How to Find Painters' Information

Find painters with good reputations by word of mouth.

Your bedroom is a hideous shade of blue, and your basement is so dark it feels like a cave when you walk into it. You do not have the time and energy, much less the proper skills, to get the jobs done yourself. It is time to hire a painter. Now the question is, "Which one do I hire?" Towns and cities are often full of house and/or business painters. Find information about the ones you want to give you a bid by doing a bit of research. Check online recommendation sites, look at painters' advertisements, and talk to others who have worked with painters. Word of mouth is often the best way to learn about painters' reputations and quality of work in general.

Instructions

1. Ask at your local paint store. Paint store owners often have commercial relationships with painters, but they also know who does the best work in town. They have known the painters who buy supplies and materials from them for several years, and they have talked to the customers who have hired them. Paint store employees and owners have their fingers on the pulse of house painting in your town.

2. Look on Angie's List or a similar online recommendation service. Angie's List charges a fee for its services, but recommendations are not given by unseen paid reviewers. Its users pay to recommend service providers such as doctors, contractors and painters. The providers do not pay to post themselves on the list.

   Check with the Better Business Bureau in your area for information about local painters. Find a local painter's directory online. Some examples include the National Painters Directory and Painter Match, where you can find information on painters in your town or state.

3. Look in your local yellow pages phone book or newspaper classifieds. Not all painters advertise through these medias, but they are a good place to start to find out what kind of painting a particular painter specializes in or about other skills they may have, such as drywall.

4. Talk to your neighbors and friends. Painters often receive their work through word-of-mouth recommendations. Also talk to general contractors. They often work most with the painting company that does the best work for the best price. Ask about pricing, quality of work, skills and a painter's level of professionalism.

References

• Angie's List

Resources

• Painter Match
• National Painters Directory