One of the things you’re going to consider when selecting a painting company is its payment practices. We think we have adopted an approach that all painters should use and all customers should insist on. The components of a painting project, cost-wise, are divided into labor and materials. Materials includes paint and any other supplies that will be required. Logically, a company will itemize these two segments, which we do.
Payment Practices: We Collect a Deposit for Materials
Yes, we collect a deposit when a customer signs the contract for painting. It just makes sense that a homeowner should be willing to have “some skin in the game.” Plus, the expenses for materials are paid up front, before the project begins. Also, we are going to put the project on our schedule, assign a painter and set aside that time. That’s not the whole story, however.
Our payment practices are such that the deposit is for the amount, type, and brand of paint that we and the customer have agreed on. This sum is deposited into a separate account and is spent on the materials that have been specified. It’s not uncommon for painters and other home improvement companies to put deposits right into their operating accounts and use the funds whenever they wish. It’s not the best business practice, and consumers have lost money when a company fails after a deposit has been paid.
Payment Practices: We Don’t Collect a Deposit for Labor
It’s also common among painting companies to collect a “deposit” on the labor for the project. That deposit, paid at the start of the job, can be as much as half or more of the labor total. While it’s a common practice, we don’t necessarily think it’s best for the consumer
It’s our policy that a customer doesn’t pay a dime for labor until the job has been completed. It gives our customers the security of seeing the completed project before they pay anything for it. In fact, we ask our customers to file a completion statement with us, indicating their satisfaction. If they express any concerns or questions, we want our painters to address them immediately.
Just as we’ve tried to be fair to our customers, we ask our customers to be fair to us by paying promptly when the job is done. Collecting for our work once it is completed is the fairest payment practice we can offer.