Top 5 Questions to Ask During Your House Painting Estimate in Ottawa, Ontario

You’re on a roll and organized!

You’ve got 3 estimates lined up to give you a price on painting the interior of your home.

You’ve picked out colors.

You’re excited as you’ve been anticipating this new change and the great enhancements it will make to your already cozy
home.

Indeed paint can make a huge difference to the style, look, and feel of your home.

You know that.

You also know that the prices each company will present will not all be the same exact number.

But how can you, as the homeowner, know with confidence that each quote is completely comparable ‐ apples to apples
and not apples to oranges so when you make the choice, you know you are making the right choice?

Great question, you smart thinker!

Here are the top 5 questions to ask during the estimate in Ottawa, Ontario to make sure that each estimate is completely the same:

1. How many coats of paint will you use?

Some contractors will try to get away with using 1 coat of paint for an interior project or using a primer that’s tinted and
call it two coats of paint. It is not.

Most all surfaces need at least two coats of paint.

Three coats are not uncommon for dark colors ‐ make sure you keep that in mind when choosing your colors and when
talking to your contractors during the estimate.

The only time one coat may be used effectively is when you are selling the home and it just needs a nice once over for
show using the same colors and you’re not picky about a few “holidays.

A “holiday” in the painting world is not a celebration, but rather an area where the paint didn’t cover 100%.

If you’re selling the home or want to cut down on price, a few holidays might be okay with you.

No matter what your budget, make sure you are comparing the number of coats used in order to get an accurate price
comparison.

2. What brand of paint will you use?

This isn’t high school where brand matters to certain people who want to be cool; however, brand matters here because of quality.

Quality paint has more viscosity (be thicker) & has more solids in it which translates into more coverage with fewer coats. Some cheaper paints have to have 3 coats just to cover like a nice high-quality paint would cover in 1 coat.

Brand matters for quality and quality matters for how many gallons and time it will take to properly cover your interior.

Hidden gem: Did you know that there are actual standards in the painting industry which state that a “properly covered surface is one that looked at 2 feet away and has no holidays from that distance?

Yup!

3. How many gallons of paint will it take?

We’ve sort of talked about this with the brand question, but again, ask your contractors at the estimate how many gallons of paint it will take.

If they are using a low quality paint, they may have added more gallons to the estimate and time to the estimate. 

You can go even further by asking the next question!

4. Do you mark up the cost of the paint?

Please note that it’s not wrong to mark up the cost of the paint.

Several reputable companies do and they can still be the BEST value because of the excellent craftsmanship and quality– not to mention the entire experience is pleasant.

We’ve all had to experience when we bought the cheaper item or service and lived to regret it, so it’s not a deal breaker.

However, it is something you’ll want to be aware of when comparing pricing between companies.

5. What sort of prep work will be done before actual painting?

This question will give you insight into the cold hard truth of the painting world: 

It’s all about the prep! 

Well, not all, but painting is actually 90% prep and 10% applying the paint. 

I think that might be why we all think we could do it. 🙂

However, it’s very much a skill; highly trained craftsmen are worth every penny.

Now, each contractor will have different levels of prep. 

Do they take off the switch plates for lights and outlets before painting a room or do they tape around them? 

Do they ask you to remove or move the furniture, blinds, window coverings, etc. or will they do that when they get there?

Will any sanding be required?

Do they also fix dry-wall repairs or do you need to hire someone for that first?

Will they dust the walls and trim before painting or will you end up with paint “goobers” as they are eloquently called.

(When the dust or fuss gets in the paint and stays on the wall creating an uneven surface is a paint goober.)

Phew!

So many things to consider when talking to each contractor at the estimate, but don’t be overwhelmed.

Now you have a good idea of what makes each estimate different.

Stick with these top 5 questions and you can be confident you’re comparing apples to apples with your painting estimates on your project. 

Have fun!

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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