The Homeowner’s Guide to Planning Home Painting

When you’re planning a redesign or home repair, you have enough on your plate without trying to pull a straight answer from a shifty painting company. Before you commit to hiring a painting service for your Main Line home, be sure to choose a business that will be straightforward with you and look out for your best interests. There are a few common problems to look for when you’re taking price quotes from a handyman or painter, but a little know-how when scoping them out can make sure you get the best work done on your budget.

Avoid “Hidden” Costs

When you’re getting a price quote from a painting company, consider all the potential costs of the project to make sure you’re getting an accurate price quote and planning your home painting budget accordingly. Make sure to take into account the price of materials, for example – different paints have different costs. One price quote might be for a basic quality paint, may not even include paint, or may apply just one coat of paint. If you want a better quality product, your cost could increase. For example, a cheap gallon of paint could be under $10, while a top-of-the-line could be over $60 per gallon. Lower VOC paints are more expensive, but offer many health benefits over standard paints. The finish of a paint, such as matte paints compared to glossy paints, can also affect the price quote. Make sure you know what you’re getting, and that the price you’re expecting matches up with the product you ultimately want. One good question to ask the painting contractor is how many coats of paint are included in the price, because there are some companies that will charge extra for providing the industry average, which is two coats.

Make sure you know the price of labor, and how the company bills you for it, as well. Some companies charge by the hour, others by the job. Hourly charges can often be driven up by slow work habits. Lately, we’ve also seen companies that charge extra to properly prepare the surface for painting, rather than just doing it right as part of the standard package and giving you an accurate quote for a well-performed job. These companies – often franchises – sometimes have a base procedure that doesn’t take into account the individual wall and architecture of the home…which are, of course, the most important things to take into account with a paint job!

Transportation costs can also affect the entire price quote, and some companies might charge more for travel to an out-of-the-way location.

Look for Local Painters with a Comprehensive List of Services

Companies that offer a whole range of home improvement services in-house (like carpentry, drywall repair, tiling, repair or installation of light fixtures, etc) save you the hassle of subcontracting – you can get a more accurate quote upfront if you know the labor won’t be outsourced. One trap homeowners can fall into when budgeting their redesign is failing to plan for some of the additional repairs that may need to be done prior to painting. For example, depending on the state of your current walls and the complexity of the job, you may need services including cabinet refinishing, wall covering removal, plaster or stucco repair, or consultation on color or design.

Lead Safety

The Main Line is fortunate to have a lot of beautiful homes that were built before 1978 – however, that means homeowners are also much more likely to have lead-based paints on their walls. When renovating or repainting a home that has lead-based paints, your contractor needs to follow the lead-safe work practices set by the EPA. It requires certification. Unfortunately, many companies aren’t certified and don’t follow those practices, at the risk of your family’s health and safety. Sometimes, contractors may even charge an extra 20% for the “bonus” of following lead-safe practices. This upcharge is not only unethical, it’s illegal.

This is a big part of why it’s so important to go with a local painter in the Main Line area like Nolan Painting for your home painting needs. At Nolan Painting, we’ve been painting houses in the Main Line and surrounding areas of Pennsylvania for more than 30 years, so we know exactly the specific challenges  Main Line houses present — like lead safety issues — and how to make sure you are in compliance with them.

Remember: Reputable Companies Have Built a Foundation of Trust with Their Clients.

Actions speak louder than words. Painting is a business where the knowledge and skill of the company give them the chance to overcharge a less-informed customer by giving inaccurate quotes for materials and labor. Partnering with a local company helps you to really know their reputation, and know that you’re working with a team whose quotes are accurate and whose service will exceed your expectations.
Ask any of your neighbors which professionals have they used for home improvement projects: who do they trust, who would they use again? Shop around. Check out reviews on websites like Google+ or Angie’s List. Dig into the reputations of different companies in your area. And don’t just look at the quality of the work (though that’s important!) – look at what people are saying about the painters themselves, and look for words like “courteous,” “timely,” “neat and clean,” and “respectful.” If you do, we’re confident that the conversation will keep coming back to one name: Nolan.

Nolan Painters Are the Local Main Line Painters You Know You Can Trust

The fact that we’re local painters makes it even easier for you to have confidence in our services. If your home is in the Main Line or surrounding areas, you can drive around the neighborhood and see plenty of examples of our work. When you see one you really like, ask the happy homeowner in the front yard what he thinks of our work, and we’re sure you’ll get a positive response. We make sure all our houses look great, not just because we take pride in our work and our reputation, but because we live here, too. At Nolan Painting we pride ourselves on being part of the community.

Nolan Painting has been providing the Main Line with honest, comprehensive painting services since 1979. Our experienced team of painters, carpenters, and color consultants have proven our responsibility and skill through years of consistent, quality service to families throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania. Our bottom line is helping you make whatever project you dream up for your home a reality. Contact us today for a consultation and a straightforward, no-hassle price quote.