License #866172 818.300.1222

6 Questions to Ask Your Contractor

It is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform contracting work on any project valued at $500 or more in labor and materials. Besides being illegal, unlicensed contractors lack accountability and have a high rate of involvement in construction scams. They also are unfair competition for licensed contractors who operate with bonds, insurance and other responsible business practices. http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/ReportUnlicensedActivity/WhatIsIllegalContractorActivity.asp

Partee Painting encourages all customers to get at least three bids and thoroughly interview your contractors about the job, products to be used and their work ethic. To help with this process, we've prepared some questions that you can ask each contractor and then compare answers to make an educated informed decision.

Are you a licensed contractor? Check to be sure your painter is registered on the California State License Board and that the contractor does not have any violations currently against them. www.cslb.ca.gov All correspondence and advertising from your painter should state their license number.

Who does the work that will be performed in my home, office or building? Our customers have every right to know who will be on their property. At Partee Painting, the craftsmen that work on your job are our employees (not day laborers) that have been screened to ensure they meet our high quality standards and yours.

Do you have insurance? Partee Painting carries the legal requirement for Worker's Compensation. We also carry General Liability Insurance, which is not required by law, but serves as a protection to our company and more importantly, to you, our client. Certificates of insurance can be shown and included with the final bid.

Do you have current references? We often update our references and will gladly provide a copy to our customers. On this web site, under "Testimonials" you can also view what current customers have said about our work and our crew.

Will the job be done in a timely manner? We understand the importance of scheduling jobs and completing jobs on time. Each of our contracts has a scheduled start and finish date that we adhere to. Most importantly - we stay on your job until it's completed. One of the biggest complaints we have heard is that a contractor will show up, disappear for a while, come back, leave again etc. Not so with Partee Painting.

Will the painting contractor be clean and organized? Partee Painting takes pride in every job we do, no matter how big or small. We treat every customer's property as if it were our own. You can be assured that your home, office or building will be left in the same condition (if not better) than it was before the painting, except for the new surfaces that have been beautifully prepared and painted.

The CSLB (Contractor's State License Board) urges consumers to follow these tips when dealing with a building contractor:

Hire only licensed contractors and ask to see the license;
Don't rush into decisions and don't hire the first contractor who comes along;
Be especially hesitant when approached by someone offering home improvement services door-to-door, especially when they will use material they claim is left over from another job;
Verify the contractor's license by checking online at www.cslb.ca.gov or via CSLB's automated phone service at 1-800-321-CSLB (2752);
Never pay more than 10% down or $1,000, whichever is less;
Don't pay cash, and don't let the payments get ahead of the work;
Get three bids, check references, and a written contract; and
Contact the CSLB if you have a complaint against a contractor