Some Marietta painting contractors grade at the top when it comes to quality, but as with any metropolis, it has its share of low quality inexperienced contractors. If you have ever searched for a Marietta painting contractor then you know the frustration of trying to resolve how to divide the good from the bad. Getting someone you can have faith in and do a quality job looks like an impossible task.

Insight says you should not simply go with the cheapest bid, except of course you plainly are not interested in a quality paint job. When it comes to painting prices there is a large divide and this vacuum gets even bigger when you begin discussing service quality.

The mystery to choosing the best Marietta painting contractor is comprehending why the business has such a hefty pricing discrepancy in the first place. Often times homeowners will suppose that the difference is simply a ordinary price differential and all other things remain the same.

This comprehension depends on all other stuff remaining the same, and that is a problem. The various influences on pricing vary quite a bit in the painting contractor trade. These influences can make a huge difference on the service experience, quality of work completed, safety and warranty just to name a few aspects of your painting job.

Personally, I am a native Atlantan and can share with you 27 years skill in the industry of operating my own company. My knowledge is from hands on experience and I can speak as a representative of other painting companies similar to mine who labor diligently to provide you, the consumer, with the best quality job in a safe and competent way.


Knowing the main factors that effect the cost of a painting job is crucial and below are some figures as well as the proportion of your quote they make up.

1. Labor Cost- 55-65% of your estimate will consist of the paid labor that will be working on your home. Some companies use substandard labor and bring the price down significantly however this will likely bring the overall quality down as well. You could expect to see a 20% to 30% reduction in price when compared to the average market with this kind of estimate.

2. Liability or Workers Comp- 5-10% of the bid- Not carrying this type of insurance can allow a Roswell painting contractor to reduce costs by up to 10% of the industry standard. This is one risk you do not want to take as a homeowner so be sure you diligently investigate this issue. Painting contractors are bad to claim they have insurance when they do not, or they will have it for the business with a certificate to prove it, but the employees are not covered. Companies will pay their labor in cash and never report the earnings. When this happens, if someone gets hurt while working on your house, the insurance will not cover the medical expenses because there is no proof of wages. Now you are left to pay the damages either from your insurance or your own pocket. This type of thing runs rampant in painting contractors, do not risk it.

3. Generally speaking a painting contractor with a low bid is probably not paying their share of taxes. When pricing your painting job any legitimate company will have to take taxes into consideration. Even after all the other expenses associated with painting there are still taxes that must be paid. Look for this to make up to 10% of your estimate.

4. Paint represents between 12% and 15% of the job on average. It can be a good bit higher depending what is beginning estimated. But this is an average. Skimping on the quality or quantity of paint being applied could mean a difference of maybe 5% of the total estimate.

5. Preparation- 5-8% A painting contractor can take off another 15% on labor costs if they pay less attention to detail and reduce the amount of prep work that is completed.


6. Warranty- This can be a significant expense to a painting company and if they do not want to absorb the cost they simply will not honor any warranties you have agreed upon. Cheap painting contractors are notorious for doing this, when they start feeling the heat, they will change their phone number and even leave the area to get out of the warranties. This is because they did not charge enough to cover this type of customer assurance.

These are just a few of the reasons why there is such a large split in pricing in this business. There are many more, but the above give you a good idea of how you can receive a estimate that is 20%,30% or even 40% lower than a different company. If you add the above percentages together then you can easily see why the difference.

I have heard many people remark that a acquaintance or neighbor had a house painted that was pretty decent for around $500-$800 cheaper. Think about your referral for a minute though, is it telling you anything about what your encounter will be? Your acquaintance may have gotten lucky that no one was injured while working, will you be that lucky? Whether or not this company will respect a warranty is a matter of wait and see! What kind of reputation does the company have about town? You do not want to be the next house they totally bomb. I have customers who called me within a year after choosing a low-priced Marietta painting contractor, they now need another painting estimate.

Of the above features which do you feel comfortable doing without? If you are like almost any homeowner you most likely will react none of the above. You do not want to risk your house and finances for a little savings on your painting job.

Now that you know a bit about pricing lets moe along to the process of qualifying a Marietta painting contractor. On the next page you will find 10 ideas for qualifying your next painter. Click this link to find out what you should say.


Nicky Taylor
Owner