Quote Comparison Checklist
Hiring a Painter and Decorator
Choosing a painter and decorator in Cardiff is easier when you know what a good quote lists.
This page explains what a quote should list, and how to compare two that look very different.
- How Do You Compare Two Decorating Quotes That Look Very Different?
- What Should a Painter and Decorator Quote Include?
- What Is Snagging, and What Happens If the Finish Needs It?
Primrose Decor connects people in Cardiff with a trusted local decorator. Call 029 2271 0084 to ask for a quote that lists what is included, so you can compare it with the next one.
Why Choose Us
Why Choose Us
Itemised Quotes
Each quote lists the surfaces, the preparation, the coats, the paint and anything left out, so you can compare it with another.
Preparation Written Down
The preparation is written on the quote, not assumed. Filling, sanding and sealing stains are agreed before work starts.
Payment Stages Agreed
The quote says when each payment is due and what has to be finished first, rather than asking for everything up front.
Small Faults Fixed First
Any small faults are written down and fixed before you make the final payment.
Compare Quotes
How Do You Compare Two Decorating Quotes That Look Very Different?
Two decorators can quote for the same house and be a long way apart in price. Both prices can still be honest. The gap usually comes from what each decorator plans to do, not from one of them overcharging.
So compare the jobs before you compare the totals. On each quote, check five things: the surfaces covered, how they are prepared, the number of coats, the paint named, and what is left out. Once those five match, a difference in price starts to mean something.
If a quote names none of these, it is not the cheaper option. It is just unclear, and unclear quotes are where problems start.
Also look at the order the work is done in, because it affects both price and timing. See the correct order to decorate a house.
Quote Contents
What Should a Painter and Decorator Quote Include?
A useful quote lists what will be done, not just a total. Look for these seven things on the page:
- Surfaces. Every wall, ceiling, door and frame, listed room by room.
- Preparation. What will be filled, sanded and sealed, spelled out rather than a line saying “prep included”.
- Coats. How many coats of paint go on, and what they go on top of.
- Access and protection. How your floors and furniture stay covered while the work is going on.
- Timing. A realistic number of days, not one vague estimate.
- Payments. When each payment is due, and what has to be finished first.
- Exclusions. What is not included, stated plainly so you do not find out later.
If a quote is missing several of these, the decorator is not necessarily a bad one. The quote is just unfinished. Ask for the missing parts before you compare it with anything else.
The same list works for a shop or office job, such as a shopfront repaint or an office fit-out.
Missing Preparation
Which Questions Show Whether the Preparation Has Been Thought Through?
Preparation is the part of the job you cannot see once the last coat is on. It also decides how long the finish looks good.
Ask what happens to the old paint before the new coat goes on. Ask whether cracks and nail holes are filled and sanded first. Ask how bare plaster is sealed. On new plaster, the usual first step is a thinned mist coat. Then ask how many coats go over a repair before the final finish.
A decorator who answers with specific products and steps has thought about your job. One who says “we’ll make it look great” has not.
If you are comparing decorators in Cardiff, Primrose Decor can arrange a quote from a local decorator who writes the preparation down. Call 029 2271 0084 so it is written in, not assumed.
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Insurance And References
How Do You Check Insurance, References and Who Will Do the Work?
Before you say yes to a decorator, ask to see proof of public liability insurance. This covers you if something goes wrong on site, such as damage to your home. Ask for named references as well.
A reference from a real customer you can contact tells you more than a star rating. You can ask that person the questions your own job raises. Be careful with any badge or logo you cannot check. Also ask who will actually turn up on the day, and whether it is the person who gave you the quote.
Deposit And Payment
How Much Deposit Should a Decorator Ask For?
There is no standard deposit for every job. If a decorator quotes a set percentage, treat it as their own policy, not a rule of the trade.
How you pay matters more than the amount. Payments in stages, linked to points in the job, are safer than paying everything up front. Ask what the deposit pays for. Ask when the next payment is due. And ask what happens if a fault shows up before then.
How Many Quotes
How Many Quotes Should You Get Before Deciding?
Two or three quotes that describe the same job are usually enough. Once the surfaces, preparation and payment terms match, a fourth or fifth quote rarely tells you anything new.
The exception is when your first quotes cannot be compared at all because each one describes the job differently. In that case, write a short brief of your own and ask one more decorator to quote against it.
Snagging The Finish
What Is Snagging, and What Happens If the Finish Needs It?
Snagging means fixing the small faults you notice once the paint has dried, such as a missed edge, a thin patch or a mark on a skirting board. A good quote says how these will be written down and fixed before you make the final payment.
Walk round the finished rooms with the decorator before you pay. Do it in good light and write down anything that needs another visit. A decorator who is happy with their work will expect this walk-round.
If you want quotes in Cardiff that you can compare fairly, call Primrose Decor on 029 2271 0084. Primrose Decor can arrange a quote that agrees the work, the payments and the fixing of faults up front.
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Get a quote that spells out the work, the payments and any fixes
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