When you are looking for a professional painter, you want a high-quality contractor that fits your budget and requirements. However, it's unfortunate that many painting companies out there are not reputable and professional businesses. If you’ve decided to hire a professional to do your next painting project, you must choose the right company.

There are myriad painting contractors to choose from and it can seem overwhelming trying to pick one.  Price is usually an obvious consideration for many property owners, but the price should never be the only factor to rely on. It’s important to make sure you are getting the full picture when entrusting someone with your paint project.  If not, you could be subject to liabilities, a poor or incomplete paint job,  and other issues.

When you hire an unqualified painter, you’ll end up with an unsatisfactory result. To avoid this kind of issue, make sure that you are working with a reputable company by choosing a painter that is Diamond Certified.

What Is a Diamond Certified Painter?

Diamond Certified painters have scored the highest in quality and customer service. A rigorous rating and certification process is administered to weed out the inferior paint contractors. Customer satisfaction, licenses, and insurance are reviewed to ensure you get the best services.

Paint companies must score a 90 or more out of 100 to earn the Diamond certification.

By requiring such a high score to qualify, the poorly performing paint contractors don’t get the recognition. Ongoing research and ratings are conducted to ensure all Diamond Certified painters maintain their standards of extraordinary performance.

Every Diamond Certified paint company must continue to deliver on its promises to you.  The certification process includes:

• Samples. A random sample of typically 400 past customers is collected from all customer files of the applicant company.
• Survey. Only real customers are surveyed in confidential telephone research to determine the company’s customer satisfaction score based on quality. The results represent the company’s customer satisfaction level. All responses for each Diamond Certified paint company are displayed for consumers to read. 
• Score. The highest-rated paint companies pass. They must score a 90 or above on a 100 scale.
• Credentials. Required licenses and insurance are confirmed.
• Practices. The company must perform to contract, have customer-friendly business practices, and stand behind its work.
• Commitment. The company must agree to adhere to the Diamond Certified® Customer Satisfaction Principles.

Benefits of Hiring Diamond Certified Painters

When searching for a professional painter, it can be hard to know where to look first. You could look online, but search engines don’t tell you about their work ethic, experience, insurance, and other important information. You can find some reviews online, but they don’t go to the extent that the Diamond Certification process does.

1. Licensing & Insurance

To confirm that you are working with a legitimate paint company, a Diamond Certified painter must provide adequate proof of licensing and other credentials. Depending on the state, professional painters must be licensed to do business.

Another important document is insurance.  If somebody gets hurt on the job and the paint company you hire does not have insurance, then you could be liable for the injury. This could result in the homeowner owing thousands of dollars for the painter’s injuries. Diamond certified painters are properly insured with liability coverage. These credentials ensure that a paint company business meets all required standards.

2. Experience

Don’t just take a painter’s word if they claim they do specialized painting. Diamond Certified painters are routinely researched and rated to ensure they perform well and as they promise. They will check their past work to understand their skill level and previous experience.

3. Real Reviews

When you choose a Diamond Certified company, you’ll never be fooled by fake reviews. On some other review sites, anyone can post an anonymous review, whether they are a customer or not. These fake reviews can make bad companies look reputable.

The Diamond Certification process includes personal surveys of the painter’s previous customers by telephone to get accurate ratings. This process also verifies only real customers participate. Verbatim responses from those actual customers are posted about Diamond Certified paint companies.

4. Good Business Practices

We all know quality is not the only factor in choosing a painter. You need to find a paint company that can work with your budget and proposed time frame. Reputable paint companies will consider your budget and time limits.

Once you narrow your list of painters down to the final one, make sure to have everything in writing.  A Diamond Certified painter will make sure you fully understand the contract.

Don’t pay anyone a dime until you see and fully understand your contract. It should include an itemized list of expenses such as materials, the cost per surface area, and the proposed timeline.

Diamond Certified paint companies also include a detailed outline of their warranty. This will include how long the warranty is effective and the process on how you can redeem it if necessary.

Questions to Ask a Professional Painter Before Hiring

Painting your home or business is an investment. Whether you are painting one room or the entire building, you will be protecting the value of your property for years to come.  A quality paint job will create a pleasant atmosphere and a fresh, clean look.

The key to getting the best results is to choose a reputable painter. To help you hire the best painter, here’s a list of questions to ask before any paint is applied.

1. Are you licensed and insured?

Professional painters have a state-issued license. Though licensing laws vary by state, a licensed painter is held to a higher standard. It also ensures that you are working with a legitimate company.

A painter who has liability insurance that includes workers’ compensation coverage is also a must. This provides you with protection in the unfortunate event that your property gets damaged during the project, or anyone gets injured on the premises.

2. What safety precautions do you follow?

Even if painters have workers’ compensation insurance the last thing you want is to have a painter get injured on your property. Professional painters are expected to wear safety equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection. They should adhere to strict safety measures to avoid any accidents.

3. Do you use subcontractors?

A painting company that completes all the work with in-house employees is a company you can trust. However, some painters sub out the work to other contractors. You don’t know their skill level or work ethic. Subcontracted painters may not be as committed to doing a quality job as the full-time staff.

4. What kind of prep work is included in your quotes?

A quality paint job does not start when the paint goes on the wall. The finished look greatly depends on the preparation process. Generally, one-third of a high-quality paint job should be dedicated to prep work.  That includes tasks like removing stains, caulking cracks, sanding rough wall surfaces, or repairing drywall.

Some painters, however, offer more intensive prep work than others and some don’t offer any prep work at all. Find out what a painter will and won’t do to get your walls ready to be painted.  Any painter worth hiring will be willing and able to discuss their surface preparation methods.

5. Do you offer a warranty for your work?

You want to choose a painter who will guarantee his work. Painters’ guarantees typically last one to three years. A quality painting company will stand behind its services and  craftsmanship.

6. How will my property be protected during painting?

Furniture should be covered and moved away from walls before interior painting begins. Stationary objects and floors should be protected with tarps. Landscaping and outdoor furniture must be covered on exterior painting projects. You want a painter who's going to take extra measures to protect your furniture, fixtures, and floors from paint splatters.

7. Have you received any awards for superior service?

Listen to what previous customers have said and look at the awards that a company has received. Customer testimonials are essential to a painting contractor because they establish themselves as a leader in the field. They also show how committed they are to providing superior service.

8. Do I need to do anything before you arrive?

Requiring a customer to do any part of a project the client hires the company to do is a bad business practice.  Some painters will require their clients to do some of the prep work, including moving furniture and spackling walls. That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but you need to know what to expect.  

Trusted and Award-Winning Painting Professionals

If you are currently looking for painting services in the Silicon Valley area, The Painting Pros are trusted, professional painters. We have years of expertise in commercial and residential settings, offering interior and exterior painting.