If your Northern Virginia home is ready for a new coat of paint and you are contemplating which painting contractors to use, we suggest you take a breath and approach the task armed with questions that need answers. You may think that coming to a consensus on what colors to use and what budget you should target are the family’s biggest concerns, but there are much more important factors to consider.
The operative word in professional painting services is “services.” Five painters can use the same Benjamin Moore paint to paint five separate sections of the same wall or siding and result in five different looks. Why? Because painting is about more than slapping some paint on the wall. Painting is a service and the level of service depends on the experience, work ethic, patience, and attention to detail.
That may sound a little radical but painting, like any service, is people driven. Knowing who the people are will likely predict what level of service you can expect.
With that in mind, here are 5 questions you want to ask any painting contractor you deal with.
1. How Long Has the Contractor been in Business?
If you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur. You want to hire a professional not a handyman. The founder of All American Painting Plus, Brian McCracken, is a 40-year resident of the area with over 25 years in the industry. In 2006 he started his professional painting service focused on customer satisfaction. All American Painting plus has all appropriate licenses, is bonded and insured and is an accredited BBB business.
2. Who Does the Painting?
This is where the roller meets the wall. You’re going to be inviting strangers onto your property and, in the case of an interior painting project, inside your home. Who does the contractor use to do the work? If you are using All American Painting Plus, everyone on your job site is an employee. We don’t sub out work or use day laborers. Every employee undergoes reference verification, a background check and drug testing.
3. Does the Painting Service Follow Professional Standards?
At Reston based All American Painting Plus we are active members of Painting Contractors Association (PCA). The PCA focuses on education and professionalism and sets rigorous industry standards, which All American Painting Plus employees strictly adhere to. In addition, all crews are trained in safety and advanced craftsmanship techniques. Our project management skills are unsurpassed. What this means to you is a talented staff that delivers impeccable results!
4. What References Does the Contractor Have?
A painting company’s most passionate advocates and worst critics are its customers. A service company lives or dies based on its reputation. At All American Painting Plus we are delighted that we have won 12 consecutive Super Service Awards from Angie’s List but our more satisfying compliments come from our residential and business clients and their repeat business. We can give you addresses of recent projects in your neighborhood that you can drive by to see the quality of our work. We can give you locations from projects several years old to show how they hold up. We also have an impressive list of recommendations from HOAs and local businesses.
5. Is There a Written Painting Contract?
If you are working with a painter who doesn’t offer one, the project is a problem waiting to happen. We believe in total transparency. There are no hidden costs. How we do the job, materials used, cleanup procedures, protection of property, final walk through and terms are all clearly laid out. We also offer a written 2 year warranty.
Contact All American Painting Plus
Obviously we would like for you to choose us for your next project. We hope you agree we are the smart choice. Give us a call now and let’s discuss the next step!
