Improovy: Painters North Shore

What should I look for in a painting contractor?

Finding a quality painting contractor can be tough, but there are a few small things that can indicate whether you’re likely to have a good or bad experience.

Detailed Estimate Forms

Any estimate you receive should be very detailed and clearly outline the scope of the work. For example, does “windows” include the muntins, or just the window casings? And to be extra clear, it shouldn’t just list what’s included, but also what’s excluded. This will prevent disagreements about what was or was not included, and shows that the contractor is upfront about everything. The estimate should also include the type of paint being used (not just the brand but the product line!), number of coats, a detailed surface prep process for exterior jobs, and a record of deposits received (to prevent disagreements about amounts owed later).

Prompt Communication

How well a contractor does or does not communicate can give insight into how well they treat their customers. Do they get back to you quickly? How long does it take for them to follow up with a quote? Communication, good or bad, can foreshadow what it’s like to work with them.

Good Reviews

Gone are the day of references—and good riddance! Any contractor would show only their best jobs, and none of the ones that went poorly. Nowadays, thanks to services like Google Reviews, you can see the good AND the bad. The good reviews should vastly outnumber the bad reviews, but keep in mind that no contractor is perfect—instead of expecting a perfect review score, look at the bad reviews and see how the contractor handled them. Did they try to make things right?

Should interior walls be primed before painting?

It depends, but typically a full primer coat isn’t needed for interior painting. Primer helps paint stick to porous surfaces, such as bare wood or bare drywall. If the surface isn’t porous, or if the surface is already painted, primer doesn’t really do anything that a normal coat of paint wouldn’t and would only run up the cost.

But what if I'm changing colors?

Changing colors should always be done with two coats. The bottom coat could be primer, but this doesn’t really have any advantages if painting over an already-painted surface.

But what if it’s a drastic color change?

A drastic color change may or may not need a third coat. Some contractors may insist on you agreeing to a full primer coat and then two top coats right away—but this isn’t always needed for drastic color changes. At Improovy, we recommend a wait-and-see approach. Oftentimes two top coats will cover a big color change, and this saves you from needlessly paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for a full primer coat. On occasion a third coat is still needed, but this wouldn’t cost any more than if we bid it for three coats from the start. With this approach, there’s a chance we save you a good chunk of change.