Getting Ready for Your Painters

You booked the job. Now what? This is the page we wish every customer read before day one. Some of it is common sense, some of it is how we run a job, and we say which is which. Anything else, try the Ask Gerard page or call 850-297-1882.

Before we arrive

Do I need to have my colors picked out?

Yes, before day one, please. We are "putter oners not picker outers." We will paint any color you love, but we would rather not choose your living room color for you. If you are stuck, ask. There is help available.

People change colors. It happens all the time. If you are going to change your mind, do it before the paint is bought and the crew is on the ladder.

What do I need to move?

Not the couch. We do all the heavy moving. We have sliders for the big pieces, and we protect whatever stays in the room. What helps is if you handle the small things: pictures and mirrors off the walls, breakables off shelves and dressers, anything sitting on furniture we will be sliding. That is advice, not a rule. If you cannot get to it, tell us and we work around it.

What about pets and kids?

Advice again: give the pets a room we are not painting that day. Wet paint and a curious dog are a bad mix, and doors will be open more than usual. Ask the crew which rooms are off limits and for how long.

Do I need to be home?

No. We can arrange a way to get into your home. If you would rather be there, be there. Either way is fine.

Will I hear from you before the crew shows up?

You will hear from the office before we come, so you know who is coming and roughly when.

Day one, and every day after

Who shows up, and when?

A crew of two or three painters. Arrival time is set when we schedule the job. The people who might be on your crew are on the team page.

How do you protect my floors and furniture?

Clean canvas drop cloths on the floors. Lightweight plastic over beds and furniture that stays in the room. Heavy pieces go on sliders and get moved, not dragged. That is how we do it on every interior job.

What does my house look like at the end of each day?

The crew cleans up before they leave, every day. Here is how one customer described a recent job on Google:

"Colleen and her crew came out the first day to prep. They moved furniture and covered everything. Cabinet doors in kitchen were removed and painted offsite. Everyone was great. Showed up timely, worked all day and cleaned up. Colleen even helped me with colors. Job took about 6 days. I'll be having them back out for phase two."

"Marshall came in and assess my home for interior painting and repairs. Jess, Sherry and Jac did an amazing job moving furniture, repairing damaged areas and painting my entire home with care. A big shout out to Jess for her leadership in getting the job done."

Exterior jobs

What do I need to do outside before you start?

General advice for any exterior paint job, ours or anyone's:

• Move the cars out of the driveway, or at least away from the side of the house we are working on. Ladders and drop cloths need the room.
• Unlock the gates.
• Turn the sprinklers off the night before and keep them off while we work. We cannot paint wet siding.
• Bring in the grill cover, the patio cushions, the wind chimes, anything hanging on the house.
• Close the windows.

If the shrubs are pressed against the siding, a little trimming beforehand makes for a cleaner job. That one is up to you. What we do to the house itself before paint is on the exterior painting page.

Weather

What happens if it rains?

We reschedule. Gerard puts it this way: in the painting business, it rains for three days. We do not paint wet wood. So an exterior job in Tallahassee can slip, especially June through August, our wet season. When it does, we tell you when we are coming back instead of leaving you guessing. October and November are the driest stretch here.

Inside jobs are a different story. Rain does not stop a bedroom.

Changes and surprises

What if I change my mind partway through?

Tell us the minute you know. We will tell you what it does to the timeline and the price. No hard feelings. Jobs never go exactly to plan.

What if you find damage under the old paint?

On exteriors, it happens. Paint hides soft fascia and rotten trim until the scraper finds it. When we find it, we stop, show you, and tell you what it will take. Minor wood rot and carpentry repairs are billed on time and materials, separate from the painting quote. We do not paint over rot and call it done. Anything bigger than a minor repair is a contractor's job, not a painter's, and we will say so.

Paying for the job

Who buys the paint?

We do. Your proposal shows material and labor separately. We get a pretty nice discount and we pass it on to our customers.

How and when do I pay?

Check, ACH, or card. When payment is due, and whether there is a deposit, is spelled out on your signed proposal before we start. If anything on it is unclear, call the office and ask.

After we finish

What happens on the last day?

We put the furniture back, pull the tape and the plastic, and walk the job with you. If you see something you do not like, say so while we are still there. That is the easiest time to fix it. We stand behind our work.

Anything you want from me afterward?

If you were happy, tell your neighbor, and if you have a minute, leave a review. You can read what other customers said on our reviews page. If you were not happy, call the office and ask for Gerard. He would rather hear it from you than read it online.

To get on the schedule, request a free estimate and Marshall or Gerard will come look. Interior details are on the interior painting page.