by Craig | Nov 24, 2015 | General posts, Pricing/Value
I hear many different recommendations of how many estimates to get when hiring a painting contractor, or any other contractor for that matter. Let’s address that question….
Personally, I think you should get as many estimates as you need to feel comfortable with the contractor you select.
Some people need to get as many as 10 estimates, and some people only need to get 2 or 3.
It would be good to start your search with gathering the names of 10 different painting contractors. This can be done by:
- Asking friends or neighbours who they have used – word of mouth is generally the best way to find a contractor
- Going to your local paint store and asking for their recommendations
- Googling “Painting contractor in Toronto”
When asking friends or neighbours you can ask them about the painter’s cleanliness, punctuality, or anything else that’s important to you. After all, you want to have a great painting experience, and you have a great painting experience when your painter is attentive to your needs.
When searching on Google for a painting contractor, see how many positive Google reviews they have received. This is shown by the stars beside their name in the listing, 5 stars is good, no stars means they haven’t gotten enough reviews yet to have stars beside their name.
The next step after you have found some potential painting contractors is to go to their websites and look for a few different things:
- See if they have any testimonials from satisfied customers. Many painting contractors have written testimonials from past clients, which is good. But do they have any video testimonials? Most people are very shy when asked to speak on video, so if they do a video testimonial they must be a raving fan!
- Do they have WSIB and liability insurance in place?
- Have they done work in your area before?
- You can also look for any pertinent blog posts about something that is important to your painting experience.
It is also worth checking if they have any relevant qualifications or training. This isn’t limited to painting, but should also include the running of the business. Contractors not only have to do the work themselves, but also have to do all the behind the scenes work and keep their business running effectively. There are training schemes that will give contractors all the skills and knowledge they need to be able to run their business correctly, but you can find more Professional Contractor Training Advantages here, should you need further convincing of how relevant this type of training is. It means that you can guarantee a contractor who has taken such training will be efficient in how they run their business and are less likely to let you down in the long run.
After you have done this, you might only need to book a time with 2 or 3 painting contractors, or maybe more.
The important thing is that you schedule estimates with painting contractors that you feel comfortable with and would potentially like to do business with.
Hope this helps you with selecting your painting contractor. Feel free to schedule an estimate with CAM Painters and Transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Oct 19, 2015 | Interior Painting, Pricing/Value
Many painting projects can be handled by a DIY home owner. Stairwells, however, have tricky angles and in most cases require specialized ladders. This should be taken into consideration when deciding to tackle your stairwell painting project yourself or hire a professional.
First thing, CAM Painters has the proper tools and ladders to paint stairwells safely and efficiently. When you hire CAM Painters to paint your stairwell in Toronto you get:
- Properly trained painters using safe work practices
- Appropriate equipment for hard to reach areas
- Painters who are fully covered by WSIB and Liability Insurance
- A superior paint job that you can be proud of
I’m sure you’ve seen wavy edging done with brush extenders and other edging tools mounted to poles. For straight lines in corners the painter needs to be eye level with the corner-we can do that.
So how much does it cost to paint a stairwell? It can range from $500 to over $1000 plus tax depending on the complexity of the project what surfaces you want to be painted.
- Do you just want the walls painted?
- Were you thinking ceiling, walls and trim?
- How about stair risers, tread, handrails, etc.?
- Some combination of the above?
Please feel free to schedule an on-site quotation for your stairwell project in Toronto and transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Oct 5, 2015 | Interior Painting, Pricing/Value
Have you recently had a reshuffle at home? Have you gone all out and bought new decor, a new full size mattress and all the trimmings? Thinking about painting your bedroom? Wondering about the cost? And I know from speaking to a friend that one of the easiest ways of keeping the cost down is changing service providers. My friend recommended that I should look into a new energy provider because so much money is wasted in that area with people who forget about how much their energy providers charge. She recommended Simply Switch and tells me the service was great!
Whether you want to paint your master bedroom, your kid’s bedroom, or a seldom used guest bedroom a professional paint job will freshen up and transform that bedroom!
In terms of cost, our prices can range widely based on:
- the size of the room
- are we just painting the walls?
- are we painting ceiling and trim as well?
- are we painting the closet?
- the level of prep needed
As you can see, there are a wide variety of factors, which is why it’s important to get a written quote disclosing all the details of the project from your painting contractor so that there are no surprises.
Generally speaking, though, a small bedroom can range as low as $500 plus tax. A large bedroom can be over $1000 plus tax, especially if there are a lot of details like coffered ceilings, elaborate trim details, and other factors.
What is included when you hire CAM Painters to paint your bedroom?
- all paint, labour and materials
- professionally trained painters, fully equipped with all the proper tools
- WSIB coverage
- Liability insurance
- An excellent painting experience, customized to your needs!
It’s easy to schedule a quote, just click here and you can book an estimate online!
Transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Sep 21, 2015 | Pricing/Value, Wallpaper installation
So your thinking about doing some wallpaper? Wallpaper is a great way to add pattern and texture to a room. Even just a little bit of wallpaper makes a big statement!
How do I go about choosing wallpaper for my room?
There are many wallpapers to choose from, damask patterns, geometric patterns, paintable wallpaper (also known as anaglypta)
CAM Painters has access to interior designers who will come to your location with samples to assist you in choosing your paper. If you prefer to go to a paint store to choose your paper we have a list of stores which have great staff who can assist in the selection process.
If you decide to select wallpaper yourself be sure to:
How much does the wallpaper cost?
This varies widely, we have worked with wallpaper that cost $30 per roll, up to $800 per roll, most being around the $100 per roll range.
How much does the installation cost?
It depends on the wallpaper chosen, some papers are more difficult to install than others. It also depends on the room, if there are many corners and/or odd angles that adds to the complexity of the installation, also, lighting fixtures, bathroom fixtures, etc. take extra time to work around, too.
Here are some typical installation prices, not including the material cost (as of Nov 2022 – subject to change):
- A typical accent wall in a bedroom is usually around $600 plus tax
- A full bedroom could range from $900 to $1400 plus tax, depending on size
- Most small powder rooms range from $800 to $1200 plus tax
Be sure to contact us so we can give you an accurate assessment on your wallpaper installation.
Remember, with wallpaper you can transform your home with lasting beauty!
by Craig | Sep 14, 2015 | General posts, Interior Painting, Pricing/Value
So you want to get some interior painting done? Painting is a great way to add value to your home and keep it looking fresh and new!
I’m writing this blog in mid-September, so it’s a perfect time to start planning for your interior painting projects, so that they can be all finished before the holiday season is upon us!
How much should I budget for the painting of my interior? It depends on a few factors:
- How many rooms do you want to paint?
- What areas in those rooms do you want painted? Just the walls? The ceiling and the walls? Or ceiling, walls and trim?
- What is the level of complexity of the project? Rooms with vaulted ceilings take longer to paint than rooms with standard 8′ or 9′ ceilings. Detailed trim also takes longer to paint than a more simple profile trim.
- What is the level of preparation required? Are there quite a few cracks to fill? Are there some uneven walls? Damaged walls sometimes require up to 3 layers of patch to make smooth, which takes time and adds to the cost.
Let me give you a price range to think about:
I just recently completed a fairly simple and straightforward 2000 sq ft house for $4000 plus tax.
I’ve also done work on a larger 5000 sq ft home with vaulted ceilings, awkward stairwells, and some other detailed trim work which came to over $15 000 plus tax.
The best step for you to do is to get a written quote, custom tailored to your home and your expectations. Click here to book a time to have us over for a quote!
by Craig | Aug 17, 2015 | General posts, Pricing/Value
Exterior painting project
There are many different painters in Toronto, ON and each has a different way of approaching a job, here are a couple of pointers when you are comparing quotes:
Is the painting contractor covered by WSIB and does that painting contractor carry Liability Insurance? A reputable painting contractor’s price will reflect the additional overhead cost of these things.
How detailed is the quote?
Is the level of preparation specified? Things like using a premium primer on exterior wood that is peeling, such as XIM Peel Bond, will make your paint last longer, but will add to the initial cost. Likewise, sanding down glossy areas will promote topcoat adhesion but will require more labour cost than simply painting and hoping.
Is the paint brand and product specified? A painter can say that they use Benjamin Moore, but will they be using top-line Aura or Advance products or will they be using Super Spec which is half the price of Aura. Using lower grade paint will result in a lower cost quote, but it might not give you the end result you’re looking for. The same is true for Sherwin Williams Paints and all the rest, they have their premium products which cost about twice as much as their entry level products.
The most important question is, do you trust the person you are dealing with? Did they come on time for the estimate? Are they professional in their appearance and how they carry themselves? Are they timely at responding to emails and phone calls?
Painting requires attention to detail and if attention to detail is not displayed at the time of the estimate, will it be displayed when the brushes and rollers hit the wall?
If you’d like to have us over for a no-obligation quote feel free to book us online, you just have to choose a time that’s convenient for you.
