How to Select a House Painter in New Jersey

First and foremost if you’re choosing a house painter in the State of New Jersey is you want to make sure that whatever house painter you choose has three VERY IMPORTANT things:  1. Worker’s comp insurance.;  2. General liability insurance;  3.  New Jersey State home improvement license.   These three credentials are essential and, chances are, will narrow your list of potential painting contractors right there!

As you’ll find, if you’re in the market for a house painter in New Jersey, there are an  overwhelming number of choices that all claim to be the best and do the best work. So how can you choose an house painter that you can trust that you know will do the right and within your budget? In recent years, due to the poor economy, many contractors of varying backgrounds have gotten into the house painting business due to lack of work in their primary trades. That’s your first red flag. Just because “Company A” was a roofer last year does not mean they can paint your house this year. Being a residential house painter or residential house painting contractor requires certain skills and knowledge. These companies will often bid low to get the project and use cheap paint and shoddy work practices that may actually look good at the moment but will not last over time.

Get House Painter Recommendations From The Paint Store

One of the best ways to get a good recommendation for a residential house painter in New Jersey is to go to a couple of local paint stores. The paints that a residential painter uses on your house are just as important as the paints they use. Talk to the staff at the paint store and ask for three recommendations of painting contractors and also ask them what brand of paints they would use to paint their own houses.

 

Testing the House Painters

Once you get the list of house painters or house painting contractors in your area of New Jersey, call each of them on the phone and make appointments for them to come meet you at your house. Even this early research is all part of the vetting process. Take note of the following points during this process:

  • How do they answer the phone?
  • How prompt are they in returning your calls?
  • Do they listen to your needs and ask questions?
  • What brands of paints do they use (remember your visit to the paint store?)
  • How long have they been in business as a residential painting contractor in New Jersey?
  • Are they bonded and insured?
  • Are they on time for the appointment?

Getting Bids From Residential House Painters

At the time you request a bid tell each painter what brands of paint you want to use so they can work with that brand of paint in their pricing and make sure the brand is listed by name in the bid.

Examine all three bids. If one is very low or very high relative to the other two that’s a red flag.

And remember, the lowest price is not often the best deal. Combine the bid pricing with the results of your informal test (timeliness, experience, responsiveness, etc.) to see if this is a contractor you can work with and make a decision based on that combination of factors.

Remember, selecting a residential house painter in New Jersey is like selecting any other service: you get what you pay for. Paying a bit more for a quality job with minimal hassles can be priceless.

Being a third-generation residential house painting company primarily serving the Livingston, New Jersey, Short Hills, New Jersey as well as West Orange and Fairfield, New Jersey areas, we have an extensive list of satisfied residential house painting customers. So if you need references about our residential house painting services, please let us know and we would be happy to provide them along with a prompt and free evaluation quote. So remember — if you need a residential painter in Livingston, Short Hills, West Orange and Fairfield, New Jersey, please give Prizm Painting a call at 973.227.9394.

Get more details on our Residential House Painting Services in and around the Livingston, Short Hills, West Orange and Fairfield areas by clicking HERE