WALL REPAIR Beware of your wall repair not being included in the bid the painter or contractor gives you. They frequently use this little trick to cut short to save time. People not having to paint but every so many years, aren't familiar with all the points of painting negotiation nor the extent of the wall repairs to include. If you let this one slip by, you'll leave it up to the painter's discretion as to how much they will do for you. The game that's played is to point out the repairs but then they don't include said repairs in the bid. Then, after they have the contract and start the job, you'll get ask if you'd like to have the repairs made and the let you know how much more they want. See this related Article Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Interior Painting Contractor. You really should know the answers to these questions before you hire a painting contractor. THE PAINT PRICES You may not be aware that paint becomes more expensive from flat to gloss. The cost increases about $1 per gallon per sheen as you upgrade. Flat of course is the least expensive, then next is the matte flat or eggshell, the the satin, semigloss and finally gloss being the most expensive. Of course paint beomes more expensive as the tint becomes darker. Nuetral and white colors are generally up to $20 less in cost than your deeper colors of dark blues or reds. This is another place where an unethical painter or contrator can take advantage of you. Lets say you have chosen a painter, picked out your colors, your contract calls for two 2 coats with $750 up front and the balance on completion. The painter already knows the colors you have selected are deep base and has figured this into the price, but they come back to you saying the store said they were deep base and now they need to charge you more for the paint, but also, they need to charge you for a dark gray primer coat. And the real kicker to the painter is, almost one hndered percent of the time a dark grey primer is really expensive. And, since the painter aleady has your deposit, your stuck in between a rock and a hard place. So, make sure to selecdt your colors and sheen finishes before you accept a contract and part with money. In other words, make sure your colors and finishes are written into the contract prior to parting with money. PAINT AND PRIMER COVERAGE Genrally, all it take is a look at a wall or other surface to be painted to clearly see it's condition and color. You should be able to determine if your new color will cover the old in say two coats, but such is not always the case and you may be surprised. If your contractor is almost finished with a project and realizes that your walls need another coat and it's not on the contract, it will be a very expensive additional coat. So, the good advice is to be certain to specify on the contract and on the original proposal what the exact pricing of any additional coats. Also, take a look at this related Article Hiring the Right Painting Contractor as these tips will help you choose the right painter. HOW MANY COATS TO COVER Be warned of the painter or paint company bid/proposal which call for painting but "conveniently" but leave out the number of coats to be applied. Many times with colors which are similar, you can get by with just one coat of paint. But, it is near guaranted you'll have tiny, pin-sized air holes and they will pop exposing the original walls. It may not even be noticable nor bother you, but should your really be paying the painter less what is less work? So, here again, make sure to have a detailed proposal specifying the number of coats to be applied. BEWARE OF BAIT AND SWITCH MATERIAL SCAMS You should know and keep an eye out for these two common ways an unethical painter can cheat you. First, there's the Bait and Switch method. The painter or paint company sells you on premium paint written into the contract, and such is at full premim paint price. But, they purchase less of the premium paint and the rest in the least expensive paint available. They then blend the two types of paint in with the expensive paint cans or buckets and you never see the cheap stuff, only the more expensive paint. Another scam it the Watered Down method. The painter or paint company waters down the paint by 25 to 50 percent before it arrives to your project. Mixing paint with water can more than doubles the coverage, but leaves you with a paint job makes that is readily chipped, peels or cracks. This scam is almost never caught and even if your paying close attention. So, write into the contract that no product cans will be opened unless on site in the presense of yourself. Keep an eye on the new cans as they're being brought in. Make sure they look new and don't have paint in the rim of the can. If it's a five-gallon bucket, check to see whether the lid is still sealed on with the plastic strip. The only time it's acceptable to mix water in the paint is when you're using a deep or ultra deep base paint to reduce its stickiness, which is rare with new paint technology. Dark primary colors are composed almost entirely of tint that makes it very hard to work with without adding water. THE NO DETAIL PROPOSAL Today's typical painters proposal/contract includes clauses of "2 coats, flat, $500 down." Here again, beware as this is where many people are taken advantage of - the painter leaves out the type of paint to be used, repairing the drywall damage, the caulk of cracks and corner beads, as well as taping the seams, convering the floors and furniture, any referenece to change orders, the deglossing of semigloss paint and so on and so forth. As you can see, the unethical painter or paint company doesn't want to include these negotiation items in the proposal/bid as they want to be the low-ball bidder so you give them the project. Then, when you mention they haven't repaired the hole in the wall from say a door knob, you suddenly have an additional $100 to $200 charge. So, unless you specifically cover these things in your proposal/contract, it is almost guaranteed to cost you more money.