Choose a commercial painter the way you’d choose any contractor who’ll work in your building: on proof, not promises. Look for experience with buildings like yours, a current licence and insurance, a clear written scope and a team that plans around how your business runs.
Start with experience that matches your building
An office, a warehouse, a strata complex and a high-rise all need different skills. Ask for examples of jobs similar to yours and for references you can actually call. A painter who’s done your type of building before will have already met the problems you’re about to face.
Check the basics before you talk price
Ask for the QBCC licence number and check it on the QBCC register. Ask for certificates of currency for public liability and workers’ compensation cover. On anything involving heights, ask for a site-specific safe work method statement. Our guide to the paperwork a commercial painter should show you covers each item.
Look at how they’d run the job
The best commercial painters talk about your building before they talk about paint. How will they stage the work? Who supervises on site? How will they communicate with tenants and staff? If your building has to keep operating, read our piece on painting a commercial building while you keep trading so you know what good planning sounds like.
Read the scope, not just the total
Two quotes with different totals are rarely for the same work. Compare what’s included: preparation, primer, number of coats, access equipment, protection of fittings and clean-up. Our article on what to ask before signing a commercial painting quote lists the questions that expose gaps.
Match the team to the access
If the building is tall or the site is tight, check that the painter can handle it safely. Rope access is often the practical answer on multi-storey buildings, and our guide to IRATA levels and two-rope safety explains what to look for in a team.
Trust how they communicate
Pay attention to how a painter treats you before you hire them. Do they turn up for the site visit? Do they answer questions clearly? Do they send a written quote when they say they will? That behaviour is a preview of the job.
Five questions for your shortlist
- Have you painted a building like ours, and can we speak to that client?
- Can you show your licence, insurance and safety documents?
- How will you stage the work around our operations?
- What’s included in the price, and what isn’t?
- Who’s our contact, and who supervises on site?
The right painter makes the job feel boring
That’s the goal. No surprises, no drama, just a building that looks better and a business that kept running. See our commercial painting services, read our top seven tips for picking a commercial painter, or request a quote.
McAuliffe Painting. Eagle Farm, Brisbane QLD 4009. QBCC Lic 15183972.
