“Never Paint Your House Again?”

I am getting tired of hearing commercials that claim that there are paint products on the market that last forever and companies stating that you will "NEVER Paint Your House Again." There are many companies in the U.S. today that are selling this concept with very high profit margins and 25 to 50 year warranties. Every time I hear the radio ads on Talk Radio, I cringe at the warranty and paint product selling points, knowing that they are too good to be true!

The paints that are on the market today are better than they were 10 years ago. There is no doubt in my mind that paint is getting better and that the paints advertised on the radio are exceptional products. The products being advertised with big selling points today, have a ceramic product mixed in them. Ceramic coatings are the new products of this millennium. However, they will not last forever. You will have to paint your house again. Do not be fooled by any paint manufacturer or contractor that will boast of a lifetime warranty. These products will last longer than typical house paint but they still get dirty fade over the years. Also, ceramic-based paints should not cost 5x the cost of regular paint. Ceramic can be added to just about any type of paint and make it better.*

So the next time you get a call from a salesman asking you if you want a product that will last a lifetime, be prepared to pay a lot of money for a product and service that should cost a lot less. Lastly, remember that a warranty is only good as long as the company is still in business. 

*Read Article about Adding Ceramic to Paint

Don’t Hire A Contractor When…

Why is it so hard to compare estimates these days? Why do three different estimates vary so drastically? A key reason is based on how the contractor is conducting business.

One of the ways a contractor can save money in the estimate process is if he works completely by himself. He will not have much overhead and can typically do your project for 20-40% less than the larger more established companies. However, in the state of California, every contractor who has at least 1 or more employees must carry worker's compensation insurance. This is extremely important for you, the homeowner when making a final decision. Contractors can be sneaky on this insurance, because it is very expensive for remodelers and painting contractors.

If you hire someone who does not have valid insurance for ALL his or her employees, you, the homeowner will be liable if any accident takes place during your project. If your goal is simply to save money, be extra careful and go with a licensed, fully insured single painter. If you want more security that your job is done professionally, according to the laws of the state and on time, you need to hire an established company that will cost a little more up front. However, in hiring a professional painting or remodeling contractor, you are free and clear of any problems on the job. Imagine if an unlicensed or uninsured worker bumped his knee on your project and claimed that he needed knee surgery (but had an existing condition). You may have to pay for all his medical expenses. This definitely happens in our state!

There are contractors in San Diego that look and act professional but still do not follow all the laws. They can have worker's comp for some of their employees and still hire illegals who are not part of the policy. So, don't Hire a Contractor until you have thoroughly researched that they are operating an honest business. 

Mount Soledad War Memorial Ceremony

The Mt. Soledad War Memorial Association will be hosting a Memorial Day Ceremony Monday at 2pm.

For More Information View the Details Online

Painting Contractors in Four Categories Part 2

Read Part 1: View Now 

Industrial Painting 

Industrial painting typically consists of projects contracted by the government or large industrial buildings. A paint company would need to specialize in the painting of complicated surfaces such as: Boats, Tankers, Boilers and also requires knowledge of different products that are applied with special paint machines. It would be very difficult for an industrial paint company to specialize also in Residential work, because they are not familiar with masking, covering, and careful preparation of wood and drywall.

New Construction 

New Construction painting companies specialize in painting track homes. When a homeowner purchases a new home, the one complaint we hear most is, "They used cheap paint and did a quick and cheap paint job on this place."  They then turn around and hire a specialized paint company to repaint the walls and change colors. A new construction company's goal is to get the homes painted as quickly as possible. The whole production schedule is to spray as much as possible without masking a thing. 

Be Consistent

A good marketing principle for any company is: "Be Consistent." The Xerox company, many years ago, once tried to get in the printing business. Why not? It was close to copy machines, right? They began making printers and spending over a billion dollars in the process. Where did it get them today? Xerox printers? Xerox will always be known for making copiers. That is their specialty, and they realized that they needed to be consistent with what they know best: Copy Machines.

Our Focus

Chism Brothers Painting's focus is on painting single family homes with the best staff, preparation and products in the industry. Can we paint a commercial building? Yes! But we are not setup to do it quickly and profitably so that we and the developer or HOA is happy. So, we decided to stick with house painting. We are not commercial painters. The only time we will cross over to doing a non-residential painting project is when we are hired by our current clients who have commercial properties. If you are looking for a paint company that is focused on quality and customer service instead of the "just getting the job done" please consider talking to us about your next project.

Painting Contractors in Four Categories Part 1

We receive a lot of phone calls throughout the year asking if we will bid on big commercial projects, rental units, income properties and apartment buildings. We wanted to educate you a little about the type of work we do and do NOT do. Many consumers may think that all paint companies are the same. This is an honest assumption, since many paint companies try to be all things to all people. You will see advertisements that a paint company will do residential, commercial, industrial, income properties, etc.

We believe that painting should be separated into at least four categories: 1) Residential, 2) Commercial, 3) Industrial 4) New Construction. Chism Brothers Painting falls under the Residential category. When you are looking for a painting company, you need to find one that fits your project. This is an important step if you are trying to compare pricing. If a company specializes in multiple categories, his or her pricing will vary quite a bit. Here is a brief description of the three categories: 

Residential Painting

Residential should be defined as a paint company that repaints single family homes and new high-end custom homes. Painting homes requires a certain level of attention to detail and preparation standards that are not always as important in the other categories. If you are looking to have your home painted and want a company that is clean, careful, high quality, you need to look for a paint company that only does residential work. Their pricing will sometimes (not always) be higher than those who also do commercial work. 

A commercial painter is a paint company who paints hospitals, shopping centers, income properties and home owner associations. This type of painting typically requires less attention to detail, because there is a very tight budget and time frame. A shopping center developer wants a good job but wants to get the job done as quickly as possible. They will not worry about the fine details of laser lining the baseboards or saw cutting the stucco and installing 50 year caulking. Commercial painting also takes less training, so the painters typically do not have the experience to work on custom homes. Most commercial projects consist of painting exteriors, basic drywall and pulling the trigger on a paint sprayer in a building. When a company switches from Commercial to Residential, their painters cannot possibly be consistent in their quality standards.

We received a call from a client who wanted a bid on some interior work. She showed me some of her doors and doors frames, and our estimator commented on how what great quality was done by the last painters. She then said that it took them three times to get it right. She mentioned the name of the paint company, and our estimator knew they were large and very well known/trusted commercial painting company. Their specialty was for commercial work, and when they tried their hand at a single family home, it took them three tries to get it right.

Retirement Begins Again For Employees

About 8-10 years ago, Chism Brothers Painting began offering benefits to their employees. We had medical insurance and a basic simple IRA plan. This morning, we had an all company meeting with a Fidelity Representative to discuss the beginning of our new 401K plan for all of us.

We are excited to encourage our staff to save and have a careful and smart financial plan. We are committed to keeping long term employees and making sure they are well educated on saving for the future. We are grateful for our staff, and we know you will enjoy having them work on your home.

View Your Painting Projects Online

Recently we added a photo gallery of upcoming projects online. Our estimator will take a number of photos of your property and post them online for you and our project manager to view. The photos are typically of areas that we are painting or have a specific area of attention or concern: i.e. special masking, prepping or finishes to be applied. The estimator will write his notes about select pictures as well. This helps you to understand more clearly what and how we will be painting your home, and it gives the project manager a visual picture of the work that needs to be done and some of your concerns. This will help solve any miscommunication and make sure the job is done to your satisfaction.

 View our PROJECT page.

Spring Exterior Restoration Begins

We just began the preparation process of the Mission Hills Craftsman this past week. We have taken a couple of photos to show you the type of prep and stripping that will be taking place. Please check back shortly as we begin to continue taking photos during and after of this home. It is located on Fort Stockton. If you are interested in talking to us more about our restoration of homes, we would be glad to give you the address over the phone.

 Here are some of the photos

Price vs. Cost

As an estimator for Chism Brothers Painting, I run into a lot of questions about our pricing. My average closing percentage is between 35 and 40%. That means that close to 60% of the jobs I look at go to another paint company in town. The number one reason I do not close the other 60% is because I am told my price is to high. I wish my pricing could suit the needs of everyone. I am always looking for ways to bring the pricing down, because I know the people who don't select my company would have had a good experience with us.

I recently heard a great explanation about the difference between price and cost. I had never really heard the differences articulated like this before. It triggered my thinking on the subject which prompted me to write this entry. There is a difference between price and cost. In short, before you decide to go with any service company, you must determine what is most important: price or the cost. In other words, do you want the "best price" or a job where the cost is well worth it (brings value). I had two clients this year tell me they purchased their new cars from Costco instead of a local car dealership. The main reason was because of the cost, not the price. Costco sells services and products at a good price but with good value. They have a great satisfaction guarantee. If you are not happy, bring it back! They also saved money and time by selecting Costco for their vehicles. 

At Chism Brothers Painting, our goal is NOT to charge a high price to paint your home. Rather, our goal is to provide good value. We want to paint your home the right way using the best products, preparation and produce a quality finish that will last. I have been called to look over a paint job where a homeowner hired the lowest bidder and in a short time, they were having to redo the job, costing them more money. If you are not satisfied with anything about our work, we will definitely be around to make it right. That is our guarantee.  

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Back in the mid to late 1990's, we finally answered the demands of our clients who wanted small projects taken care of in a timely fashion. Like most companies, we wanted to stay busy doing the big stuff. We put our heads together and came up with the first Painter For a Day concept. Ever since we began the new program, we have not slowed down.

We have found one slight problem since beginning the Painter For a Day program and advertising on the web. It is very easy for competition to copy our great ideas. We have had 4-5 San Diego paint companies copy the name and in several cases, copy the exact text from our website. In the past year, a consumer will find those same companies offering the same exact program. It was hard to go and ask each company to change the name, but they all complied with little resistance. Now you will see things like, "Paint by the Hour," "Company Name For a Day" and "Hire Us For a Day." It just goes to say that the old saying is still quite true: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."

KPBS Web Silent Auction

KPBS will be having a silent web auction starting May 7th. To get a sneak preview of the items listed, Click Here.

We will be sponsoring 3 Painter For a Day opportunities for the auction. Stay tune to bid.  

May Scheduling Update

As of today, May 1st, we are booked 6-8 weeks out. Though we are squeezing a few time sensitive jobs into our schedule as we speak, most of May and June have been sold. If your job is large in size, it may need to wait until the end of June.

Please email us about your projects, and we will see what we can do. We hate to turn down work, so we hope that you can wait a little while. Thank you in advance for your patience and interest in our company. 

CBP Joins Mt. Soledad War Memorial

We were recently encouraged to join the Mount Soledad War Memorial, as business partners, by two of our clients: General Van Inwegen and Bill Kellogg. We are looking forward to partnering with the War Memorial and appreciate our clients recommending ways we can get more involved in our community. 

April Mission Hills Projects

This week, we have two jobs going on in the community of Mission Hills. This is one of our favorite places to work because the owner, Mike Chism, grew up in this community. Many of Mission Hill's beautiful homes are full of character. This week, we are working for two repeat clients. Several years ago, we completed their exterior projects, and now they have hired us back to do complete interior repaints. Both clients were given their free color consultation with one of the designers we work with, and they were thrilled with the results. Thank you to the MacFarlane and McVey family for hiring Chism Brothers again to paint your home. We appreciate the trust you have in us. 

When it comes time to paint the entire interior of your home, we highly suggest meeting with a colorist to make things less stressful. Even if you know what colors you want, a second opinion always helps. This is a free service when you select Chism Brothers Painting for your needs.

Schedule Shuffling

Last Friday, our Production Manager and scheduler, Marty Sass, had an outpatient surgery that went south. He was planning on being back to work on Monday morning, but may now be laid up for a minimum of six to eight weeks. Loosing a key employee like Marty for a few months is very difficult, but we have begun to divide his work among our office staff. Mike Chism, David Chism, and Carolyn Dillon will be working together for next few months to schedule your projects and keep you updated on the projects. One of Marty's roles in the company is to supervise all the projects and be a troubleshooter. Mike Chism will be running and overseeing all of the projects until Marty returns.

We will do our best to provide you with top quality customer service in Marty's absense, but we wanted to let you all know that we are running on fewer engines at the moment. Marty has been with the company for 21 years and carries a tremendous load at work to keep employees and customers happy. We pray for a swift and excellent recovery, and we are thankful that he is already on the mend.