Painting services

The word "painting" hides a lot of different jobs. Rolling flat walls in an empty room is close to unskilled work. Repainting weathered wood siding, stripping failed paint from a 1920s porch, or spraying kitchen cabinets to a furniture-grade finish are not. When you compare quotes, first make sure everyone is quoting the same scope of prep — that is where honest bids and cheap bids actually differ.

Prep is the whole ballgame. Paint fails because it was applied over dirt, chalk, glossy surfaces, or moisture — not because the can was the wrong brand. A bid that says "two coats, premium paint" and nothing about washing, scraping, sanding, caulking and spot-priming is not a complete bid. Ask each contractor to write the prep steps down.

Age of the house changes who is legally allowed to do the work. The EPA estimates about three-quarters of U.S. homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, and firms paid to disturb paint in those homes must be EPA- or state-certified and must use certified renovators and lead-safe work practices. Sanding or scraping old paint without containment puts lead dust into your house. This is not a formality.

There is a narrow exemption: the RRP rule does not cover minor repair work that disturbs six square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less on the exterior — but window replacement and demolition are always covered regardless of size. Homeowners painting their own pre-1978 home are not covered either, unless they rent it out, run a child care operation, or are renovating to sell.

How to choose

Match the crew to the surface

Flat drywall is commodity work. Old wood, stucco repair, cabinets and high exteriors are not. Ask what percentage of their work is the specific thing you need.

Check lead certification before anything else

Pre-1978 home? Ask for the firm's EPA (or authorized state) Lead-Safe Certification number and verify it. Firms may not legally advertise or perform covered work without it.

Get prep in writing

Number of coats, how they'll handle glossy or chalky surfaces, what gets caulked, what gets primed, and how failed paint gets removed.

Ask who is actually on your job

Salespeople sell; subcontracted crews paint. Ask whether the crew is employed by the company and whether a certified renovator will be on site.

Interior and exterior are different trades

Some companies are genuinely good at both. Many are good at one. Weather exposure and substrate repair make exterior work less forgiving.