ABN Painters Phoenix - Exterior House Painters.

This video shows painting process from start to finish: power washing, fixing cracks, spray painting and also the type of materials we use.

We offer in home estimates free of charge.

Is there any fee for an estimate?
No. Estimates are free of charge or any obligation on your part.

How long does it usually take to get an estimate?
It takes on average 10-15 minutes to look at the painting project. 10-20 minutes to prepare an estimate. 2-5 minutes to go over the paints and materials that will be used, and the process of how the paint job will be performed. And whatever time is needed to answer all the questions you may have. So, in most cases it will take about 30-45 minutes to give you a written estimate.

Can I get an estimate today?
It is best if you call to schedule an estimate at least one day in advance, as most of the time it would not be possible to come out for an estimate the same day.

If the price is agreeable to me how soon can you start?
The painting business is very unpredictable. Sometimes the painting can be stated on a week notice, and sometimes we are booked for a month. Availability may change on a daily basis. Once you have made a decision to go ahead with the painting, we will sigh a contract and reserve specific start and finish dates for painting.

How much does it cost to paint a house exterior?
The cost will depend on a few factors: size of the house, current condition of the paint, repairs and prep work that needs to be done prior to painting.

Some of the things to keep in mind when painting a house with a homeowners association.

Home owners who have a homeowners association (HOA) in their subdivision and planning on repainting an exterior of their home will need their colors approved prior to painting.

1. Not every HOA is the same. Each one has its own set of rules.

2. HOA approval for painting could take a while.

3. It does not have to be a specific grade of paint or brand.

4. Other things to be aware of when getting an HOA painting approval.

Will the paint last a long time if the exterior of the house (pool deck, block wall) was painted during hot summer months?

Some home owners wonder if painting an exterior of the house during the months of summer in extreme Arizona heat is a good idea. Of course the ideal time for painting the exterior is during the winter, when the weather is easy on painters, and the paint itself dries slow enough to cure properly. However not every homeowner can plan his painting project for the winter time. Some received a letter from their home owners' association giving them a 30 day notice to re-paint a house or face a fine. Some purchased a new house in the middle of the summer with less then perfect exterior look, and not willing to wait for months to schedule painting in the cooler weather. The results of exterior painting during the summer will be determined by the time of the day the work was performed. Even in the hottest months of summer before 10 am the weather is still fine for painting. If the painters start their work at 5-6am and finish their day by 10 am, the quality of the paint job will not suffer. If the painting project is carried out during normal business hours 9-5, there is a possibility that the paint will dry too fast and a painting job will not last a very long time.

Matching the paint by a paining contractor.

Some people wonder if any of the painting companies do a paint color match themselves. If a painting contractor color matching paint for one of his customers, he would have to do it exact same way a customer would. Which is taking a sample of paint and brining it to a paint store. There is a couple of requirements to a sample, for a color match to be successful. If a customer has a sample of actual paint that needs to be matched, that would be the easiest color match for a paint store to do. If actual paint sample is unavailable, next best thing is a piece of drywall, stucco, wood or metal. The smoother the surface of the sample the better. Sample needs to be big enough, so that the computer can read the color easily. Usually a sample the size of a credit card is good enough. A smaller smaple may work too, but it will be a little harder to match.
One of the worst samples to bring to a paint store for a color match is sample of glossy paper, from a magazine, for example. Those are very glossy and a computer can't read them. For a color match to come out right, it has to be an actual sample, where the desired color has been previously applied to an object.

Color matching the paint: Home Depot vs Dunn Edwards.

Home Depot.
This store will take the least amount of time to get the color match done. It usually takes about ten minutes if there is no line. The main disadvantage of using Home Depot is the stuff behind the counter. Some are very knowledgeable and some have very little experience with paint. So if you are a frequent customer at Home Depot and know who of their guys have experience and who does not, Home Depot would be a safe bet for a color match.

Home Depot pros: very fast service.
Home Depot cons: many employees working in the paint department have very limited knowledge about paint.

Dunn Edwards.
Dunn Edwards paint store have more people with experience. Many employees at Dunn Edward's have a lot knowledge as well as hands on experience. The downside of using Dunn Edwards paint store for a color match is a wait time. There is two types of color match that can be done at this store.

“Read and shoot”.
It is when a paint sample is scanned by the computer and the needed amount of paint is mixed right away. It is not a precise match and the color can vary quite a bit. Usually it takes from about fifteen minutes to half an hour on a slow day.

"Eye match".
It is different from “read and shoot” because after the sample is scanned by the computer only a small amount of paint is being mixed. Then the paint is compared by a person against a sample of paint brought for color match. The process is repeated if needed and all paint is mixed only after a close match has been achieved. An “eye match” usually takes at least a couple hours, or twenty four hours if the store is busy.

Dunn Edwards pros: high quality, specialty paints and employees with a lot of experience.
Dunn Edwards cons: not the best choice if the color match is needed right away.

Is every licensed Phoenix painting contractor good at painting?

Just because the person holds a painting license does not mean that he can hold a paint brush.
Most painting contractors worked for a painting company, or may be for many different companies before getting enough experience, money and confidence to open their own business. Those guys usually know what they are doing. But not every person who applied (and received) for contractors license have a lot of painting experience. When applying for a license one needs to prove only theoretical knowledge of painting by taking two tests. One test is painting related. Second test is related to general understanding of running a business. Both test are fairly easy to pass. A person can even go to one of the numerous centers that tutor applicants prior to taking the tests and get all the questions, that are very similar to those on the actual test. There is no test where the applicant have to show his practical skills, such as cutting a straight line, or doing all preparation work correctly. So the person who was a poor or average painter prior to getting his license, will not be a better painter after he received his license.
All the license does, is helps to insure that the home owner does not hand over a down payment on the painting job to a person, who will take of with the money. The cost associated with getting residential painting license is about $1500. So someone is planning on cheating a home owner out of deposit/down payment most likely would not go through trouble of taking tests and paying all fees. It is well to remember, that painting license does not prevent home owner from getting a poor paint job or unreliable contractor. Giving your business to a person who holds a painting license can be beneficial to home owner, but not essential in getting great painting results.

Advantages and disadvantages using Phoenix painters that are licensed by Arizona registrar of contractors.

If a painter is unlicensed it does not mean he will do a poor job in painting your home. Hiring a house painter without a license recommended to you by a friend or neighbor may work out very well. Especially if he is not asking for any money up front. Painter without a license doesn't have to deal with getting bond, license, buying overpriced books to study for the tests necessary to get a license (this license does not have anything to do with the skills of a painter). And that is why a painting bid of someone without a license is usually less than of a licensed painting contractor. In Arizona one can operate under handyman exemption, where a person does not have to get a license if the cost of the project is under $1000.
If a home owner doesn't have anybody that can recommend a good painter and the choice is made among Phoenix house painters found online, paying a little extra for a licensed painting contractor has it's benefits.
A licensed house painter can't just take a down payment for a painting project, change his phone number and never show up to do the job, because his license is on the line. Not that this scenario is absolutely impossible, but with a licensed painting contractor it is very unlikely to happen. If a painter took the time to get his license most likely he will have all the equipment necessary for the job. Power washer with high enough pressure to clean the exterior of the house properly. Sprayer to spray paint the surface that can't be painted with a roller. If any unexpected problems come up during painting process, resolve the problem instead of just walking away, leaving painting job unfinished.
If a painting contractor with a license to damage your house, you can get the money out of registrar of contractors recovery fund to pay for the damages. It covers a contractor up to $30,000 per incident. A lot of painting contractors also carry a liability insurance that can come handy if the damage is so great that it exceeds the thirty thousand dollars.
Regardless of whether you contract with a licensed or unlicensed house painter asking the basic questions can keep the home owner away from unprofessional painters.
The questions are good to ask are the following:
How long have you been in the business? How many similar painting projects have you done? What kind of prep work will be done prior to painting? How long it will take you to complete this project?
There is no right or wrong answer to any of this questions. Just listening to the answers one can usually get a good idea of how professional a painting contractor is.

Asking for some money up front is a common practice among painters, and some painting companies require a down payment when signing a painting contract.

There is no industry standard on down payment. Some house painters in Phoenix don't charge anything up front. You pay only one time when the job is completely done. Other painting contractors ask for down payment to cover the cost of paint and materials.
While many customers can appreciate house painters that don't ask for any money up front, it may not be a very good deal for a painting contractor. Nobody is immune to losing their job. And if a customer, after being laid off or simply not receiving money they expected, is facing a choice of going through with the painting contract or putting food on their table, painting a house may suddenly become of a less priority. And the contractor is stuck with custom tinted, non refundable paint.

Phoenix painters that carry insurance have their business better protected than the ones that don't.

Insurance in Arizona is not a requirement for painting contractors. However it is beneficial for a contractor to have one. If accident happens and a painting contractor needs to pay for the damages the insurance would cover the cost. The monthly premium would go up, but the contractor can continue doing his business as usual. If a painting contractor is licensed but not insured the homeowner can get money out of registrar of contractors recovery fund to pay for the damage to his house, but the contractor will be unable to conduct business until he pays back registrar of contractors in full.

It will depend upon not only the quality of paint, but also the painters that are doing the work.

On exteriors it all depends on how well the preparation work is done and the type of paint is used. As far as the paint goes 100% acrylic paints are considered to be very long lasting and durable. With proper application the house may not need a paint job for another 10 years. That is of course if the house prior to be painted is power washed, loose paint is scraped, cracks are filled and holes are fixed.