Spring is going to be back in Portland before we know it and many folks are starting to think about exterior painting already. We get requests to paint outside as early as January and as late as December every year although most people understand that we have a short window to do this work in Oregon. Usually our exterior painting will start in April when the weather starts to get warmer and will end in late October.
Now the question is when should you call to start getting bids for your exterior project? My advice is the sooner the better so you don’t miss out on getting on someone’s schedule. Many painting contractors will fill up their season by summer and won’t have the man power to take on any more jobs until the following year. It is probably not necessary when you still see snow on the ground to call for a bid but February is a good time to start.
Finding the best contractors in your area is getting much easier with all of the review sites on the internet. Angie’s List is a trusted resource that can help get you started. They do have a fee to join but most good contractors have many reviews on the list and many offer coupons. Yelp has grown in popularity in the Portland area in the last few years and is a free resource to help you choose a good contractor. Google has reviews on many businesses as well that you can check out. We often find that homeowners are going to multiple sites to check out our reviews and that is why they call us.
Once you have chosen your contractor make sure you do not take too long to start discussing a timeframe for painting your home. If you book with them in February you may end up waiting a couple months to get the work done but you will get to enjoy the job for the entire summer. If you wait to call them when you start seeing 80 degree weather in June you may wait until October before they have time to do the work.
Spend the time to do your research and try to schedule ahead of time. Many contractors will even offer early season discounts which will save you money. Call Absolute Painting if you would like a free estimate for this season.
