What you need to check before hiring a Sydney painter

When it comes to renovating your home or simply giving it a bit of a facelift, choosing the right house painter in Sydney is an important decision. When you hire good local painters, your home will look great and the finish will remain to look good for many years.

So how do you choose from the many painting services in Sydney and find the best one for your particular needs?

Does your painter have a licence?

In NSW a painter is required to have a licence if they advertise as a painter, enter into contracts with clients, hire subcontractors, or the cost of a job is $5,000 or higher.

Licences are issued by NSW Fair Trading and are not issued until the painter has received Certificate III in Painting and Decorating.

Discuss all the details of the paintwork that you need

It is important that you are specific when explaining the work you want them to do and the exact areas you want them to paint. If you already know the colours and finishes, you want to use, include that information in your brief. You also need to specify when you expect the work to be completed.

It is a good idea to get estimates from at least three different local painters, and in order for you to be able to compare prices, they must all quote for the same work.

Don’t be shy. Ask for references

Ask every painter you talk to for the names of a few previous clients who are willing to act as a reference. Then contact each one to find out how their experience was.

Ask about the paint preparation method

While talking to the painter, ask how they prepare each surface to be painted. Some of the things they should tell you to include.

Brand and type of undercoats they use
Brand, type, and colours of topcoats they use and the number of coats they will apply
How they will protect your furniture, fixtures, and fittings if painting the interior, and plants and landscaping if they are painting the exterior

Verify start and finish dates – Ask how long the job will take, when they expect to begin work and when they expect to finish. Your painter should also be able to tell you how many workers will be on the job, and what they will do if the job is not completed on time.

Ask about warranty – All reputable painters should be able to provide you with a warranty and it should cover both materials and labour. Before the job ends, make sure that you get a written copy of the warranty in case you have any problems in the future.

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