The Salt Lake City Painters is licensed and insured. Ask us for the documents when we give you the estimate, and ask every other painter the same questions on this page.
This page is general information, not legal advice.
How do I find a good painter?
To find a good painter, ask neighbors whose houses look well painted after a few years, read recent reviews, and then check the license and insurance yourself.
A good painter visits the job, asks what you want, points out problems you had not seen and puts everything in writing. Be careful with a price given over the phone with no visit.
How many quotes should I get?
Get two or three written quotes. That is enough to see the going price and to notice when one company has left something out.
Give every company the same list: the same rooms or walls, the same number of coats and the same items included. Otherwise you are comparing different jobs.
What should a painting estimate include?
A painting estimate should include everything needed to finish the job, in writing.
- Each room or wall and each surface: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, siding, eaves.
- The prep: washing, scraping, patching, sanding, caulking, priming.
- The paint by product name and sheen, and the number of coats.
- Repairs that are included and the price for any found later.
- Who moves furniture and how floors, plants and fixtures are protected.
- The total price, the payment terms and a start window.
- Proof of license and insurance.
What should be in a painting contract?
A painting contract should repeat the estimate and add the terms: the company's name, address and license number, the full scope, the products, the price, the payment schedule, the dates and how changes are handled.
Changes should be agreed in writing with a price before the extra work is done. Both sides sign and you keep a copy. For a pre-1978 home, expect lead-safe paperwork too.
How much deposit should I give a painter?
The deposit is whatever your written contract says, so agree it before you sign. We did not find a Utah statute that sets a fixed limit on deposits for painting, so there is no state number to quote.
A modest deposit to hold a date or cover materials is common, with the balance due when the work is done and you have walked it. Pay by check or card and get a receipt. Utah also has a Residence Lien Recovery Fund, run through the Division of Professional Licensing, that can protect owners who have a written contract with a licensed contractor and pay it in full. Ask the division whether your job qualifies.
A painter wants half up front in cash. Is that a red flag?
Yes. Half the price in cash before work starts is a warning sign. Cash leaves no record, and a large payment in advance removes the painter's reason to return.
Offer a smaller deposit by check or card with a written receipt. A sound company will accept that.
Should I hire a painter who wants all the money up front?
No. Do not pay all of the money up front. Once the full price is paid, you have nothing to hold if the job is late, unfinished or poor.
Payment should follow the work. Keep a final part back until the last walk-through is done and the touch-ups are finished.
How do I check a painter's license and insurance in Utah?
To check a license, ask for the contractor's license number and look it up with the Utah Division of Professional Licensing, known as DOPL, which is part of the Utah Department of Commerce. Its online lookup shows whether the license is active and in what classification.
To verify insurance, ask for a certificate of liability insurance sent to you by the painter's insurance agent, not a photocopy. If the company has employees, ask about workers' compensation as well.
Does a painter need a license in Utah?
Yes. In Utah a painter does need a license for all but small jobs. The state licenses contractors through DOPL, and painting falls under the specialty classification S270, Drywall, Paint and Plastering Contractor, in Utah Administrative Code R156-55a-301.
State law has an exemption for minor work under a dollar limit, with conditions. DOPL publishes the current figure, so check it there instead of taking anyone's word. A general contractor's license also covers painting as part of a larger job.
What are the red flags?
- No license number, or one that does not match the name on DOPL's lookup.
- No proof of insurance.
- A price with no visit, or a price far below every other quote.
- A large deposit, or cash only.
- No written estimate, or one line with a total.
- Pressure to sign today.
- No mention of prep, primer or the number of coats.
- No lead-safe paperwork for a house built before 1978.
A painter says they can start tomorrow. Is that a red flag?
Not always, but ask why. A painter who can start tomorrow may have had a job cancel or be fitting in a small one. In the busy season, from late spring to early fall, good exterior painters are usually booked ahead.
If the instant start comes with a low price, a cash deposit and no paperwork, treat it as a warning.
What should I ask a painter before hiring?
- What is your Utah license number and classification?
- Can your agent send me your insurance certificate?
- Who will be on the job each day, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- What prep is included, and what would cost extra?
- Which products and how many coats?
- If my home was built before 1978, is your firm certified for lead-safe work? May I see the certificate?
- What are the payment terms?
- What happens if I find a problem after you finish?
Do painters give a warranty, and what should it cover?
Many painters give a written warranty on their work. Ask each company what it offers and get it in writing before you sign. Ask us about this when we quote your job.
A useful warranty names how long it runs and what it covers, which is normally peeling, blistering and flaking caused by the work. It usually leaves out damage from leaks, movement of the house and normal fading. The paint maker's warranty is separate and covers only the product.
What if a painter damages my floors or furniture?
Tell the painter straight away, in writing, with photos. A reputable company fixes or pays for damage it causes, and that is what its liability insurance is for.
This is why you ask for the insurance certificate before the job. Walk the rooms with the painter before work starts and note any marks already there. Put away anything fragile or valuable.
If a licensed contractor will not deal with a real problem, you can file a complaint with DOPL. The Utah Division of Consumer Protection, also in the Department of Commerce, takes complaints about unfair business practices.