerations or concerns you foresee with this project?
  

Find a home painter on Houzz. Narrow your search in the Professionals section of the website to home painters. You can also look through photos by style to find a space or house color you like, then contact the local painters who did the job.