What are red flags when hiring a painter?

Red flags include asking for full payment up front before work starts, no local address or an unreturned voicemail-only phone number, pressure to sign the same day with a discount, and refusing to provide insurance documentation in writing.

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How to vet a house painter

Q: What should a painting estimate include?

An itemized estimate should specify surface prep included (scraping, sanding, caulking, priming), number of coats, paint brand and product line, and what's explicitly excluded, such as rotted wood repair or lead-paint remediation on pre-1978 homes.

Last updated August 12, 2026

A good paint job depends more on the crew than the paint can. Before you sign anything, walk through these checks.

License and insurance

Colorado doesn't require a statewide painting license, but many municipalities in the Denver metro require a local contractor license or permit for certain jobs. Ask for proof of general liability insurance and, if the company has employees, workers' compensation coverage. Ask the painter to email you the certificate directly, or call the insurer listed on it, don't just take a verbal "yes, we're insured."

Read reviews for patterns, not scores

A single low review usually isn't meaningful. What matters is whether multiple reviews describe the same issue, missed deadlines, poor cleanup, or paint failing early. Also check review count, not just star rating: a 5.0 average from 4 reviews carries far less signal than a 4.7 average from 300. That's the entire reason we weight ratings by review volume when ranking painters on this site.

Get a written, itemized estimate

The estimate should specify: surface prep included (scraping, sanding, caulking, priming), number of coats, paint brand and product line, and what's explicitly excluded (e.g., rotted wood repair, lead-paint remediation on pre-1978 homes). Vague one-line quotes ("exterior paint job, $X") are a common source of change-order disputes later.

Ask about crew size and timeline realism

A two-person crew quoting a two-day full exterior repaint on a large two-story home is a red flag, either the prep work will be rushed or the timeline will slip. Ask directly how many people will be on site and how many days they expect to need, and compare that to the size of the job.

Red flags

Asking for full payment up front, before any work starts.
No local address or a phone number that goes straight to voicemail with no callback.
Pressure to sign the same day with a "today only" discount.
Refusing to provide insurance documentation in writing.

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