Get Quotes from Top Painters in Houston, TX
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Painter in Houston
Simple home improvement projects like interior and exterior painting can drive up your property's value by as much as 14% in Houston. Even when you are not putting your home on the market, a professionally completed painting will increase your curb's appeal and protect it against the weather. When you are in search of a top painter in the City, endeavor to ask the following questions to determine whether your professional of choice can handle your project satisfactorily:
Are You Licensed to Practice as a Painter in Houston?
Painters in Houston are not generally required to obtain a license before offering their services. Considering this, it is always a good idea to hire a painter who belongs to or has been certified by a professional association such as the Association for Materials Protection and Performance and the Painting Contractors Association. Certifications from such associations give more credence to a painter since they usually involve certain requirements, including training and rigorous examination that tests the painter's knowledge of important aspects of the craft. You can confirm such certification by contacting the professional association offering it.
In the same vein, particular certifications are required for doing some kinds of painting work in Houston. This includes the painting of houses built before 1978. Such structures usually have lead-based paints, which can cause health hazards, including kidney and brain damage. As such, painters who work must hold a certification from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to work safely and without health risks.
To confirm whether your prospective painters have this certification, contact the National Lead Information Center (NLIC) by calling (800) 424-5323. To make further inquiries about the requirements and procedure for the EPA certification, contact the EPA Region 6 office by calling (214) 665-6711 or by visiting
U.S EPA Region 61445 Ross Avenue, 12th Floor
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
For general inquiries on licensing requirements for construction-related works in Houston, contact the city's permitting center by calling (832) 394-9000.
How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Painters in Houston?
Painters in Houston generally charge between 9$ and 25$ per hour of work. The actual cost for your project will depend on an array of factors, including the type of paint to be used, the project's scope, the extent of labor required, and the painter's experience.
Before hiring a painter in Houston, it is essential to know what your work entails and the reasonable range of cost. To get an idea of this, you should always request bids from at least three painters and compare these bids. This exercise would also help you make a decision that matches your budget while ensuring that any estimate you eventually pick covers all relevant areas of the work.
A painter in Houston earns an annual average wage of $36,090. The table below provides the hourly mean wage of painters in Houston and compares this with the wages of painters in other parts of Texas and several other major cities in the United States:
What Kind of Painting Services Do You Offer?
Before proceeding to contract with a painter in Houston, ensure that such a painter has the expertise to do the required work. This is because, while painters offer several kinds of services, some might be limited in scope or specialize in certain kinds of painting works. Some areas painters in Houston specialize in include interior painting, exterior painting, wallpaper removal, staining, metal door painting, and power washing.
In the same vein, a painter may only be trained to perform works on certain kinds of structures, which can be residential, commercial, or industrial. Besides ensuring that the painter can provide satisfactory service, some painting work requires specific safety certifications to ensure that it does not cause health hazards. For example, painting houses built before 1978 requires certification from the EPA to avoid the risk of lead poisoning. Below is the cost range of some of the common services painters offer in Houston.
Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Painters in Houston?
Currently, individuals and businesses that offer painting services in Houston are not mandatorily required to have insurance coverage. However, in 2020, the Texas Department of Insurance recorded 469 cases of fatal occupational injuries across cities in the state, including Houston. One hundred twenty-seven of these incidents occurred to professionals working in the construction industry. The owner of the structure being worked on can be financially liable for such incidents if the professional lacks insurance coverage.
As such, you can avoid expenses for unforeseeable accidents during your painting projects by hiring an insured painter. Such a painter should be able to provide you with a certificate of insurance that you can verify with the company issuing it. For inquiries and guidance on the insurance coverage you should demand from your prospective carpenter, contact the Houston Building Code Enforcement Division via phone at (832) 394-9494.
How to File a Complaint Against a Bad Painter in Houston
It is essential to be very vigilant when choosing a painter in Houston. It is common for con artists disguised as building contractors to defraud unsuspecting residents seeking home improvement services. For example, a Houston contractor was sued in February 2020 for abandoning a home repair and restoration project after receiving a $17,000 payment. Some forms of home improvement scams perpetuated by home improvement contractors include price gouging and doing shoddy work that requires repairs soon.
As such, when looking to hire a painter in the city, ensure that you do some due diligence so as not to fall prey to a fraudulent painter. Considering the following tips can reduce your chances of falling for contractor scams in Houston.
- Avoid painters who offer unsolicited services.
- Get bids and compare estimates from at least three painters before making a final decision.
- Ensure your agreements with your painter are documented in a contract containing all aspects of the work.
- Make sure all clauses in a contract are clear to you before signing it. It is recommended that you retain the services of a good attorney to review home improvement contracts for you.
- Avoid making large down payments. Though Houston does not have any law regulating down payments for contractors, as a rule of thumb, you can pay only 10% of the total bill or $1,000, whichever is higher.
- Do not pay your painter in cash, and make sure you keep evidence of every payment you make.
- Avoid contracting with painters who are reluctant to get relevant permits; they are usually not legit.
- Ask your painter for references and past clients. Contact these people to inquire how your painter has performed in past work. A painter reluctant to provide references might not have been providing satisfactory services.
- Do not make full payment until you have checked out the work and you are satisfied with it.
- Search out your prospective painters on review sites like the Better Business Bureau and Yelp to see whether complaints have been lodged against them.
You can report instances of home improvement scams involving your Houston painter to the Houston 311 Help & Information Section online or via phone at (713) 837-0311. Similar complaints can be filed with the Harris County Attorney by texting the consumer helpline at (346) 354-7459 or by sending your grievances via email. Complaints involving pricing gouging during emergencies should be reported by completing the online Price Gouging Complaint Form.
Similarly, victims of a painting contractor scam in Houston can seek compensation under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA) by bringing action against the contractor before the Harris County Justice of the Peace Court, which has jurisdiction over small claims not exceeding $20,000 in value.