Contractor Requirments That Will Ensure a Repaint Job Well Done by Arthur Raybold

The recent and continuing volume of reconstruction throughout Southern California causes HOA boards not only to be anxious about potential defects that are yet undiscovered but also to be wary about workmanship soon to be scheduled for normal building maintenance. HOA boards pose the question: " What's the difference between a normal paint job and a very good one?"

In part, the board is hoping the answer is that there is no difference, so it can simply take the lowest bid and hope it doesn't hear many complaints down the line. But, more and more, the board is concerned about getting a high-quality, long-lasting paint job for stucco, wood and wrought iron because its own property or neighboring properties have had bad experiences with premature cracking, peeling, efflorescence, water intrusion, mildew and fading. And premature problems always equal higher long-run costs than the savings naively hoped for from picking the lowest bid-job. If the board wishes to avoid the "normal" HOA repaint job and the guaranteed high cost of future problems, it should require the following.

1)      Specifications from an established paint manufacturer whose representative studies the property and recommends materials and applications that best meet the needs of that property. The manufacturer, who has recommended several quality paint contractors to bid on the project, then forms a partnership with the winning contractor to make sure the materials are applied as specified. It's a partnership because neither wants to be called back in two to three years because the paint or the workmanship was flawed. Both the manufacturer and the contractor want to be called back at the appropriate time years later because the board was happy with an excellent job and is confident that they will repeat their performances

2)      Interviews with paint contractors to determine if the contractor has the character, mission and experience to warrant the award of this demanding, critical, expensive and highly visible responsibility. Does the successful bidder have financial stability to be around in four, six or ten years to address and resolve problems that may arise?

3)      Walk-throughs of several recent and older HOA repaint projects with the recommended bidders to determine the quality of their workmanship and its staying power. Can the successful bidder point to a track record indicating the endurance of the company's work on wood, stucco and iron?

4)      Experienced estimators with access to computer software that guarantees timely, accurate and competitive bids. A contractor who has hundreds of jobs in a database can access the records of past jobs that are similar to the current job on which he is bidding. The past jobs and their line items can be accessed to determine if the material costs, labor costs and profit are commensurate with the current bid. What could be worse than to award a contract to someone who innocently underbids several bidders only to discover later that this contractor had cut corners drastically to avoid losing his shirt? Innocent or not, the cut corners manifest themselves in the form of premature peeling, cracking and mildew problems. An estimator with a database returns to his office with his take-offs and confidently develops a proposal that will deliver a long-lasting job at a fair price

5)      An experienced foreman on the job who has developed a team approach with the painters and the estimator. The foreman, working with the paint manufacturer's representative, makes sure that the materials are being applied according to specifications. The foreman is also a people-person who works on site with the key person on the board and handles any problems and complaints from individual homeowners. The foreman, equipped with a cellular phone, is capable of resolving almost any on-site problem, relieving the board member from fatigue and onerous phone calls

6)      A full-time safety inspector who periodically visits the property site to ensure that proper procedures are being followed. This not only minimizes the chance of accidents, but also keeps bids competitive by reducing workers' compensation costs, which, for some contractors without safety inspectors, is a prohibitive expense

7)      A walk-through of the property after job completion on a scheduled basis (i.e. six months, three years, five years, seven year and so on) to determine any trouble spots that are arising and to address them before they become major problems. A contractor who is truly interested in the homes with which he has been entrusted should happily anticipate these reviews. Each review is an opportunity for the contractor to demonstrate the value and quality of the materials and workmanship that were forged in the partnership between him and his paint manufacturer

With so many boards having a short memory because of the frequent turnover in their memberships, they have all the more reason to keep asking the question of every contractor interviewed " What's the difference between a normal job and a very good one?"