As a facility manager in Philadelphia, you know that there’s a lot that goes into keeping a building functioning well and looking good. Not only do you have to deal with unexpected breakdowns and issues of equipment in the building that require repair, you have to be diligent in planning and executing ongoing maintenance to help minimize unexpected breakdowns. As part of the ongoing maintenance, you’re responsible for hiring the crews that work on projects in your building, which includes finding and hiring a commercial painting contractor in Philadelphia. You can find the right one for your job by considering the following 10 factors in your decision.
1. What is the scope of the project?
Understand exactly what needs to be done in the building and what you envision it taking to get there. If you need to have an entire building painted, you might need to look for a large company that can meet the demands of the project in a timely manner. However, if it’s simply a hallway or one floor that needs painted, it may be easier to hire a small crew or single painter. Determine if the project has any special requirements or needs and make sure you are communicating this with commercial painters as you get estimates.
2. How do business needs impact the project?
The businesses that operate out of your commercial facility may have special needs that limit when work can be performed. A business may request that the painting projects happen outside traditional office hours to limit interruption to the business and any potential headache or sickness that can arise when people are exposed to paint fumes too long. You’ll need to understand what these limitations are and communicate these with the commercial painting companies during the estimation process as some companies may have limited or no availability in the evenings or on weekends.
3. What materials will be used?
You may have certain types of products or materials that you want to be used in your building, so it’s important to discuss these with the commercial painting company in advance. You should discuss what equipment will be needed to complete the job. Your building may have a tall lobby entrance with a ceiling that needs painted. You’ll need to understand what equipment the company will be using to paint the ceiling to insure it doesn’t interfere with business needs and is safe for the company to use.
4. What experience does the company have?
Take time to understand what experience the painting company has in the Philadelphia, PA, area. You want to hire a commercial painting contractor that provides outstanding work and excellent customer service. American Painting and Decorating is one of the long-standing companies within Philadelphia offering commercial painting services for more than 30 years.
5. What licenses and insurance does the company have?
At a minimum, commercial painting contractors should have liability insurance to cover any damages they cause to your facility or people during the course of their work. Depending on the type of facility, you may also request that the company is licensed and bonded. This ensures that they have the knowledge and financial resources to adhere their commercial painting projects to meet building codes and regulations.
6. What is the crew size of the company?
Crew size varies from company to company. One person may operate a commercial painting company as a one-man crew while large companies can provide bigger crews to tackle large projects more quickly. It’s important that you discuss what crew size will be working on your job and ensure that the size of the crew will allow your project to get done in the time frame you requested. Missed deadlines are the last thing you want to deal with as a building manager. Not only can this put other facility projects in jeopardy, but it reflects poorly on you with the businesses in your building.
7. What type of references and reviews does the company have?
When discussing the project and getting an estimate from a commercial painting contractor, it’s important that you inquire about reviews and references the contractor or company can share with you. Professionals with experience in the industry should have the contact information for at least a few current or prior clients that they can share with you. This provides you with an opportunity to reach out to these clients and get their feedback on how well the company performed. You can also go online and read reviews of the company as well. In addition, you also have the option to reach out to your peers as some may have worked with the company previously. They may be more likely to provide a more realistic review of the company’s work.
8. How much will the project cost?
Of course, one of the most important elements when considering what company to hire for commercial painting is what the project is going to cost you. You should talk costs with the painting company during your initial meeting when walking through the job. You want to obtain a written estimate as this locks in what the company is going to charge based on the project discussed. Don’t be surprised if some of the companies don’t provide a written estimate during your initial meeting and instead choose to provide this via email within 24-48 hours. This has become relatively common as it allows the company to crunch the numbers and provide a competitive price rather than making it up on the spot.
9. How well does the company communicate with you?
Consider what communication has been like with the commercial painting company from the first time you reached out to them until now. Have they been responsive to your requests and quickly gotten back to you? Or did you have to constantly follow up with them to get a response? Do they listen and take into consideration what you’re saying or just provide their expert opinion regardless of your needs and requests? How companies communicate with their customers often provides insight into how they function and how they will perform on a job. You want a company that will exhibit good communication, respect and customer service throughout the project.
10. What are the stipulations of the contract?
Finally, you want to make sure that you read through the proposed contract prior to hiring a commercial painting company to paint in your commercial facility. Ensure that the details and cost of the project are exactly as you discussed. The contract should also contain information about any warranties that will exist upon completion of the job. A solid contract at the beginning can prevent a large headache later on if the project hits a snag.
As a building manager, sooner or later you’ll need to hire a commercial painting company. You can ensure you hire the right one for the job by considering the 10 factors listed here.
