San Francisco – Painting - Contractor

Now that you’ve done some initial research, talk with a few local painters. When you interview them, have a list of questions and make a note of each contractor’s answers. Remember, many good painters will not provide estimates without first seeing the job. However, you’re not obligated to set an appointment for an in-home estimate if the painters you’ve talked with don’t meet your expectations or can’t answer your questions. In that case, it’s your right to move on to the next company on your list until you find one you want to meet in person for an estimate.

See the following sample questions you can use as you interview painting contractors including those in the smaller SF districts of Cow Hollow, Duboce Triangle, Potrero Hill, Telegraph Hill, Twin Peaks, Western Addition, Glen Park and Fort Mason.

As you’re interviewing local painters in San Francisco, it’s wise to use a list of set questions. This will ensure you get the answers you need to make a wise decision. It’s also a good idea to write down the answers you get from each painter. That way, you’ll be able to recall which San Francisco painting company answered your questions acceptably and may make it clear which company is the best choice for you.
 

• Have you earned and maintained a Diamond Certified rating?
  
• Do you have a valid contractor’s license?
  
• What is your license number? (You may want to verify this license number and look for any complaints against their record at the Contractors State License Board.)
  
• Do you have liability and workers’ compensation insurance coverage?
  
• Tell me about your understanding of residential painting and the experience your employees have.
  
• How many times have you painted a house like mine before?
  
• Do you charge for painting estimates?
  
• Do you have your own painting crew?
  
• Do you hire subcontractors? (If so, check to be sure the painting company has insurance that covers the subs or that the subs carry their own insurance. You can be held responsible for any injuries or damage if your contractors or their employees are not insured.)
  
• How are your painters trained?
  
• Are you on site during the work? If not, who will be in charge during the project?
  
• Do you recommend a specific brand and type of paint (Benjamin Moore, Kelly-Moore, Glidden, Pratt & Lambert, enamel, eggshell finish, flat paint, high-gloss paint)? Why?
  
• What guarantees do you offer on your painting work?
  
• How long have you been a painting contractor in San Francisco?
   

It’s best to choose a Diamond Certified painting company because all certified companies have passed an in-depth ratings process that most other painters can’t pass. If you want quality from a painter in San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, you will feel sure when choosing a Diamond Certified painting contractor. Diamond Certified reports are available for all certified companies. And you’ll never be fooled by fake reviews, because all research is performed via live telephone interviews of actual customers.

If you can’t find a Diamond Certified painter within reach, you’ll have to do some research of your own. It’s wise to call references provided by your painting contractor. Keep in mind, though, that references given to you by painting companies are not equal in value to the large random sample of customers surveyed during the Diamond Certified ratings process. That’s because references are rarely randomly selected from all of a company’s customers.

If you do call references, ask for a list of the company’s 10 most recent customers. This will help avoid them giving you the names of only customers they know were pleased with the work.

• Were you satisfied with the service from _(painting company)_?
  
• What type of painting did they do for you?
  
• Did the painters finish the work in the timeframe promised?
  
• Did the painting contractor keep you informed about the status of the project?
  
• If you live in a smaller neighborhood like Diamond Heights, Eureka Valley, Hunters Point, the Haight, Sea Cliff, SOMA, West Portal or in an area further from their office location, did the painters charge extra to drive to your home?
  
• Did they show up on time for work?
  
• Did the painting company clean up after they completed the job?
  
• When you need new painting in the future, will you consider hiring this painter again?
  
• Would you recommend this painting company to your friends and family?
   

Now that you’ve found the local painting company that’s right for you, ask for a contract. This contract should include written details on the price, quality and paints to be used, the start date and completion date.

Before you sign the contract, be sure you understand all terms and limitations. The contract you sign is binding, and should protect your property and your interests as well as those of your contractor. For this reason, never sign a blank or incomplete estimate.

When signing the contract, write in any requests or verbal agreements you made with the painters. This will protect you and ensure you get the services you want. These add-ons may also include end dates and instructions that aren’t covered by the standard contract. For example, rutted lawns, damaged shrubs and crushed flowerbeds are often unexpected results of exterior painting jobs.

But you can protect your property. Before the work begins, schedule a walk through to conduct a pre-work inspection of your property with the painting company representative. List or photograph your property and talk with the representative about practical expectations for shielding your home and yard from damage during the work. Both you and the painting contractor should sign and date the document when you’ve reached an agreement. When the work is done, go with the contractor on a final examination and verify that your expectations were met.

Prepare Your San Francisco Home for the Interior and Exterior Painting
Professional house painters in Sunset District, The Tenderloin, Richmond District, Mission District and Bernal Heights and all throughout San Francisco should be able to handle all necessary preparations for the painting work. But there are a few things you can do before their arrival and during the work to help their job go more smoothly. You may even cut down on invoiced hours or damage to your home and possessions.

Take away furniture. Before the painters arrive, remove all furniture, heirlooms, antiques, decorative items, curtains, rugs, and other objects from the rooms slated for painting. Anything that’s not removed should be moved to the center of the room and covered with drop cloths or plastic. Some painters will take the time to move and cover furniture, but there may be an additional charge for this service. Ask who should ready the room for painting, and, if the painters offer it, how much they charge. It may be worth it to you to have them do it, or you may be able to save a few hours’ worth of charges by doing it yourself.

Provide enough clearance and parking space for work trucks. Some painting companies have large work trucks that require more clearance or parking space than standard vehicles. Contact the company before the start date and ask them how much parking space they’ll need and whether their work trucks are oversized. You may find it helpful to walk through the site with your contractor ahead of time so they can point out potential clearance issues or hazards you can move or reduce before the painting begins.

Trim plants and trees before exterior painting. If you’re hiring a San Francisco painting company for exterior painting, trim trees, bushes and other plants that are close to your home’s exterior. Ask your contractor about the amount of space they require around the perimeter of the job.

Keep out children and pets. Your contractors shouldn’t be asked to watch out for children and pets. Cordon off all rooms to be painted and keep pets and kids away until after the painting is done and the paint is completely dry. This will prevent accidents, injuries and the expense of touch-ups and repainting.
 

When the new painting is completed, most good painters will give you a written invoice for the completed work. This usually includes:

• The contractor’s name, business address and license number.
• A list of all painting services completed.
• An itemized list of all paint and painting supplies purchased, including brands, quality and amount.
• The total cost for painting services, including the amount charged for labor.
• Any warrantees or product guarantees provided by the paint manufacturers and the painting company.

Verify the completed work against the official invoice. Ask your painting company representative to walk through the job site with you and show you the work. Check what was done against the invoice to verify that the company did everything that was promised in the way they promised to do it. During the walk-through, ask if there are any special instructions for maintaining your new paint. If you have questions, now is the time to ask.
 

The top requests for painting services in San Francisco including those in Mission District, Bernal Heights, The Tenderloin, Sunset District and Richmond District and the surrounding areas are listed below.

Exterior Painting Services
Exterior paint is applied to the exteriors of homes and buildings. Exterior paints must be more elastic and fade-resistant than interior paints so they will stand up to weather conditions and fading.

Interior Painting
Painting on the interior surfaces of a home is referred to as interior painting. Interior paint for walls and ceilings comes in many colors and finishes, including faux and decorative painting, colored wood stains, clear paint finishes, matte wall paint, glossy paint and texturized paint. Many modern interior paints are available in low-VOC and no-VOC formulations that are less toxic than exterior paints.

House Painting
House painting can include interior painting and exterior painting, and often takes into account the entire process from color selection, paint prepping, taping, priming, painting and sealing. Consider hiring a house painter that has experience in the types of paints and painting techniques you’re looking for.

Paint Color Selection
Paint color selection is a service many larger painting companies in San Francisco offer. Paint selection involves potential paint color choices, existing colors in the home and overall room and decoration scheme. Paint matching services may also be available in cases where homeowners want to match new paint to an existing color.

Decorative Painting and Faux Finishing
Also known as faux finishing and faux painting, decorative techniques including tromp l’oeil, rag rolling, venetian plaster, sponge painting, marbling, stripe technique / paint striping, color washing, pickling or liming, wood graining, verdigris finishes, and antiquing are fashionable methods that add a custom look to homes.

Faux Painting / Faux Finishing
Like decorative painting techniques, faux painting is a technique that adds a faux finish to the surface so that the wall or ceiling appears to be made of something else. Examples of popular faux painting are: Venetian plastering, faux suede, faux marble or marbleizing and wood grain faux effects, sponge painting and paint marbling.

Low VOC Paint
Low VOC paints have lower quantities of volatile organic compounds, or potentially harmful chemicals. Low-VOC paints are often used in homes and offices where people spend a large amount of time, and are preferred for painting children’s bedrooms, nursery painting and painting in rooms where children spend a lot of time. Low-VOC and no-VOC paints may help improve indoor air quality and avoid toxin-related illnesses.

Industrial Painting Companies
Industrial painting services in San Francisco paint large industrial and commercial buildings. Industrial painting is often done on metal building interior and exteriors, ceilings, walls, floors, metal siding, metal roofs, office buildings and large professional buildings, parking garages, factories, manufacturing plants and storage warehouses.

Commercial Painting
Painting for commercial buildings, stores, schools, office buildings, museums, public structures and hospitals is known as commercial painting. Some contractors do only commercial painting, while others provide a combination of services for commercial, industrial and residential painting.

Painting Services
The term painting services encompasses all products and painting specialties offered by local painting companies in San Francisco. Popular painting services include house painting, interior painting, exterior painting, residential house painting, commercial painting, preparation, spray painting, paint rolling and high-volume painting services.

Top 10 Brand Requests

1. Olympic Paint
2. Behr Paint
3. Valspar Paint
4. Sherwin-Williams Paint
5. Dutch Boy Paint
6. Benjamin Moore Paint
7. Kelly-Moore Paint
8. Glidden Paint
9. Dulux Paint
10. ICI Paint

Q: Why choose a Diamond Certified Painting Contractor in San Francisco?
A: Diamond Certified helps you choose a painter with confidence by offering a list of top-rated local painting companies who have passed the country’s most in-depth rating process. Only painting companies rated Highest in Quality earn the prestigious Diamond Certified award. Most companies can’t pass the ratings. American Ratings Corporation also monitors every Diamond Certified company with ongoing research and ratings. And your contract is backed by the Diamond Certified Performance Guarantee. So you’ll feel confident choosing a Diamond Certified painting company in your area of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Q: What is lead paint and why does it concern me?
A: Lead paint is the leading source of lead poisoning in children and adults, which can cause brain damage and slow physical development. Lead-based paints were applied to homes before 1978. Lead paint contamination isn’t usually a problem if the old paint is covered with new, lead-free paint. However, when the old paint chips, cracks, peels or is scraped, lead paint underneath can become exposed and pose a threat to children and pets.

If your home paint contains lead, your contractors legally need to take precautions when removing it. These containment procedures usually include sealing off the rest of the home, wearing respirators while removing the paint, destroying the clothes worn while removing lead paint, and using filtration systems and post-removal cleaning procedures to remove all lead particles from the home and area surrounding the home. If your contractor doesn’t use proper lead paint removal techniques, you can legally be held responsible for contamination.

Q: How do I know if my home was covered in lead paint?
A: Most homes built before 1978 were painted with lead paint. An easy lab test can prove if your paint contains lead. Some painting contractors in San Francisco will test for lead paint, and lead paint tests are available at most hardware stores for DIY lead paint testing.

Q: Can I paint my own house?
A: It is possible paint your home yourself. If the area you want to paint is small or you have experience, you may be able to do the job yourself. However, painting is often time-intensive, messy work. And depending on the size of your project, you may be wise to hire a professional to do the job. Professional painters have the knowledge, skill and the tools to do the job right. Most will also guarantee their work, so you’ll be more assured of getting a quality paint job that lasts for years longer.

Q: What is the difference between paint finishes?
A: Exterior and interior paint is labeled according to sheen and gloss. The higher the sheen, the more light reflects off of the paint and the shinier it appears. Your choice of paint depends on the area and surface, the color of paint and whether you’ll need to clean the painted surface or hide imperfections.

Matte and flat paints have very little or no gloss. They are often used on walls and ceilings and hide surface imperfections. Eggshell finish has a slight sheen and a lustrous appearance. It is often used on interior walls. Satin and silk finish paints have a finish that is in between that of eggshell and semi-gloss. They are easier to clean than flat paint. Semi-gloss finish is shinier, glossier paint. It is easy to clean and resists staining. However, the glossier a finish is, the more likely imperfections in the paint will be noticeable.

Q: Why do painting estimates vary so widely?
A: Painting contractors base their prices on the cost of labor, the time needed for painting preparation and repairs, the quality of paint applied and the number of coats. Cheaper bids may be a sign of a lower quality of work or less knowledgeable painters. However, you’re wise to ask the contractors when one bid is much lower or much higher than the others you’ve received to make sure the painting company is bidding on the same project and same details within the project. You can avoid most of this uncertainty by requesting detailed bids that are itemized to include quality and brand of paint materials, details about paint application and number of coats.

Q: Why is my exterior paint is peeling and what can I do about it?
A: Some paint will peel when overexposed to moisture and weathering. Your paint may be peeling because it is the wrong type of paint for the surface, it was applied poorly, or the surface was not properly prepared before painting. If your paint is peeling, there isn’t much you can do. The peeling paint will need to be scraped and removed, the surface sanded and prepared, and a new coat of paint applied. If you hired a local painter in San Francisco, call them back to address the situation. Good painters will usually stand behind their work, and they may repair or repaint your home based on the warranty they promised when they first did the job.

Your best course for dealing with peeling paint is to remove the entire coat of paint, not just the peeling area. That’s because the rest of the paint will most likely also fail since it was applied in the same way to the same surface. Contact a local San Francisco painting company to assess the damage and advise you on your specific situation.

Q: What are low-VOC and no-VOC paints? Should I consider using them?
A: VOCs are volatile organic compounds, or chemicals that emit potentially harmful gasses over time. Paint, lacquers, varnishes, paint thinners and paint removers often contain these chemicals. Paints with lower concentrations of these toxic compounds have become available recently.

There are also some paint brands that offer products with no VOC content. These natural paints and finishes are durable, cost effective and less harmful. Talk with your painting contractor and ask if they are familiar with low-VOC paints and whether they would recommend them for your home. Most customers who chose low VOC paints or no VOC paints do so because they are concerned about indoor air quality or have children or pets they want to protect over the long term.