Beware of interior-painter’s scam in Indianapolis
Read your contract — all of it! And ASK QUESTIONS!
Just like anything, or any field, industry, business — interior painting has its fair share of scammers. Which is why it’s important that before you hire someone to come into your home, you do your research!!! Talk to people. Get recommendations. Read, or watch, customer testimonials. And whatever you do, don’t call the number you read on a road sign promising the cheapest rates. You don’t want cheap. You want a reasonable, fair price for good quality work. And that’s exactly what you’ll get when you hire Flora Brothers Painting for your interior paint job. Here are some important things to consider when hiring an interior painter.
Does the contract mention sheen?
What does the contract say? Did you read the entire thing? Many times when bidding on a project, a painter will write the contract to reflect the number of coats that will be applied, the type of paint and the cost for applying those coats. For example:
Two coats of eggshell paint for $350
But here’s the tricky part. While you skimmed the contract to make sure it listed the specific color and brand of paint, you might have missed the part where it mentions type of paint and number of coats. Why is this important? First, because different types of paint have different costs. Flat paint is less expensive than satin, satin less expensive than gloss. And if you signed the contract before picking out your sheen, you might find that the painter now wants to charge you more. Flora Brothers have a professional design team that will help you pick out the right sheen and will only charge for what you’re expecting to be charged for.
Does the contract mention color or primer?
Like prices vary for sheens, prices also vary by color. Typically, darker paints are more expensive than lighter ones. Which means that if you signed a contract before picking colors, and the painter now has to buy more expensive paint — and possibly a more expensive primer — then they’re going to pass that cost on to you. How? Possibly by just outright charging you more, but also possibly by telling you it’s because of the primer that wasn’t originally in the contract. Flora Brothers Painting will discuss color choice with you prior to giving you a final project price. It’s important to us, that our customers are included along every step of the process.
Does the contract mention coats?
If your contract doesn’t mention coats, you need to ask for it to be added. You also need to ask what the increase will be if the project cost listed is only for two coats and then, as paint is applied if it’s not covering as well as one would have expected, what’s the charge for that third coat. Conversely, if your walls are being covered by a similar color — say one that’s only slightly darker — and the painter decides to only apply one coat, what happens to the money you paid ensuring a second coat? Flora Brothers are experienced painters — we know how many coats it takes to cover existing paint, so whether you’re changing a light wall to dark, or a dark wall to light, we’ll make sure you’re quoted for optimum coverage.
Bottom line, read your contract and make sure sheen, coats and color are listed. And ask questions if there’s something you’re not sure of. Above all else, hire a reputable company like Flora Brothers Painting for any interior — or exterior paint job — and you’ll not only get excellent work, you’ll get it at a reasonable, fair price.