I would advise that you call a friend or relative who has recently had the interior or the exterior of their home painted by a professional painter. You can ask them how they felt about their experience. If they liked their painting contractor, they will let you know. They'll also let you know if they didn't. You should ask them how they felt about the painting company's quality, price and service. Was the contractor attentive to their needs or not? Just keep in mind that you're needs and wants will not be identical to your friend's or relative's. For example; was the painting contractor fully insured? Maybe your friend or relative didn't care if they were or not. When I say fully insured, I don't just mean a "liability insurance policy" that anyone can get for sometimes just a few hundred bucks a year. But, do they carry "workers compensation insurance" as well? Well, if they have even one employee, they are required to by law.
Another way to find a painter is to do an online search, open up your local yellow page directory or respond to a flyer that was hung on your door. Call the painters for a free estimate. I usually suggest getting three estimates. If you get too many more than that, then you'll just drive yourself crazy.
If you decide to try to find a Chicago area painting contractor by using a painting contractor referral service, just remember one thing. Most of the "qualified, fully insured" painting contractors and many customers that I know, who have enrolled in these referral services have been disappointed and disillusioned with the results and have stopped using the contractor referral service altogether. So, what do you end up getting with a lead referral service? You may just get some of the "least qualified" contractors! Yes, you heard that right. And you thought that they were going to be the best, being screened for you and all! Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware!
Let me explain something. These contractor referral services claim to "screen" painting contractors. Yet, they seem to be "negligent at best",when it comes to screening for workers compensation insurance", one of the most fundamental and basic areas that is of extreme importance to any professional, legitimate painting company and more importantly to you, the customer that is hoping that the contractor referral service is "looking out for you". Read on, I'm much more cynical than that. I don't think it is "negligence" on the part of the contractor referral services. I think it's more like "blatant disregard" for you, the customer. I truly believe, that the contractor referral services are banking on the fact that the average homeowner does not know the law; and then they use this to pull the wool over your eyes while basically implying to you the following. "Don't worry Mr. and Mrs. Homeowner. We are looking out for you. We "pre-screened" these contractors for you!" I know. That does sound cynical of me doesn't it? But, why do the contractor referral services fail to screen for such a "basic" thing as workers compensation insurance?
In Illinois, it is law, that when a painting contractor hires employees and has them working on your home, that those employees be covered by workers compensation insurance, just in case a painter gets hurt or dies while painting the interior or exterior of your home. Guess what. Painters do get hurt on jobs and more often than you might think. And serious injury for painters is actually quite common. And did you know that your homeowner's insurance may NOT cover you if a painter gets hurt while painting your house.
In fairness to some of these contractors, if a painter is working for himself and by himself, he is not required to carry workers compensation insurance on himself, but once he has a worker on the job, it's a new ball game. Even if the owner of the painting company excludes himself from his policy, he must still provide the workers compensation for his employee. Now, he'll probably tell you that he's paying him "as a subcontractor". Well when somebody gets hurt on the job, somebody is going to still come looking for money from the workers compensation insurer. When they find out that there is no workers compensation insurance, then somebody is still going to pay. The painter that is injured will look to collect from whoever has the most money. I would bet that in most cases that means you, the homeowner.
If you don't think that anyone could possibly get hurt on just this one little job for you, then I suggest you do a little research online. Just do a Google search for "house painting fatalities" or "house painting injuries". It might shock you. People get hurt doing construction and home improvements all the time. You can even narrow down your search to the Chicago area. I don't want to scare you, but you must open your eyes and see the world in which you live. Many times an unethical painter or other tradesman will even "fake" an injury, looking to milk a situation for a long time. Please don't be naive enough to think that it won't happen to you because you are nice person. Nice people are the "easiest" for people with no scruples to take advantage of. It happens all the time.
Maybe one contractor referral exists that screens for it, but I have personally NEVER seen a contractor referral service in the Chicago area screen painters for workers compensation insurance. I've only seen them screen for liability insurance, lawsuits or judgments and a few other things. They seem to be more concerned with the following: Joe Dokes in Winnetka says....."Hank and his brother and law were such nice guys, not only did they do a nice job painting my living room, but they also walked my dog?"
Source: http://willywonka-blog.blogspot.com/2012/11/need-painting-contractor-should-you.html
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