Painting your home is one of the most dramatic, cost-effective ways to improve its look and resale value. Hiring a
professional painter can save you time and money in the long run as well as provide higher-quality work that will stand the test of time. To find a professional who will deliver a quality experience from start to finish, get started with this checklist:

Get At Least 3 Estimates
Multiple estimates let you compare services, materials, processes and costs. Make sure that you ask the same questions and state the same expectations when talking with each contractor, so that you are comparing the same level of work.

Estimate Details
Quality contractors provide written specifications that define the scope of the project, including a breakdown of labor, material costs, the number of coats of primer and paint, the brand and model of materials, clean-up specifics as well as a detailed description of the amount of surface preparation that will be done. As part of the estimate process, the contractor should ask many questions, take measurements, take photos and make notes about the job.

Site Protection & Clean-Up
Professionals will use drop cloths, paper and tape to protect everything from spillage, splatter or overspray. They should also tidy up at the end of each day if the project requires more than one day.

About Cost
Although budget is naturally a concern, getting the lowest price should not be your only consideration. You want to hire someone experienced, who is properly licensed and insured, aware of safety issues and committed to doing good work. That will not likely be the individual with the lowest bid, but it doesn’t mean the highest bid is best either. Look at the whole picture to hire the contractor that is best for your needs.

Experience
How long has the contractor been in business? You should be looking for someone who has been
operating for at least 2 years or more.

Knowledge & Training
Ongoing training assures consistent, high-quality work and keeps professionals on top of the latest trends and techniques. Membership in a trade groups keeps professionals current and shows a commitment to quality and reliability.

Employees vs. Sub-contractors
Are the painters who will perform the work employees of the company or sub-contractors? Although both can do quality work, direct employees often have a greater commitment to customer satisfaction.

License & Insurance
Reputable painting contractors will have a state-issued license as well as general liability and workers’ compensation insurance. This protects the company and their workers, as well as you and your home. Always ask for a copy of their license & insurance documents.

Warranty
In addition to the manufacturer warranty on paint, reputable contractors will offer a written warranty on the application/preparation process.

References & Past Work
Quality painters should be able to provide you with a list of references as well as jobs in progress, so you can talk with customers and check out their work for yourself.

Payment & Terms
Make sure you understand the payment details. Quality painters will ask for an initial deposit, then request the remaining payment balance upon completion of the project.

Call today for a free estimate: (586) 465-0867

Comprehensive Estimates

The owner and project managers at Top Shelf Painting provide no-cost, consultative estimates where they take the time to learn about your expectations and provide you with detailed information about your painting and preparation options – so you can make an informed decision about what will work best for you.

A detailed, written estimate is emailed to you and you will receive a phone call the next day to make sure all your follow-up questions are answered. Our goal is to do more than provide you with a job estimate – we want to begin building a solid customer relationship.

Site Protection & Preparation

We pride ourselves on treating your home with care and consideration. We always protect your furniture, floors and trim work with drop cloths, tape and plastic. We also remove switch & outlet covers, as well as any other hardware.

You can rest easy knowing that we take all necessary precautions and measures when it comes to preparation prior to painting: we clean surfaces of any dirt and debris and we repair nail holes, cracks and other imperfections as required.

Cost & Experience

With more than 20 years of residential painting experience, we are committed to providing extraordinary service and value. We deliver premium painting services, using industry-approved techniques and standards, all at an affordable cost.

Knowledge & Training

We hold ourselves to high internal standards and ongoing training is part of those standards. We educate our painters and implement only the best painting practices and techniques and make sure they’re applied to every job.

We are proud to have A+ rating from the Better Business Association and membership in the following trade groups:

• The Builders Association
• Painting and Decorating
• Contractors of America

Top Shelf Employees

All of our painters are Top Shelf employees, not sub-contractors.

License, Insurance, Warranty

Not only do we want our customers to feel confident in our work, we want them to trust us in their homes. To that end, we are licensed and fully insured.

Our warranty is a reflection of our dedication to customer satisfaction. We warranty all of our work: interior residential painting has a 2-year limited warranty and exterior residential painting has a 10-year warranty. We are here for you during the job and when the project is complete.

References

We are proud of the fact that much of our work is repeat business or referrals from satisfied customers. We are happy to provide a reference list or you can check out our great reviews on Google, HomeAdvisor, Yelp and more. Average ratings:
Yelp – 5 Stars
Google – 4.6 Stars
HomeAdvisor – 4.49 Stars

Payment & Terms

To make your project easy on the budget, we are pleased to offer 18-month interest-free financing. When you are ready to begin your project, we request 50% down and the remainder once the project is complete and you have approved the work.