Painting their house is something everyone needs to do from time to time, as part of the home maintenance process. But while painting a home may seem easy, there are certain risks involved you need to be aware of before opting to hire an unlicensed contractor to do the job. While it’s true that you may be saving some money, they don’t come with insurance and they won’t have any obligation to repaint if they’ve done a poor job at it the first time. To save you any headaches when hiring a painter, we’ve come up with this guide that should take you through all the things you need to consider before making a final decision.

Make Sure You Know the Costs

This is one of the most important things you need to be aware of before agreeing to terms with any contractor. By having a basic idea of the paint costs (the amount which your home requires), you’ll know exactly how much you’re paying for the work. A can of average paint should cover about 400 square feet, so make sure you calculate how much you need in order to complete the project. If you can’t find an affordable contractor, there’s always the DIY option if you’ve got some spare time, but it’s highly recommended that you hire a professional if you can.

Contract is a Must

If you didn’t know by now, all the work that a painting contractor is hired for requires a contract. This was implemented primarily to protect the client, as the contract will obligate the contractor to do exactly what you’ve agreed on. It should cover the type of work that needs to be done, areas that you’ve agreed on, the amount of paint used, and the price. A contract can be provided by a professional contractor, or you can make your own as a client if you prefer it that way. Without a contract, you might find yourself completely unprotected if you run into any issues with your contractor.

Insurance

Painters are required to have two basic types of insurance – worker’s compensation and public liability plus Home Warranty Insurance for jobs that cost over $20,000. The first one is vital to you as a client because it’s there to protect your home in case your contractor causes any damage to the property. This is also why local painters in Sydney area recommend only to hire licensed painters, as unlicensed painters don’t have any form of insurance and their mistakes could cost you more than you can imagine.

Home Warranty Insurance was designed to protect clients against poor workmanship, which also makes it extremely important for you.

There’s a Reason Why Some Contractors are Unlicensed

While you may get carried away because of the price an unlicensed painter is offering for the job, you should first ask yourself – why exactly are they unlicensed? If they’re just too lazy to get a license, you can be sure they’ll also be cutting corners while doing a job for you. On the other hand, if they don’t meet the requirements – why would you want a below average painter working on your home? The third option is that they have a limitation on their working rights, which would put you in a position where you’re promoting illegal workers.

Bottom Line

If you’re the type of person that likes to be on the safe side when doing home maintenance, hiring an unlicensed contractor really shouldn’t be an option for you. Even those who like to gamble might find that the odds are always in the favor of licensed painters, as they not only offer insurance and quality, but you can also hold them responsible for everything that they do on your property. Also, keep in mind that unlicensed painters aren’t even always cheaper than their legal counterparts, so make sure that you get at least three offers before making a final decision on who’s going to paint your home.

Lack of insurance and contract make unlicensed painters a risk that most people shouldn’t be ready to take, especially when letting people they don’t know inside their home. This guide should serve you as a good starting point for choosing the right contractor and we really hope they’ll do a great job for you.