Painting your home is a big job; it can be a bigger job than you want to take on yourself. When considering a residential painter, the first step is to ask friends and family to recommend a competent professional. It is important to get a few quotes, verify their experience, ensure they are licensed and insured, and also make sure that you are comfortable with them. When you meet the contractors to discuss the job, it is important that you ask questions to be confident that you are getting the most out of your money. Read on and know some important questions to ask before you hire a painting contractor.

How do you plan to prepare the surface for painting? – Proper preparation work is the key to a long lasting paint job. Make sure that the contractor your hire has a clear plan for washing, scraping, and sanding the surface.
Will you prime before caulking and painting? – All bare surfaces require a primer. Those that have been painted previously usually do not require primer any more.
What areas are you planning to caulk? – The most common cause of paint failure is because of moisture from water getting behind the paint. For that reason, caulking all joints, seams, gaps and cracks in the surface is a must to ensure a tight seal.
What kind of paint do you plan on using? – Good quality paint will be recommended by good painters; you probably do not need the most expensive product, but do not cheap out on this either. Make sure that the painter can explain the benefits of the paint they are recommending and ask for documentation of any manufacturerÕs warranty info and product data.

Finally, make sure that you hire an insured painter. Otherwise, it leaves you open to expensive mistakes or liabilities. In most states, painting professionals should carry insurance to protect their customers from such issues.

Personal Liability. If the painting contractor hires freelance painters or day laborers for a home painting project without giving liability insurance like workers compensation, you face potential liability if a worker receives an injury on the job. You should ensure that the contractorÕs insurance covers all employees.
Contractor Liability. Painting contractor who do not ensure their painters probably do not have a regular painting staff, as most states require contractors to carry insurance for their regular employees. These workers may have little knowledge on painting so that even an experienced painting contractor cannot guarantee or control the quality of the employees work.
Quality Indicators. Insurance helps to confirm the professional legitimacy of the painter. Amateur or part-time painters do not generally take the step of buying liability insurance or becoming bonded as a professional would, so an uninsured painter may have no significant track record for doing a good job.

In summary, make sure that you are not only hiring a skilled residential painter Los Gatos; they should also have the necessary licenses and insurance to serve as your protection in case of mistakes, injuries and accidents.