Why is there a large variation in bid price from painter to painter?

Some things to consider when a bid comes in unexpectedly low:

• The city of Minneapolis requires painters to be insured and licensed, but this is not always the case. Brushed Monkey does this not only to conform to legal obligations, but out of a sense of duty to our employees and customers should there be an accident or injury on the job.
• The Scope of Work outlines in detail what a contractor intends to do at each stage of the job, without a detailed Scope of Work there is no way to be certain that they intend to follow all steps necessary to do the work correctly. This could mean their bid neglected certain steps and is innacurate in price, or they intend to skip steps to keep the price low. We have done many jobs where the previous painters skipped important steps and the clients had their paint/work begin to fail after just a few months.
• Other factors can include employee compensation (which we pride ourselves on fair compensation practices and never hire immigrant labor with intent to pay them wages below Federal and State regulations), peak painting season vs. off season, or simple inexperience in quoting.

Can you seperate the bid into several parts, or include line items?

Absolutely! We realize you may have priorities and we are glad to help in any way we can to get your job done, all at once, or bit by bit. There can be built-in cost advantage efficiencies at times when doing the project as a quoted whole, rather than in parts, such as in set up times and clean up times (having to do this multiple times instead of just once may impact overall price). We always try to balance this to minimize price increases for breaking up a project.

What's the difference between "good paint" and "cheap paint"?

While the difference may not be very apparent at the onset, lower quality latex paints tend to darken quicker and are more likely to be damaged during routine cleaning than higher quality paints. Areas with higher quality paints need to be touched up and repainted less often, and when you touch them up they will match better due to less fading. After you've gone ahead and accepted a bid from a reputable contractor and you have made the commitment to invest time and money into getting the work done, don't let potential cost savings get in the way of the quality or longevity of your project. We use our extensive history and experience to lead us to the best paints for the best price. High quality paints have more solids and less fillers which means the paint is more resistant to turning chalky, peeling, fading, and cracking. In addition, higher quality paints are backed by the manufacturer's warrenty. Low quality paints are also less consistent in their sheen due to higher levels of fillers that allow the paint to seperate while painting (even on the wall itself they may begin to seperate before drying).

Why not accept the lowest bid for my project?

While it's tempting to take the lowest bid, it may not be the best idea. Most painting estimators base their price on cost of materials, cost of labor, overhead, and profit. If you go with the lowest bid that is usually an indicator that labor costs have been cut, or that lesser quality products will be used. For example not prepping correctly will leave areas exposed to paint drips, or spills, or flecks on areas you don't want painted. Another example is using inexperienced labor who may leave heavy brush strokes or lines on your wall, and may even get paint on wood trim (we see this all the time, it is very difficult to remove once hardened). As in all things you get what you pay for. If your expectations are low, a lower cost bid may be the right fit, however, it should not be viewed as the default best option.

Do you require a deposit before my project begins?

Yes. We require deposits for all projects. The amount of deposit depends on the size of the job. Smaller jobs require a 50% deposit. As a project grows in cost the deposit, as a percentage of the total cost, shrinks. Please see your estimate to find out your requested deposit amount. Don't have a bid yet? CLICK HERE to request one for free!

Someone else quoted a lower price, will you match it?

Perhaps. We are always happy to review our quote and if we feel we can provide the same quality at a lower price, we will match it or at least come close. We pride ourselves on being an award-winning painting company and never sacrifice quality to be cheaper.

Can you give me a quote over the phone?

No. There are many variables that go into estimating a home painting project, making an accurate quote near impossible to acheive without a visit to the project site. Our painting estimates are highly detailed and priced per unit (sq ft, linear ft etc). We also have variables like accessibility, heights, and amount of paint needed per color. We break down the various details making it easy to see what your paint project will cost in a transparent and easily understood way.

How much will it cost to paint my home?

We get this one a lot. The answer is, every home is different. The differences include: square footage, surfaces to be painted, type of paint, amount of preparatory work, faux finishes, any refinement required, heights that require scaffolding or ladders, and more. To get the answer accurately we will need to perform a bid. Bids are free, just click here or call the number at the top of the page to shcedule one.