10 Questions To Ask Before Hiring A San Francisco Office Painting Contractor
If your office is in need of a new paint job, hiring any old San Francisco office painter will not do. You must first ensure they are fully qualified and able to perform the work according to your satisfaction and needs. Just ask these few questions and you will easily weed out any San Francisco office painting contractor that is not 100% qualified to handle your office painting job, leaving you to hire the best painting company for the job.
Are the painters fully insured?
Painters will say they are fully insured to get the contract. Make sure they provide a certificate of Liability Insurance and proof of Workers Compensation coverage. Very often contractors will pay their painters as subs to avoid paying for Insurance.
Do they have references?
An established painting contractor will have many satisfied customers. Ask to see written testimonials and better yet, ask for references with full contact information. It is also a good idea to ask for information from both recent and older customers
Do they have experience with Office Painting?
There are different kinds of contractors specializing in different kinds of painting. Exterior commercial or large industrial painting companies will not know the special circumstances involved in painting office space. The everyday routine of the workspace should be respected.
Do they use green paints?
These days, consumers have choices. Paint manufacturers produce green zero VOC paints that will not harm the indoor air quality of the building. Make sure your contractor is well versed and knowledgeable about the latest green coatings available.
Can they help with color?
Branding considerations aside, there are certain colors that will make employees more comfortable at work. Ultimately that will lead to a more productive and creative workforce. Do they have a color consultant that can help with choosing the right combination of colors?
Is there a warranty?
Ask for a workmanship warranty to ensure they stand behind their work. Will they follow manufacturer’s recommendations? If they don’t, the product warranty is voided. Even more, there are painting companies that will come back to do touch-ups and even offer a maintenance service. This could be of great value.
Can they work after hours or weekends?
The least interruption to the work day routine happens when the work is done during evenings or weekends. Does the contractor have enough of a personnel pool and trained crews that are available to work weekends?
Who will move the furniture?
Sometimes there is a lot of furniture and it needs to be moved after hours. There are heavy filing cabinets, bookcases, combination desks etc. Will they move that furniture and place it back before work starts? If the move is major, do they have contacts with office moving companies?
Will they cover floors and furniture?
Carpeted floors have to be protected and furniture needs to be covered. Computer equipment has to be protected from all the dust created from preparation work and sanding. Consideration needs to be given to working around wires and network cables.
Who will clean up?
Office buildings usually have their regular cleaning staff that do a good job taking care of the facility every night. When a major project such as painting or wall repairs happens, the mess can be significant. That type of workload can be very taxing to usually very busy cleaning personnel. Have it in writing that the paint contractor will clean all construction mess and dust.
