Get Quotes from Top Painters in Nashville, TN
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Painter in Washington, D.C.
Generally, homes with poor or fading paint jobs are likely to have higher maintenance costs and low market value. This is because such homes are usually more exposed to weather damage, rust, faster depreciation, and have a poor outlook and higher siding costs. Therefore, homeowners are advised to routinely maintain their home’s paint job and sometimes perform paint home improvements. Painting-related home improvements not only beautify your home, but they can increase its market value by about 14%. Considering the need for a perfect paint job, it is best to always hire the services of an experienced painter to handle your painting demands. Besides the hazards that come with painting, which include slips, falls, and exposure to chemicals, doing a paint job yourself can lead to unsatisfactory results and a waste of money, time, and effort.
Are You Licensed to Practice as a Painter in Nashville?
According to EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP), any individual interested in carrying out painting-related alterations, removal, repairs, or renovations in homes and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 in Nashville-Davidson must undergo training on lead-safe work practices. This training must be evidenced by a certification approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Additionally, per state requirements, anyone interested in offering painting services within Nashville-Davidson must also ensure they obtain the appropriate state trade license from the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI). While individuals providing painting services between $3,000 to $24,999 must obtain home improvement licenses, individuals providing services above $25,000 must apply for contractors’ licenses.
Applicants for both license types must provide a record of previous experience in the field of home improvements or other construction work, which must include dates and addresses where the applicant has resided and done business. Also, they must provide proof of obtaining general liability insurance, bond, and workers’ compensation insurance where applicable. To obtain a home improvement license, applicants can mail a completed Home Improvement Contractors License Application form, along with proof of paying the relevant fees, to:
Board for Licensing Contractors500 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-1150
Alternatively, applicants can complete an online application to obtain home improvement licenses. Applicants for contractor licenses must also complete and submit a license application form online. An individual who carries out home improvement services without a license violates the Home Improvement Law and will be liable to pay a fine of $25,000 per violation.
For more information on the licensing and certification requirements for painters in the City of Nashville-Davidson, interested persons can contact the TDCI at (615) 741-2241. Similarly, interested persons can direct queries regarding EPA certification processes in Nashville-Davidson by contacting the Tennessee EPA regional office at (404) 562-9900 or by completing an online form.
Before hiring your intended painter, you must make sure you verify their licensing status, and you can do so by utilizing the license search and verification platform provided by the TDCI.
How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Painters in Nashville?
Per the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, painters in Nashville-Davidson earn an estimated mean hourly wage of $18.10. The service cost charged by painters in the city is influenced by several factors, including but not limited to:
- The nature and scope of the painting project.
- The type of paints required for the job.
- The labor intensity required to achieve the project.
- The size of the surface to be painted.
- The necessary equipment to accomplish the project.
- The skill set and experience of the painter.
This is why it is advisable to get bids and estimates from at least three painters before hiring anyone for your project. This gives you a fair assessment of how much your project will cost on average and helps you avoid excessive charges.
A painter in the City of Nashville earns an annual average wage of $37,640. The table below provides the mean hourly wage of painters in Nashville-Davidson and compares this with the wages of painters in other parts of Tennessee and several other major cities in the United States:
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
What Kind of Painting Services Do You Offer?
Before hiring painters in Nashville-Davidson, it is important to know if the painter has the expertise to handle the proposed painting project. Painters in Nashville-Davidson offer residents a wide range of services, including power washing and staining, paint removal, faux painting, wallpaper hanging and removal, and interior and exterior painting.
However, some painters specialize in offering specific services. For instance, only painters with an EPA certification can remove lead-based paint on buildings. This is why you should make sure your painter has the right qualifications and certification to carry out your planned project. In addition to verifying that your painter is fit for your job, you must also ensure you ascertain how much the painter charges for their services.
Listed below are cost estimates for some painting services provided by painters in Nashville-Davidson:
Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Painters in Nashville?
Painting is considered a hazardous profession. This is because painters are generally exposed to many work dangers, including exposure to chemical compounds and physical hazards like slips, trips, and falls from heights. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2016 and 2020, an average of 842 work-related fatalities were estimated to have resulted from falls, slips, and trips.
Painters in Nashville-Davidson are required to carry general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. Home improvement contractors are required to have at least a $100,000 general liability insurance plan, and contractors are required to have a general liability insurance plan of:
- $100,000 for projects worth $500,000,
- $500,000 for projects worth between $500,001 to $1,500,000
- $1,000,000 for projects worth $1,500,001 and above
Hiring painters with the required insurance and bond protects you from incurring financial expenses when work-related accidents involving your project occur. In addition to these insurance requirements, home improvement contractors are required to provide financial responsibility of $10,000 as a surety bond. As such, before hiring any painter for your painting project, you must request a copy of their insurance certificate, including active general liability and workers’ compensation insurance and proof of bond.
You can contact the issuing insurance provider to verify if the insurance certificates are still active. You can contact the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) at (615) 741-2241 if you need more information regarding the insurance and bonding requirements for painters in Nashville-Davidson.
How to File a Complaint Against a Bad Painter in Nashville
Annually, homeowners across the country spend an average of $2,600 on home improvement projects. It is no surprise that several deceptive individuals pose as qualified painters to scam unsuspecting residents of Nashville-Davidson. For instance, these fraudulent individuals collect money from residents, deliver shoddy work, or abandon the work midway. In March 2021, a contractor was charged for home improvement services fraud for allegedly collecting more than $7,000 to install a fence but never carried out the work. To avoid falling victim to deceptive contractors like this when planning your painting project, you can look out for common red flags, such as:
- Door-to-door solicitations.
- Refusal to provide their license or certificates.
- High-pressure tactics.
- Reluctance to sign a written agreement.
However, you can protect yourself from such scams by taking the following steps:
- Confirm your intended painter is duly licensed. You can confirm this by utilizing the license search and verification platform provided by the TDCI.
- Get several bids and estimates from multiple painters to avoid getting overcharged for your project.
- Request for previous work references from a painter before committing to this painter.
- Be wary of contractors engaging in door-to-door solicitations.
- Get a written contract that includes your painter's name, address, and telephone number. The contract should also include the obligations of the painter, the painting materials required, the project's expected start and completion date, payment cycles, and other important considerations.
- Do not sign a contract if the terms are unclear to you. Also, do not sign contracts with blank spaces.
- Do not make large upfront payments.
- Avoid paying in cash, as cash payments are difficult to document or trace. Advisably, you can use checks or credit cards instead.
- Also, verify if your intended painter carries the mandatory required insurance policies and bonds.
If you have been scammed by a painter or home improvement contractor in the City of Nashville-Davidson, you can file a report with the TDCI. You will be required to complete an online complaint form. Alternatively, you can file a report with the Tennessee Attorney General's Office through its Consumer Affairs Office by completing an online complaint form.
However, if you are unsatisfied with the resolution offered by any of the aforementioned offices, you can commence a civil action at the Metropolitan General Sessions Court of Nashville-Davidson County. It is advisable to get legal advice from an attorney before filing such an action in court. In finding attorneys near you, you can utilize the Need an Attorney service provided by the Nashville Bar Association. Meanwhile, individuals who qualify as low-income earners in the city can take advantage of the FREE Dial-A-Lawyer program on the first Tuesday of each month between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. by contacting the Nashville Bar Association at (615) 242-9272.