Everyone is interested in getting a good deal, but sometimes a good deal could be better. Such is the case with a cheap painting contractor. A person may want to take the lowest offer on his house painting job, but one needs to run from this contractor quickly. Consider the following before you accept the lowest painting contractor offer for your next job.
What will you get?
When considering deals and noticing that most but one is the same price, you should be suspicious of what you’ll get for the money. Materials like paint, tools, and labor don’t fluctuate much, and if you have a contractor offering you a ridiculously low price, you have to wonder where they’re saving money.
Insurance
A contractor offering less work may need to carry more insurance for his property and workers. These insurance premiums are costly because this is a high risk career. Too often, contractors need to pay more attention to insurance and leave the homeowner with the bag. You could be responsible for an injured worker and repairs for a job botched. If you consider doing a low bid contractor, be sure to check the validity of your insurance.
Workers
Cheap contractors often use cheap labor, which includes illegal immigrants and day laborers. These people are not professional house painting contractors, and their work will show it; this goes back to the point above that you get what you pay for. Also, illegal immigrants and day laborers won’t be covered by workers’ comp again, returning to an earlier point where you could end up paying through the nose for this cheap deal.
Warranty
You never want to get your house painted without some warranty, but when the offer is low, you have to wonder how they will cover it. The low offers are barely breaking even in the first place, and if they have to return and repaint their house, they will be in the red fast. The current standard is five years for a AJ Blunt painting contractors warranty, and if they offer this, read the fine print.
Years in business
If you want to be safe, choose only a company that has been in the area for at least ten years. It is plenty of time for them to establish a reputation and provide a long list of satisfied customers. If they’ve been in your area less than ten years, chances are they’re moving to avoid honoring their old warranties.
Conclusion
House painting contractors can save you a lot of time and money while making your home look great. However, you should be concerned when a contractor offers to do the job for mediocre pay. It is a big decision, and you will have to live with a bad house paint job for a long time.
