One of the first questions I typically get asked by potential customers at my San Diego house painting company is, “How much will it cost to have my house painted?” The homeowner will usually give me some details, like, “We want to have the exterior of our two-story, 2500-square-foot house painted,” or “We need three 10×12’ bedrooms painted.” While we would love to give accurate quotes over the phone or by email, there’s more to providing a price than just the square footage.
However, since we’ve been painting homes in San Diego since 2006, we can usually provide a pretty good price range prior to the initial in-home consultation. For example, currently, having a small room painted (walls only) will run a homeowner between $500 and $800 at our company. Exterior painting for a medium-size San Diego home will be $6,000-$9,000. Of course, those prices change as the cost of materials, labor, and other items change.
To get the most accurate price for house painting, you will need to have someone come out to your house. You may have failed to mention over the phone that your home has higher-than-average ceilings or that you have a lot of detailed trim work throughout your house. If you want a room painted a dark color, that will factor into the price as well, as dark colors often require an extra coat of paint.
Know What the Price Includes
Before you sign on the dotted line with a Temecula house painter, it’s important to know what their price includes. You don’t want to be surprised at the end with added costs you weren’t expecting. For example, does the painting company require that you move your furniture away from the walls, or is furniture moving included in their price? Does the price include minor patching of holes and/or the scraping off of old, peeling paint? Does the price include any sort of guarantee? Will the painters come back and do touch-ups if needed?
If the company has provided you with a contract, make sure you actually read it! It should contain all the details about what the house painting company’s price includes and what it doesn’t. If they don’t give you a contract—run! Without a contract, they can change the price on you at any time, and you have no recourse.
Working with a company that does not provide you with a detailed contract is not worth the risk—no matter how great the price is.
What Accounts for Major Price Differences When It Comes to House Painting in San Diego?
When we talk with San Diego homeowners who get multiple bids for house painting, they often tell us that the difference in the quotes they receive can be in the thousands of dollars! They ask how some companies can offer the same service for so much less money. The answer is, it’s probably not the same service.
As mentioned above, a company may not do things like move furniture or fill cracks or holes in your walls. They may also be cutting corners when it comes to other types of prep work. Maybe they won’t add a second coat of paint when necessary, or they won’t properly mask off the areas that aren’t receiving paint. In addition, they could be using cheaper, lesser-quality paint.
A second thing that could affect pricing is if a company is operating in a less-than-legal manner. It costs money to license and insure a house painting company. Some painters choose to forgo these things to save money and to be the cheapest painting company in San Diego. Workers comp insurance and liability insurance for a painting company are not small expenses, but every legitimate painting company should have these. It protects you—the homeowner. If anyone is hurt while on your property or if anything is damaged during the painting process, you are covered by the company’s insurance policies. It’s worth paying a bit more for a licensed and insured company for your protection and peace of mind.
If a company gives you a “cash” price, this is a big red flag. This likely means the company is working “under the table” and not paying taxes, and likely doesn’t have insurance either.
Before hiring a San Diego house painter, always ask for their license number and then check it on the CSLB website. Make sure the number they give you matches the name they give you—sometimes a painter will give you the license number of a different painting company and try to pass it off as their own. This is unfortunately more common than you might think.
Final Thought
As the saying goes, “You get what you pay for.” This is as true for house painting in San Diego as it is for other things. Don’t just shop by price. Look for value.
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