Find a Professional Painter in the
Vancouver Area
4 TIPS TO FINDING A PAINTING CONTRACTOR
Painting is a skill and a profession built on experience. Use this guide to ensure your next interior or exterior painting project delivers the high quality outcome you desire.
1. Do Your Homework – Check out social media handles, seek out trusted referrals, and ask friends and family.
2. Plan a Painting Project Consult – Assess personality, professionalism, and get painting product options.
3. Get Three Quotes – Estimates are usually free.
4. Get a Written Contract – Manage expectations (especially your own) and avoid surprises.
1. Do Your Homework
A simple online search including your postal code will yield painting contractors’ ratings, customer testimonials and websites. If you don’t see images of painting projects, email the painter directly for examples.
Explore social media to find painters’ Instagram and Facebook accounts featuring before and after photos, project videos, and even recorded customer testimonials. Local community Facebook pages and parenting blogs are also great resources.
In addition to searching online, reach out to colleagues, friends and family. If you know someone—anyone—who has had painting work done, be sure to ask them for referrals. Call or visit your local Benjamin Moore retailer for recommendations. These independently owned businesses are integral parts of their communities and often well acquainted with many home improvement professionals working in your neighbourhood.
2. Plan a Painting Project Consult, and Ask for Options
Whether meeting a professional painting contractor online or in-person, look for a professional and polite demeanor. This person will likely be spending time around your home, so make sure you have a good rapport.
When describing your project during the consult, ask to receive more than one option tied to different products (primer, paint, and stain, for example). Ask the candidate to explain the differences; not only will it help you make an informed decision, it will help you get a strong sense of the painter’s professional knowledge of his or her craft.
3. Get Three Quotes
It’s a common question: How much does it cost to paint a room?
Not surprisingly, pricing varies depending on whether the job includes one room, an entire floor, the full exterior of your home or deck. Plan three consults, and get quotes for all three. Painting estimates are typically free.
Be sure to specify all the details of your painting project up front. If conducting the consult virtually, be prepared to provide photos and measurements.
If you are unclear on an estimate’s pricing, simply ask. Painting contractors are professionals, and they are prepared to explain the pricing in detail with you.
The following may contribute to the cost of a painting job:
- Purchasing the paint
- Cleaning (think grease on walls in a kitchen, for example)
- Sanding
- Prep & repair (including taping and fixing small holes and cracks)
- Priming
- Caulking
- Clean-up
- Moving furniture—Pulling furniture out from walls and covering it in plastic to protect it
Money saving tip: Taking personal responsibility for pulling furniture out from against walls and covering it with sheets or plastic, as well as fixing small holes and cracks, can help you save money on your painting project.
Of course, investing in premium Benjamin Moore interior paint, exterior paint, or deck stain means your finished project will last longer, extending the time before having to repaint.
4. Get a Written Contract
After a side-by-side comparison of the estimates, and choosing the best one for you, request a written contract. A written contract is imperative and should include:
- Details on surface preparation
- What paint products will be applied
- Timing/schedule
- Payment terms
We don’t recommend paying in cash, but if you do, make sure you have an email chain verifying cash exchange. A lack of documentation may cause problems later.
