Is it time to paint the exterior of your house? A fresh coat of paint will protect your siding and can completely transform and protect the look and design of your home.
There are several reasons why you may be looking to spruce up the exterior of your house
- Old, peeling, bubbling, or chipping paint
- Fading colors
- Moisture stains and mold
- You want to update the color of your house
- You’re selling your home and want to attract more buyers and a higher offer
Whatever’s fueling your decision to repaint your house exterior, make sure you do it right and work with the right contractor. But where do you start? How do you find the best painting company that meets your budget and will produce beautiful, long-lasting results?
Follow our step-by-step guide below.
1. Get referrals
Whenever you’re looking for contractors to do any sort of work on your home, the best place to start is by talking to your friends, family, and neighbors. We recommend putting together a list of at least 5 companies, based on the referrals of those you know.
When you get these referrals, make sure to ask your friends about things like…
- What it was like to work with them
- Results
- Cost
- Would they use them again?
2. Use Google
If your nearest and dearest don’t have any painting companies to suggest, turn to Google. Here are a few tips for sorting through the noise of a Google search and honing in on the best exterior painters:
- Try a few different search queries — If you’re not finding any good companies with your first search, try something different.
- The first few results are ads — Keep in mind that the first few results of a Google search will be advertisements.
- Be careful of aggregator sites — Sites like Home Advisor, Angie’s List, and Yelp can be helpful, however many of these sites feature “pay to play” business models where companies are paying for the privilege of appearing high in the results. Of course, reading reviews is important (we’ll get to that next), but avoid taking the top result at face value.
- Make sure the company is local — Google is usually pretty good about only showing local results, but just in case, make sure the contractors you find are based here in Oregon.
3. Read reviews
Once you have a list of potential painting companies, put them to the test! Find out what their customers have said about them and look for trends. Do they have a reputation among customers for quick service, good customer service, and good results?
A few places to look at reviews include:
4. Verify licenses & insurance coverage
Make sure you know who you’re working with. Unfortunately, there are many painters who are practicing without a license, with unpaid debt, or a suspension.
A quick license number lookup on the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) will verify that the contractor is legitimate. You should also take a peek at the Buyer Beware list to ensure your contractor isn’t included there!
Your contractor should also have workers’ compensation and liability insurance — you can check these records on the CCB as well.
5. Evaluate customer service
One of the most important parts of your experience hinges on how you’re treated. First impressions are a good indicator of what working with the company will be like. When you contact the company, do they…
- Get back to you in a timely manner?
- Act in a courteous manner?
- Answer all your questions?
Don’t be too alarmed if the company isn’t able to come give you an estimate that same day or week. The best companies are often booked out and may need some time before they can come to your home and evaluate it for an estimate.
6. Ask the right questions
After you receive an estimate, take a few minutes to gather more information and make sure you still feel comfortable with the company.
- Photos — The company should be able to direct you to an online portfolio or provide you with photos of exterior paint jobs they’ve completed recently. If you have a unique exterior, ask for examples of similar projects.
- Warranties — Does their work come with any sort of warranty of guarantee? We recommend working with a company that will stand behind the work they do.
- Schedule — If you need your house painted within a certain time frame, make sure they understand your deadline up front. Find out if they would be able to meet your expectations.
- Team — Get an idea of how many people will be working on your property.
- Prep work — The company should do all the prep work, including pressure washing, caulking and scraping, and priming.
- Materials used — Find out what kind of paints the company uses. Look for companies who use eco-friendly and high-quality low VOC and zero VOC paints.
7. Review the contract
Last but not least, before you sign on the dotted line, review the contract that has been drawn up. Make sure every detail of the project is laid out how you imagined and meets your expectations. You should also double check that the correct colors are listed on the contract. Finally, make sure you’re comfortable with the payment and deposit terms.
We’re Portland’s trusted exterior painters
Painting your house is an extensive, involved project. But working with a qualified exterior painting company will make your experience simple and successful.
Bluenote Painting is a locally-owned and operated company with a commitment to client satisfaction. We’ll ensure your project is a success by providing quality results, great service, an amazing warranty, and most of all, the best value.
Learn more about our exterior painting services or contact us for more information.
