How to choose a painting contractor.
Five questions worth asking every bidder in Brighton, our answers to all of them, and an honest note about who actually works out here.
When comparing painting contractors in Brighton, Colorado, ask each bidder for a certificate of insurance, preparation itemized by surface, the exact product line and sheen per surface, the coat count with primer specified separately, and confirmation they have assessed all four elevations for hail damage. Colorado issues no statewide painting license, so insurance and a detailed written scope are what protect you.
Five questions for every bidder
Ask all of them in writing, ask everyone, and the gap between quotes usually explains itself.
- Can I see your certificate of insurance? Colorado issues no statewide painting license, so this is the document that actually protects you. Anyone who cannot produce it on request is not someone to hand a deposit to.
- What preparation is included, itemized by surface? "Prep as needed" is not a scope. It is where change orders come from.
- Which product line and sheen, on which surface? Not "premium paint." The manufacturer, the line and the sheen per element, so you can pull the data sheet yourself.
- How many coats, and is primer separate? Two finish coats should be standard, with primer specified wherever substrate is bare or repaired.
- Have you looked for hail damage? Out here that is not an optional question, and a bidder who has not walked all four elevations has not inspected your house.
Our answers
| Question | Our answer |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Fully insured, certificate provided at the estimate rather than on request afterward. |
| Preparation | Itemized by surface in writing: wash, mildew treatment where needed, scrape to a sound edge, substrate repair, sand transitions, fill, caulk every joint, prime all bare and repaired areas. |
| Products | Sherwin-Williams and PPG, named by line and sheen per surface. |
| Coats | Two finish coats standard, primer specified separately, written into the estimate. |
| Hail | All four elevations assessed and photographed before any coating, documented so a claim is not compromised. |
| Warranty | 5 years on workmanship, written, with exclusions printed rather than buried. |
On being local, specifically
Search for a Brighton painter and most of what ranks is dispatching from Westminster, Thornton or Boulder. One of the companies ranking for Fort Lupton lists a Boulder address.
That is not dishonest and those are real companies. It does mean the person quoting your house may not have seen what the last hail storm did to this side of the county, or know that your subdivision went up in one wave and the whole street is chalking at once.
What we are not
Not the cheapest bid you will get, and we would rather say that now than have you discover it in year two. Not public adjusters either: we document hail damage and provide a scope, but we do not negotiate with insurers or tell you what your policy covers.
What we will do
- Show up, and tell you when a day has to move rather than leaving you with an empty driveway.
- Answer the phone, during the project and after the invoice.
- Say the hard thing early. If the siding needs replacing before paint, you hear it at the estimate.
- Stand behind the work for five years, in writing.
About choosing a contractor
Does Colorado license painting contractors?
No statewide painting license exists. Some municipalities have their own requirements. Current liability insurance, a detailed written scope and a readable warranty are what actually protect you.
How many bids should I get?
Two or three, asking each the same written questions. Beyond that you are collecting numbers for jobs that are not the same job.
Why is one bid thousands lower?
Usually the preparation, the product grade, the coat count or the warranty. Occasionally uninsured labor. Compare on those four lines and the gap stops being mysterious.
Does it matter if a painter is based out of town?
It matters for knowledge rather than honesty. Several companies ranking for this area dispatch from Westminster, Thornton or Boulder, and may not know what the last storm did to this side of the county.
What should make me wary?
Vague preparation language, unnamed products, a verbal warranty, pressure to sign the same day, and anyone offering to handle your insurance claim for you.
Are you the cheapest?
No, and we would rather say so. On older corridor houses the preparation is most of the labor, and a quote that looks substantially lower has usually left some of it out.
Request your free estimate
Tell us what needs painting and send a few photos. We cover Brighton and every town along the corridor, and most projects can be priced without a site visit.
Rather talk? 720-208-5645