Most painting complaints are not about the paint. They are about
preparation that was quoted but not done, or a price that changed once the work started.
Both are avoidable at the quoting stage, and the questions below are how you avoid them.
Ask for the quote itemised, not as one figure
A lump sum tells you nothing. An itemised quote states the square metres measured, what
preparation is included, which paint system is specified and how many coats go on. Once you
have two quotes in that format you can actually compare them. Once you have two lump sums,
you can only compare the totals — which is how the cheapest quote wins and the most expensive
job follows.
Ask what happens to the surfaces before the paint
Preparation is where the difference between a five-year job and a one-year job lives.
Specifically: is the surface being washed down; are cracks being opened out and filled or
just skimmed over; is failing paint being stripped back to a sound edge; is bare or porous
plaster being primed; and if there is mould, is it being killed with a fungicidal wash or
painted over. A coating applied over a failing one fails at the rate of the layer underneath
it.
Ask which system, not which colour
The colour is the easy part. The system matters more: a coastal elevation needs a
coastal-grade product, an old lime-plastered wall needs a breathable one, and a wall that
moves with heat needs a flexible one. A quote that names the product and the number of coats
is a quote you can hold someone to.
Ask about access before the work starts
Scaffolding, rope access on a high building, or working on a steep site are all real
costs. If they are not in the quote, they arrive as a variation later. Ask how the upper
elevations will be reached and whether that is priced.
Check the timing against the season
In the Western Cape, exterior work is booked around the winter rain rather than into it.
A contractor who offers to paint your exterior in the middle of a wet July either has a very
good reason or is not thinking about the outcome. Ask which.
Getting a quote from us
Send the form on this page. We measure on site and quote in writing, itemised the way
this page describes — because a quote you can interrogate is the only kind worth comparing.
See what drives a painting price for how the
numbers are built up, and the areas we cover for where
we work.