Running a business is no mean feat. It entails a lot of responsibilities. They include hiring the best commercial painters in Fremont to make sure that your business shall look good, welcoming and inviting to potential customers and employees.
It is only natural that you have so many questions in your head regarding the commercial painters you are going to work with. Asking the painters with the right questions will save you money… and it will also save you from frustration that you might have from a bad contracting experience.
Make sure that the questions you are about to ask should be well thought-out. You are likely to consider these key questions that will guarantee the best responses from the painters that you will possibly work with.
1. “Are you licensed?”
The commercial painting industry is not heavily regulated and there are some states wherein painters are not required to obtain a license. But here in California, building and home improvement contractors are strictly required to have a license or registration. So, if any of your candidates say “yes” to this question, do not take their mere oral response for an answer. Ask for proof of a valid license.
A license enables the county or state to recognize that a contractor has a considerable amount of knowledge and experience in the commercial painting field and has a good working ethic. Being licensed also means that a contractor has met all the requirements from the city and federal government and paid fees to obtain a license.
Even if problems arise in the middle of the project, a licensed contractor will make sure that the project will be finished on time.
Custom Painting Inc. is a fully licensed painting company providing service to customers across the greater Bay Area.
2. “Are you insured and bonded?”
When a contractor is licensed, they also must be insured and bonded. We know that painting is a dangerous job, especially when it involves working at heights. Heights are common when tackling commercial painting – we’re talking about big malls and shopping centers as well as high-rise apartments and offices. While some painters are licensed, they are not otherwise insured.
Licensed painters usually both have liability insurance and a workers’ compensation insurance. Liability insurance protects your property in case it is damaged or stolen by the workers. A workers’ compensation insurance protects the workers while they are working at your property; it also protects you from being liable in case the workers got injured while working at your property.
Apart from being licensed, Custom Painting Inc. is also insured and bonded.
3. “Should I be concerned with your workers in my property?”
This is one of the questions that may catch the contractors off-guard, but as a client, you want to know whether your property and belongings will be safe and protected under the hands of their workers once they win your project. Tragically, there have been a lot of documented cases where workers of a hired contractor have burglarized the property, injured or even murdered their clients. What’s worse is that in most of these cases, the workers have been found out to have a criminal background unbeknownst to the employer.
During your own hiring process, you should inquire about each candidate about their own hiring policy and whether they perform criminal background checks on their workers.
4. “Do you have regular employees, or do you use subcontractors?”
Many contractors are tempted to hire subcontractors because it will save them money. Subcontractors are usually paid with a flat and fixed fee instead of being paid in an hourly rate like the regular employees. And knowing this fact, subcontractors may be tempted to cut in corners and do a sloppy job, which results in a low quality of work.
Since they’re subcontractors, it is highly likely that they do not have a worker’s compensation insurance or have not undergone regular safety training. Since the contractors may not know or may not have personally met with the subcontractors, it is also highly likely that the contractors may not have conducted background checks on them.
Yes, hiring contractors who employ full-time and regular workers may mean additional expense, but think of the troubles you can avoid compared to hiring contractors who use subcontractors.
5. What kinds of materials do you use?
You would also like to know what kinds of paints, other finishes, and materials that commercial painters use on a day-to-day basis. The quality of paints and materials will make a direct impact on how your commercial establishment will look and how long will it last.
By gathering information from your list of contractors you’re interested to work with, you will discover the noticeable differences in prices and quality among paints, stains, primers, and tools. Painters may also use special coatings for certain applications. For instance, comparing a $9 gallon of paint and a $ 40-gallon paint tells a huge difference in the ingredients. Usually, the more expensive the paint, the better and longer-lasting it is.
You should ask commercial painters for more details about the paints and the materials they use while ensuring that the contractor understands your reason for choosing a particular paint product or material.
6. “Are you a member of the Better Business Bureau or any industry or trade associations?”
Memberships to such organizations may not be a requirement for any painting contractor. However, if you find out that a contractor is a member of the local chamber of commerce, the Better Business Bureau or any other trade and industry organizations, you are confident that this contractor is committed to his or her trade. Such memberships will also build up their resume and will be another advantage for them when they’re looking for the next project.
7. “How long is your warranty and what does it and does it not cover?”
Knowing what’s in the warranty is also important because this will avoid disputes in the future. A one-year warranty is usual, while 2-3 years warranty is also common. There are also contractors who offer warranties as long as 10 to 15 years. While you may be tempted to hire them based solely on such unrealistic warranties, keep in mind too that some contractors may use long warranties as a marketing gimmick.
Warranties should be in writing which allows you to read and review what it covers and what it doesn’t. Most competent and reputable contractors offer warranties that cover repairs which are usually the result of their workmanship defects, complete with labor and materials for free or for a small fee.
Asking some of these essential questions, and getting answers from them, ensures that you will be able to hire the best commercial painters in Fremont. They will get the job done in making your business look good and stable for many years to come.
