Comparing painting quotes so you're judging the same job

Start by making sure the jobs are the same

Wisconsin's consumer protection agency, DATCP, gives the first rule of comparing: get more than one estimate and make sure every contractor is bidding on exactly the same work. That's harder than it sounds, because a verbal walkthrough leaves room for each painter to hear something slightly different.

Give every painter the same written list of rooms, surfaces and repairs. If you change your mind after the first visit (you decide to add the hallway, or skip the closets), tell everyone and ask them to update their quotes. A comparison is only fair if the starting point is.

Compare the scope: what gets painted

Read each quote for the list of what's being painted, not the total. Ceilings are the item most often missing, then closets, then the second coat on trim and doors. A quote that says paint living room could mean walls only or the whole room.

Check what's excluded, too. A good quote says so plainly, such as no ceilings or no inside of closets. An exclusion isn't a flaw, but you need to know about it before you compare, so you can price the missing piece from the other painters.

Cabinet quotes are the hardest to line up, because one painter prices per door, another per cabinet and a third gives one total. Our Piece Count gives every painter the same list to price, so the numbers finally compare.

Compare the prep, where quotes quietly differ

Prep is the cleaning, patching, sanding and priming that happen before color goes on. It's also the part of a job a painter can shorten without you seeing it. A line that says prep included doesn't tell you much. Ask what it covers: protecting floors and furniture, filling holes and cracks, sanding glossy spots, priming stains and bare patches.

Our guide to prepping walls for painting shows what each step is for, so you can tell which are missing. If your home is older, say so when you ask for quotes. Plaster and old oil-based trim usually need more prep than newer drywall, and each painter should account for it.

Compare the paint and the coats

Paint is the other place two quotes diverge. Look for the brand, the sheen, whether primer is included and how many coats of the finish color are planned. If one quote assumes one coat and another assumes two, you're comparing different amounts of work, whatever the totals say.

Check whether the paint is in the price. We use premium paint from Sherwin-Williams and Behr, and Behr is the more economical of the two, and our quotes include it. If you'd rather use another brand, the quote is built around your choice. Our guides to how many coats of paint and paint sheens help you judge what each quote assumes.

Compare how the price works

Quotes are built in different ways: a flat total for the job, a price by the square foot or the room, or an hourly rate. A flat total is easiest to compare. If a quote is by the hour, Wisconsin's home improvement rules say the hourly rate and the other terms that affect the price must be stated, so ask for the rate and an estimate of the hours, in writing.

Then ask the question that decides who carries the risk: what happens if the job takes longer than planned? Some painters build in a cushion, and some bill for extra time. Ours is simple. The written quote is the price, no extra charge if the job takes longer than expected.

Look at the dates and payment terms as well. A start date and a finish date belong on the quote, and so does when payments are due. DATCP's warnings about door-to-door crews include a price that climbs after the work is done, which is one more reason to get the price in writing first.

Compare the people and the paperwork

Price is one input. The others are who does the work, whether you can see proof of insurance, and whether you'd be comfortable calling the painter in a month if something looked off. Our guides to questions to ask a painter and why painter insurance matters cover what to ask.

Ask each painter for the names of recent customers, and call a couple. It takes ten minutes and tells you things a quote can't, like whether the crew showed up when they said they would and left the place clean. Photos help too, if you read them carefully: our Fixed-Point Test shows how to check a painter's before and after shots.

A worksheet for putting quotes side by side

Copy this into a note or a spreadsheet and fill in one column per painter. Anything you can't fill in is a question to send back.

When the lowest quote is low for a reason

DATCP's tips include being leery of an extremely low estimate. That isn't a rule that cheap means bad. It's a prompt to ask what the number leaves out, and the worksheet above makes the gap visible. A much lower total often comes from less prep, fewer coats or a smaller scope.

Here's how it plays out. Say three painters quote the same living room and hallway. The first lists walls, ceilings, trim and a coat of primer. The second lists walls and trim. The third gives a total and nothing else. The second quote isn't cheaper, it's smaller: add ceilings and you can't compare until you know what they cost. The third can't be compared at all until it's itemized. Asking both to rewrite their quotes to match the first costs you two phone calls.

The reverse is also true. A higher quote isn't proof of better work. Ask what the extra money buys, and let the painter answer in specifics. Our notes on red flags when hiring a painter cover the answers that should give you pause.

If you're comparing cabinet quotes rather than room quotes, the same logic applies, and our guide to what cabinet painting costs explains how a per-cabinet price is built.

How a quote from us is put together

It starts with a phone call about what you want done. George visits if he needs to see the space, then you get a written quote with a start date. Interior painting is priced by the square footage of the space, paint included, and cabinet work is priced per cabinet, paint included.

We quote jobs across Madison and Dane County, from Waunakee to Sun Prairie. If you'd like a quote to put next to the others, ask for a free estimate.