What’s more difficult than finding a San Diego house painter? Finding the right one. There are so many people out there painting houses in San Diego. Some, like PaintGreen, are licensed and insurance painting contractors, while others are just individuals offering painting services.

Levels of experience and professionalism can vary quite dramatically from one to the other. So, how does a San Diego homeowner find a painting company that will do a good job and provide great service?

It starts by asking around. Most homeowners at one time or another have employed a house painting company. But don’t just ask people who they used. Ask them if you can come over and see the work they did. Ask pointed questions like, “Did the crews show up on time?” “Did they protect your floors, furniture, and clean up after themselves?” “Did they present you with a contract that outlined exactly what they would be doing and how much you would be paying for it?” “Overall, were you satisfied with the job they did?”

If you don’t get satisfactory answers to all of these types of questions, you should keep looking. There are too many San Diego house painters out there to settle for one that is less than great.

Another way to evaluate San Diego house painters is to look at online reviews. Sites like Yelp are very helpful in this regard. Look for a company with multiple reviews and notice any patterns in what the company’s past customers have to say—good and bad. Don’t let one really bad review sway you. Every company occasionally has a bad day, and on the other hand, some customers are just impossible to please, no matter what. If the overwhelming majority of a painting company’s reviews are good, take the one or two bad ones with a grain of salt.

Once you have narrowed down your search to a few painting companies that get great reviews, or that have been recommended to you by friends or neighbors, have them come to your home for a consultation. Don’t just go with the one that gives you the best price. Really evaluate the company’s representative. Is he or she pushy and aggressive, or more helpful and customer service-oriented? Are they willing to answer all your questions, or do you feel rushed to simply sign on the dotted line? The level of professionalism of the person that a company sends out to meet with you is often a good indication of how the company conducts its business in general.

You should also look carefully at the quote and the contract they are asking you to sign before doing the work. It should be clear and easy to understand, but also contain some amount of detail. As PaintGreen owner Jon Ray said in this interview, “Vague, simple contracts can lead to big problems once work has started. Precise, thorough contracts make it clear what exactly is included and excluded, what products are to be used, and show the painter knows how to avoid problems by communicating well.”

And by all means, don’t ever, ever settle for a “verbal contract” with a painter. A verbal contract is no contract at all. You need something in writing to which the painting company can be held accountable.

We understand that it can be hard to choose a San Diego house painter, but we hope the tips in this blog post will get you heading in the right direction. If you’d like to meet with someone from PaintGreen to discuss your upcoming house painting project, contact us through our website or by phone to set up an appointment.