The decision to paint your commercial building is one that should not be taken lightly. There’s the cost, potential impact on business, disruptions to employee working conditions, and much more. But there’s no need to fret – we’re here to help! We’ve put our more than 30 years of experience in commercial painting and waterproofing to work for you by creating this handy checklist of things to consider before hiring a commercial painting contractor.
Before you get your business painted, be sure you cover all bases by asking for the following information:
Painting Contractors License Florida
All professional commercial painting contractors in Florida must have a contractor license from the Construction Industry Licensing Board. There is no license specific to painting work, so a general license will cover any work done. This contractor’s license can be for residential work, commercial work or both. The State of Florida has two types of licenses: registered and certified. A registered contractor is licensed to work at a local level. A certified contractor can work anywhere in the state. A painting contractor should have at least 4 years of working experience and must have passed the state certification exam. In order to obtain the license, a contractor is required to:
- Show proof of at least 4 years of experience
- Pass the state certification exam
- Show proof of Workers’ Compensation if you have employees
Project Bonding
A Florida Contractor License Bond is often required by the State of Florida and its local municipalities of general, electrical, roofing, HVAC, and other types of contractors. The Florida Contractor License Bond typically seeks to ensure that a contractor will adhere to state statutes and local municipal codes. Some forms of these bonds are often referred to as Florida Code Compliance Surety Bonds.
Insurances
Insurance not only protects the painting contractor but it also prevents you from being held responsible for any injuries occurred during the project. General liability insurance protects paint contractors from bodily injury and property damage claims. Another must-have is Workers’ Compensation which covers employees’ job-related injuries. Contractors are required to make certain that all sub-contractors have the required Workers’ Comp Insurance before they begin work on a project.
Quality of Materials
The quality of paint and other materials used will determine how professional your finished product looks. Have the brand names of the paint in writing, as well as any other materials used, and check that all cans are sealed before they’re opened for use on your project.
Ask for Customer References
Reputation matters. Be sure to not only get the names of recommendations from your painting contactor but ask for work samples and follow up with customer recommendations to make sure they are a good fit. Ask them about the experience and professionalism of the team, if expectations were met, etc.
Satisfaction Guarantee
Once the project is complete, confirm that an inspection will be conducted with the contractor to ensure the end product meets and exceeds your expectations. If it doesn’t, clarify if they have a “satisfaction guaranteed” process.
Best Overall Value
While it can be tempting to save money and go for the lowest bid, make sure the contractor is not sacrificing quality in order to come in with the lowest bid, which is, unfortunately, a common practice. Ask about the qualifications of the team who will be working on your project, materials used, who will be leading the project, etc. A professional painting company will provide you with a solid work plan.
For more than 30 years, A-1 Tropic Painting & Waterproofing has been dedicated to making sure your project is done correctly, on time, every time. Check our references, see our work and give us a call at (561) 670-2653.