5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Painting Contractor Arrives for an Estimate in Ottawa, Ontario

You’ve booked the interior painting estimate with three local contractors.

Hooray!

You know there are certain questions you will need to ask during the estimate, but what questions should you answer before the estimate?

Here are five questions you should ask yourself before your painting contractor arrives to give you an interior estimate for your painting project in Ottawa, Ontario:

1. What Color Do I Want?

When choosing a color for your interior, you have many options. 

I’d say a gazillion, but that’s just what it feels like at the paint store when I’m looking at paint fan decks or at the home store where they have the “greeting card” style layout of paint choices.

You may not know what color exactly, prior to the estimate and that is okay, but consider this: 

—> Are you switching colors from a dark color to a light color or vice versa? 

This will impact the number of coats needed (it will be a minimum of 2, with 3 more likely the more drastic the change).

The number of coats will be a factor in determining the time and paint material costs. Both go up with more coats, obviously.

The number of coats will also be impacted by question number 2…

2. How Long Has It Been since the Surfaces Were Painted?

If you have recently painted your walls, they are more protected and they won’t soak up paint like walls that have builder grade only on them.

This translates into less coats of paint which translates into less dollars spent for the cost of materials and less cost for labor since it takes less time to apply less coats.

3. What Sheen Of Paint Do I Want?

There are 4 main sheens:

Gloss

Semi-gloss

Eggshell

Flat

Gloss is hardly used since it is so shiny. Perhaps in the kitchen, if anywhere, where the walls tend to get splattered on most and it’s super easy to clean.

Semi-gloss is most often seen in kitchens and young children’s rooms as the surface wipe clean, almost as good as gloss.

Eggshell is the most common. There is a very slight shine – hardly perceptible but looks great on most walls.

Flat is what most builders use. When painting with flat – it covers and blends in very, very well when touch-ups are made – even if years have gone by! It’s great for builders.

The risk with other sheens is that touch-up is much harder to pull off without “flashing” (a noticeable spot where it is clear there was new paint applied recently) the glossier you go.

Flat, however, can easily show fingerprints, leading it to be not so kid-friendly or pet-friendly.

When painting over flat surfaces with a semi-gloss, you will use more paint. It just soaks it up, much like freshly primed drywall does – like a kid with his or her first Slurpee! 

4. Do I Want An Accent Wall?

An accent wall, as you may well know, is a wall that stands out from the other walls in the room.

It’s entirely possible that you will have your professional painting contractor paint all of the walls of a room the same color, but this doesn’t have to be the case.

You can opt to have your painting contractor make one of the walls into an accent wall by painting one wall a different color from the other walls.

5. What Level of Service Do I Want?

We all want to have the best level of service, so maybe this question is better asked of ourselves like this: 

What Level of Service Am I Willing to Pay for Right Now?

If you want to have a great experience, with a company that aims to please, is pleasant to work with, takes care of their clients, anticipates needs, has great communication, has friendly and helpful staff in every position, and ends up being your painter for life – that’s what we strive for. 

We strive to be your painter for life – the one you call because you know, like, and trust us, we appreciate you and you know we’ll take care of you and stand behind our work.

Now, we know that we get what we pay for. Yet I’m sure we all have stories when that turned out disastrously for us!

However, if you know you don’t need great service, you just need the job done (perhaps you are moving or flipping the house – it’s great to know that and communicate that with your painting contractor during the estimate. 

If we are not the right fit for you, we can surely recommend a company that would be perfect. We love painting contractors and have a great relationship with many who have different niches than we do. 

It’s so helpful to know the level of service you are looking for and let your contractors know at the estimate.

Maybe you just want it freshened up right now, but are looking to change colors drastically in the next year or two. 

When a contractor asks what your budget is, this is often what they are trying to find out – what level of service do you want and how can I help? 

Sometimes we can use a lesser grade of paint to adjust the cost if you are just wanting the home refreshed to sell. 

So, there you have it – 5 questions to ask yourself before your contractors arrive for the estimate.

At Millers Painting, we offer free paint consultancy alongside high-quality residential and commercial painting services in Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, and Westboro areas of Ottawa, Ontario.

To get started with us, book a FREE estimate or call us on 613-979-5435

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