Whenever I get contacted by homeowners who are renovating their homes or building new homes, I am often asked whether they should let the general contractor's painter do the painting, or hire a painter directly. Except in very limited situations, I always suggest that they hire the painter directly.
To understand why you should hire a painter directly for your home construction project, rather than through your general contractor, it's important to understand the construction process from design idea to completion, and the role the painter plays in that pocess.
The Construction Process
The construction process typically begins in 1 of 2 ways--the design-then build model, and the design/build model.
The Design-Then-Build Model
In the 1st way, which I will call the design-then-build model, you as the homeowner-client will meet with an architect--or with a builder who then refers you to an architect--to explain your vision for your home. After that meeting, the architect will evaluate and measure your existing space if you are renovating or adding an addition, or your architect will evaluate the property and existing structure upon which your home will be built.
With your design ideas and vision in mind, and the technical aspects of your property in hand, your architect will create a set of construction plans showing the layout of your space, including footings, foundation, masonry work, framing, roofing, siding, walls, closets, door locations, window locations, electrical plans, plumbing and venting plans, property grading, and heating and cooling plan, to name a few. Your architect may also provide some general renderings showing what some of the most important areas of your home may look like when construction is complete.
Those drawings are then provided to one or more builders, general contractors, or construction companies for pricing. Those builders will then send your plans to their subcontractors and request pricing so that the builder can create a cost estimate.
The Design/Build Model
In the 2nd way that the construction process is begun, you might retain a design/build construction company that handles all design and construction in-house. The difference between the design/build model and the design-then-build model, is that under the design/build model, the company handling construction will also have an architect and a designer on staff who handles all aspects of the planning in-house.
Depending on the design/build company, and unlike with the design-then-build model, you may or may not be required to make all of your design and construction choices before construction begins. In either case, however, you will likely be presented with a cost estimate a design and construction plan and scope that is reasonable given any limitations imposed by your budget.
Under both the design-then-build and the design/build construction models, many of the finish selections, such as the tile, the door knobs, the sink fixtures, the oven, the refrigerator, the cabinet knobs, the lighting fixtures, and the carpentry package, and paint colors are left un-selected until the time comes for those items to be purchased and installed.
Cost Estimating
General contractors and builders will price projects in a number of different ways and those numerous ways are beyond the scope of this post. That said, the 2 most common construction pricing methods used by general contractors and builders are the contract-price method and the construction management fee method.
Contract-Price Method
Under the contract-price method, the general contractor or builder provides you with an all-in scope of work to be completed. That scope of work should provide a detailed description of the work to be done. And it will also provide some allowances for certain items, like appliances, windows, and doors. If you select items that exceed those allowances--for example, a very expensive built-in refrigerator--you would be responsible for the difference between the allowed cost and the actual cost.
The scope will also likely include some limitations or exclusions on certain items. As to those items, they are not included in the all-in price and you are responsible for purchasing them. These items are typically those that vary widely in cost based on your personal preference. For example, tile and light fixtures can vary wildly in price based on manufacturer and place of origin. To avoid a windfall or disappointment for you and your builder, those items are usually excluded from the contract price and you are free to select the items without restriction based upon your personal preference and budget.
Finally, with the complete scope, inclusions, allowances, limitations, and exclusions, you will be presented with a price to complete all of the work. You and your general contractor/builder should have a shared, clear idea of what will be constructed, and you have a definite cost, barring any changes or (if you are renovating in an older home) unforeseen problems.
Management-Fee Price Method
Under the management fee pricing method, you hire your general contractor/builder to oversee construction and manage the schedule and subcontractors, just as under the all-in model above. However, under the management fee model, you pay to the general contractor a percentage of the total cost of the project, typically 15-25%.
Under the management fee model, you are typically allowed to select your own subcontractors, or to select the subcontractor suggested by the general contractor/builder. You choose the subcontractors and approve of pricing as you go, and the general contractor/builder bills you for a percentage of each subcontractor trade. The subcontractors are paid directly by you and the fee to the builder is billed and paid directly to and separate from the subcontractors' costs.
Under this model, you will be meeting with and obtaining pricing directly from your subcontractors. If you are not meeting directly with your subcontractors--or at least your painter--you should be, for the reasons explained in detail below. Likewise, the subcontractors hired for your project will be in direct privity of contract with you; however the subcontractors will be managed for schedule and quality purposes by your general contractor/builder.
Cost Estimating Under the Contract-Price Method
If you have or are considering engaging a general contractor/builder using a management-fee pricing model, this section won't apply to you directly. However, if you are on the fence as to which direction to go, this section may provide some useful information as to which pricing method to choose. And if, as you are reading this, you are in a contract-price model construction project with your general contractor builder, this section will begin to lay out the problems with not hiring your own painter.
Under both the design-then-build construction model, to obtain the all-in pricing that gets provided to you, the general contractor/builders you have requested pricing from will send the construction plans out to their subcontractors for actual pricing per the scope of the project, use an estimating program to perform a take-off and apply a price to the material and labor cost of each trade, or rely on their experience to compile the costs (i.e., they guess). This pricing method creates a number of problems for painters in pricing projects, and for painters copleting such projects. I'll explain.
Actual Pricing By Scope
Obtaining actual pricing from the subcontractors who will perform the work for a general contractor if that general contractor is chosen by you is an incredibly accurate way of estimating construction costs, as long as the construction plans are complete. Whether construction plan are complete, and to which extent, generally depends on the tradesman being asked.
Pricing for Other Trades
For example, for the framer, the plans lay out every detail of the size of the addition or new home, each exterior wall, each interior wall, the closets, the number and spacing of the joists and support beams. Every detail is accounted for and the framer can calculate a price.
For the plumber, the number of bathrooms are clearly shown on the plans, as are the number of kitchens, and the location of any laundry room. Based upon that the plumber knows the number of fixtures, the number of toilets and showers, and the number of sinks in the home. The length of hot and cold piping or PEX can be calculated and the amount of time to install fixtures can be determined.
Likewise for the electrician, who can see on the plans each outlet and light fixture, as well as the switches and where to place them. From this information, the electrician calculates a price.
The specificity of the construction plans with regard to most of the non-finish trades, and the information available to calculate an accurate price is similar for most of the trades in the construction process.
Pricing for Painting
Pricing for painting can vary wildly based upon product selection, finish quality, number of colors to be painted, the types of doors to be painted, whether the windows are paint-grade or prefinished, and the complexity of the carpentry/molding/trim packages.
Typically for residential projects, this information is on neither the construction plans (in the form of a wall by wall elevation) nor or in the written scope of work provided in the contract price from your general contractor/builder. Instead, the plans show the size of the project, number and size of rooms, closets, doors, and windows, and from that the painter is asked to guess at a price assuming some level of finish and products.
Without fail, without the necessary information, any one painter's guess estimate will be too high or too low. If the price is too high, the general contractor/builder will disregard it, or risk not getting your project. Thus, the erroneously-high painter will not get the job. (As an aside: in the unusual event that a painter guesses accurately at the price, that painter's price will nevertheless be considered to be too high in the estimating process because that painter will always be outbid by the painter who, without insfficient information, guesses too low.)
If a painter estimates a price that is too low relative to the work to be done and the finishes expected by you, the general contractor builder may use that price, not knowing that it isn't sufficient to cover the cost of the job. When this occurs, and it often does, when the time comes to do the work, the low-bidding painter will either realize an estimating mistake has been made or won't realize a mistake has been made. For painters who make a mistake, bid too low, and don't realize it, they'll soon be out of business, and you'll be really unhappy with the work. For the painters who realize they have made a mistake and bid too low because the work to be done far exceeds what they guessed it might be from the plans they have 3 options: (1) pass on the work (and risk their relationship with the general contractor), (2) ask for an increase in price (which the general contractor/builder won't permit), (3) take the work at a loss (and risk being unable to meet their overhead and expenses), or (4) cut corners on your project in processes or products to ensure a profit on your job. You can guess which option most erroneous painters select.
Alternatively, to obtain pricing, a general contractor/builder may ask a painter to provide pricing at such time as the paint is nearly ready. At that time, the drywall is up, the carpentry is installed, and the entire scope of the work for the painter to complete exists on the project. I think it's too late at this point, because I like to prime drywall before anything else is installed, but nevertheless, this is the most accurate way to obtain a painting estimate for residential construction and renovations. But it has some problems:
First, the general contractor is in business to make a profit, and, because of that , in many cases will seek out the lowest priced painter. The problem with the lowest-priced painter is often that the price is lowest because the painter doesn't understand the scope of work and the time and cost involved. The result is a finished product that you are unhappy with.
Second, painting is one of the last trades to work on a project. By that time, the project has likely gone over budget, the margins are thin, and the general contractor may ask the painter to cut costs to meet the contract budget; this request always comes with the offer of future work or better paying projects at a later date. If the painter accepts, the problems associated with the low-cost estimate apply. And the finished product suffers.
Third, and this regularly occurs, a general contractor will misrepresent the scope of the work or your expectations with regard to the finished product or products to be used. By misrepresenting the job to the painter, the general contractor receives a lower price than is warranted for the work you expect. Nevertheless, the painter completes the work as requested by the general contractor that hired the painter, leaving you unhappy with both the painter and the general contractor. The general contractor then blames the painter, that relationship sours, and the general contractor moves on to another painter on the next home to repeat this cycle.
Fourth, and this also occurs regularly, when the project is complete, you are unhappy with the finish on the walls and the molding. The general contractor, having paid the other trades who will not return to perform remedial work, blames the painter. If the drywall and spackle on new walls is unsatisfactory, the general contractor will blame and call back the painter, rather than the drywall installer. If the walls are bowed and uneven, the general contractor will call back the painter, rather than admit the framing (completed during the early weeks of the project) was poorly constructed. If the carpentry is coming apart, separated from the walls, or otherwise poor, the general contractor will call back the painter, rather than acknowledge that the carpenter failed to properly install the millwork. And the list goes on.
Fifth, and this goes with all of the other categories, you may not get what you pay for. It may be that you received a line-item for painting that sufficiently covers the work to be done and the level of finish that you expect. Nevertheless, that amount likely will not make it to the painter. Rather, it is more likely to be cut by 25% and possibly by 50% when presented to the estimating painter as the painting budget. Accordingly, the painter will provide a paint job that meets that budget, no doubt much to your dissatisfaction with the finished product.
Finally, and this is the rare case, but it does happen, the general contractor will hire a skilled painter at an appropriate price based upon the scope of work to be completed and the finishes to be achieved. However, at the conclusion of the project, the general contractor, having gone over budget, does not have the money to pay the last several trades, including the painter, leaving you vulnerable to lawsuits for unpaid balances and mechanics' liens.
Hiring Your Own Painter
By hiring your own painter, or at a minimum meeting with the painter at the time of the estimate walkthrough and conveying your expectations, you can avoid all of the potential drawbacks associated with relying on the general contractor's painters.
First, by hiring your own painter, the painter works for you directly. The painter answers to you, negotiates with you, and is paid by you. That painter, at the time of the estimate, will evaluate the work already done and ask about your expectations with respect to the finish level of the finished product. For example, do you expect a flawless, completely even, skim-coated drywall? Do you expect the trim and molding to be sprayed, and thus prepped accordingly, or finished by brush? What durability level do you expect, which will inform the paint product selection? How many colors do you anticipate, and will you have any accent walls? All of these questions, and more, inform the painter and would be reflected in the work performed and the cost of that work.
Second, by hiring your own painter, you will get what you pay for. Painting, like so much in construction, you really do get what you pay for. The skill of the painter, plus the time spent preparing surfaces and professionally applying primers and paints, combined with the level of products used are what determine the quality of the paint job. If you hire your painter directly, and pay $5,000.00, you'll get a $5,000.00 paint job. Conversely, you may have to pay your general contractor $7,500.00 to $10,000.00 for that same $5,000.00 paint job.
Third, if you hire your own painter, you'll have a professional finisher you can trust to discuss the work project with you. Painters are the last trade on nearly every job, required to bring everything together with an eye for detail. As a result, painters see great construction work and really bad construction work. They see the finished product, and when things have gone wrong, they can typically tell what it was and why it happened. If the painter works for the general contractor, they're likely to keep quiet. But if they work for you, they can be more open about problems they see and how to fix them--for example, with spackle, flooring, carpentry, etc. It's like having an extra set of eyes on the job that work for you!
Fourth, painters will work with your general contractor and with your schedule. When I am hired directly by a homeowner client to paint a renovation or new construction home, I always ensure that I understand the general contractor's schedule and work with it to avoid creating delays and headaches for my client. To achieve the maximum benefit from hiring your own painter, make sure to find a painter who understands your scope and expectations while effectively communicating their process for achieving that scope within the framework of the general contractor's schedule and overall project.
Conclusion
When it comes to putting the finishing preparation and painting on your home construction or renovation, if you want to ensure that you (1) get what you pay for, (2) have your expectations understood and met, and (3) receive the best value for your money, don't rely on your general contractor.