The Most Important Questions to Ask a Painting Contractor in Calgary

When you’re looking at taking on a painting project, there are a lot of decisions that you have to make. Between colours, sheens, brands, which rooms to paint, which walls to paint, what colours go where, you’ll have to make a lot of tough choices.

However, the most important choice you’ll make when you’re repainting your home is which contractor you’re going to hire.

Here at Elite Trade Painting – Calgary, we want to make sure that you have all the tools you need to make an informed decision.

That’s why we’ve put together this guide to help you find the best painting contractor for your project.

Do they have experience with this kind of project?

While most painting contractors have experience with a wide range of projects, it’s important to check with your contractor to make sure they have the tools and experience to cater to your specific needs.

For example, if your project would look best when the paint is sprayed, you want to make sure that the painting contractor you hire for that job has the ability to effectively spray the surface.

Most contractors also have a portfolio of painting projects on their website that you can look at to see if any of the projects line up with what you have envisioned for your own home or business.

Does your contractor have WCB coverage?

Unless your painter has WCB coverage, you as the homeowner are responsible for the wages and expenses of any painters who are injured while working on your home. That’s why it is important to ask if your Calgary painting contractors are WCB Alberta certified before hiring them for your project. Without that certification, you could be liable should any injuries occur over the course of your project.

While we always take every precaution to ensure the safety of our painters and clients, it’s important to make sure that you are protected in the event of a worksite accident.

Your contractor should be able to supply a WCB Alberta clearance letter upon request.

Does your contractor have liability insurance?

Liability insurance is an absolute must for any painting contractor in Calgary to carry. Liability insurance essentially protects you and your property from any accidental damage that could occur during the course of your project. While our painters always do everything in their power to ensure that your job is completed safely and with no damage to any of your property, accidents can happen and liability insurance — like the policy we have at Elite Trade Painting – Calgary — protects you in the event that something does go wrong.

Here at Elite Trade Painting – Calgary, we carry $5,000,000 in liability insurance at all times.

Does your contractor have multiple positive reviews and references?

Google is a wonderful tool for anyone currently searching for any kind of home contractor. Chances are, you even came across this article thanks to a Google search. Google reviews are an awesome way to figure out if a painting contractor is right for you.

Most people who leave a Google review will also write a brief testimonial or description of their experience with that painter. While it’s normal for a contractor to have a couple of negative reviews on their page, a bunch of them should probably raise a red flag.

Likewise, dedicated review sites such as Homestars also give good, if not better, insight into the average customer’s experience with a particular painting contractor, as these sites ensure that anyone leaving a review on a contractor has actually worked with that company — thus eliminating any “trolls” who might leave a fraudulent review.

In addition to looking at online reviews on your prospective contractor, you can also ask them for a reference.

What is the timeline for this project?

While it is often impossible to predict exactly how long it will take to complete a particular painting project because there are so many variables involved, most painting contractors will be able to give you a ballpark estimate. At Elite Trade Painting – Calgary, we usually include this estimated length on the quote we email out to a prospective client.

Experienced painters will be able to give a rough estimate of the number of man-hours it will take to paint a home to their standard of quality.

Does the painter have any advice about this project?

Remember, your painting contractor is your greatest resource when you’re repainting your home. They’ll be able to recommend products that will best suit your unique needs.

If you have any questions about your project, don’t hesitate to ask your contractor — either the lead painter on-site or the person who did your estimate. If they aren’t able to answer your question on the spot, they should be able to find out the answer for you.

If you have questions about selecting colours, your painting contractor will likely be able to put you in touch with a colour consultant to aid you in your decision, although this service normally carries an extra fee.