We do not mark up paint or otherwise make money on it. In fact, neither do most larger Madison painting companies.
We use only premium paint—usually Hallman Lindsay or Sherwin Williams. And while those are predictably more expensive than the “house brands” you’ll find at Big Box home remodeling centers, we are able to purchase it much more inexpensively than you can, in consideration of the large amount of business we do with our suppliers.
So you’re really not buying paint from us. We’re sourcing it for you more inexpensively than you can purchase it retail. But if you would like to source the paint yourself, we will be happy to apply it for you—with two caveats.
- If we know the paint to be of marginal quality and you’re determined to use it, we will refer you to another painting company to have it applied
- Or in unusual circumstances, we might apply the paint, but not be able to fully guarantee the results
Anyway, the issue very seldom arises. But it does underscore an important point: that the lion’s share of your investment with a painting company goes toward personnel.
So if a painting company quotes you a price that is significantly lower, note that the difference probably lies in the quality of the personnel they will send to your home or business, and the amount of time they will allow them to get the job done.
Thus there is a hidden incentive to skimp on prep, get your “paint job” done as quickly as possible, and then move on to the next job.
This puts your interests and theirs at polar opposites, which is not good for you, because time and workmanship are crucial for a good-looking long-lasting result.