Fly By Night

Recently, I went to do an estimate for a large and difficult home in San Diego. I had a set appointment with the homeowner and began by asking some questions and taking detailed measurements. After a few minutes of beginning my measuring, another painter showed up in a beat up old car, jumped out and greeted the homeowner I was working with at that time. He asked a couple of questions, told the owner he knew what he wanted and walked around the house doing an "eye-ball measuring." He had no pad of paper, no measuring device, no pencil, nothing but himself! He walked around this huge home in 5 minutes and then drove away to work up an estimate. I could not believe that a painter was willing to give someone a bid without carefully looking at the scope of work, the condition of the woodwork, the amount of prep and so many more variables. I have met painters who bid this way and the sad part is, they do not do well in business. Sometimes they are accurate on their ballpark bids. Other times, they are WAY off.

If a paint contractor will spend only a few minutes at your home and give you a bid, be careful. I can tell you so many stories about painters who run businesses this way and how, in the end, only hurt the homeowners. Sometimes contractors will give a low-ball bid and realize they underbid it. What happens then? Do you think they will finish the job? Others will give a cheap price just to get a change order later on.

When the economy is not strong, there will be more and more "fly by night" painters. These are people who paint but are not professionals. A professional painting contractor will always provide an accurate proposal, and if they make a mistake, they will make it right at their own expense. Do your research before hiring someone to work on your home: you will be glad you did.