Get Quotes from Top Painters in Phoenix, AZ

Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Painter in Phoenix

Though these home improvement projects can boost the value of your property, they can also be potentially dangerous if handled unprofessionally. Data published by the Arizona Department of Health Services identify more than 160 zip codes in the Phoenix area as having elevated risks of potential lead poisoning. This risk exponentially increases when remodeling and home improvement activities, especially painting, are carried on homes that were built before 1978.

When this, as well as other painting-related physical and chemical hazards, is considered, it becomes important to ensure that you always hire a well-equipped and competent painter near you to handle any painting projects that you wish to undertake. You can make sure that any painter you intend to employ in Phoenix is the right fit for the job by asking the following carefully curated questions:

Are You Licensed to Practice as a Painter in Phoenix?

The first step to ensure that the painter you intend to hire in Phoenix is qualified for the job is to ensure that this individual meets all relevant regulatory requirements. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule, painters in the city must undergo mandatory lead-safe work practices and certification before working on any home or child-occupied facility built before 1978.

Likewise, under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 32, Chapter 10, any painter in Phoenix who wishes to perform work worth more than $1,000 must possess an appropriate state-level contractor's license issued by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). Per this statute, failing to meet this licensing requirement is unlawful and punishable by civil and criminal penalties, including fines of between $200 and $2,500 per violation.

ROC-issued contractor licenses are grouped into three broad categories, namely Residential Licenses, Commercial Licenses, and Dual Licenses, which cover both residential and commercial contracting work. Contractor license applicants generally have to meet certain requirements before they can obtain the requested painting-related licenses. These usually include having at least two years of work experience, passing a licensing examination, submitting to background checks, and paying all stipulated application fees. Contractor license applications can be made via the ROC's Online Customer Portal or by mailing a license application form to:

Registrar of Contractors
P.O. Box 6748
Phoenix, AZ 85005-6748

The properly completed forms can also be submitted in person at:

1700 W. Washington Street
Suite 105
Phoenix, AZ 85007-2812

You can direct licensing-related queries to the ROC in person at the aforementioned address, via email, or by calling (602) 542-1525. You can also confirm the licensing status of painters that operate in Phoenix by utilizing the ROC's online Contractor Search platform.

How Much Do You Charge Compared to Other Painters in Phoenix?

The hourly rate that you will be charged by painters in Phoenix is dependent on several factors, such as:

  • The scope of the painting job
  • The size of the surface to be painted and the amount of work required to prepare it for the painting
  • The types of paints to be used for the job
  • The cost of these paints and any other materials that may be required for the proper execution of the job

It should be noted that not all painters charge hourly rates, and some of them may have fixed fees for certain services. As such, it is always a good idea to determine the billing method your preferred painter utilizes before any work commences. It is also advisable to get and compare quotes from more than one painter near you before embarking on your project. This way, you not only get a fair estimate of the cost of the project, but you also protect yourself from potential price gouging.

A painter in Phoenix earns an annual average wage of $42,430. The table below provides the hourly mean wage of painters in Phoenix and compares this with the wages of painters in other parts of Arizona and several other major cities in the United States:

Phoenix Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$20.40
Arizona Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$19.53
New York City Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$28.06
Los Angeles Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$26.36
Chicago Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$29.15
Dallas Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$18.75
Washington D.C. Painters Mean Hourly Wage
$22.66
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Kind of Painting Services Do You Offer?

When hiring painters in Phoenix, it is always a good idea to confirm the types of painting services they provide and ensure that these services align with your home improvement project requirements. This is because professional painters in Phoenix generally offer a wide array of services, including interior and exterior painting, metal door painting, staining, wallpaper removal, and power washing. Some of these painters may also focus on specific areas of construction and home improvement painting, such as new construction, residential home painting upgrades, or commercial and industrial facilities painting.

By confirming your preferred painter's specialization, you can also ensure that this individual has the right tools to execute your project properly and professionally. Provided below are cost estimates for some common painting services available in Phoenix:

Interior house painting or staining (per square foot)
$0.60 - $1.75
Exterior house painting or staining (per square foot)
$0.99 - $1.96
Faux painting (per square foot [for basic textures])
$1.94 - $3.87
Paint color consultation (per hour)
$35 - $50
Paint removal (per hour)
$31.25 -$42.50
Texture painting (per hour)
$31 - $43

Do You Carry the Necessary Insurance Policy for Painters in Phoenix?

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, a total of 4,764 fatal work-related injuries occurred in 2020, with more than 1,360 of these fatalities being recorded amongst workers in construction and maintenance-related occupations. During this period, approximately 1,600 non-fatal work-related injuries were also recorded amongst painters alone. Given these statistics, the importance of ensuring that your intended painter is licensed and has proper insurance coverage cannot be overemphasized.

By working with a duly licensed and insured painter, you insulate yourself from financial liabilities if any mishaps occur during your project. These include on-the-job injuries to the painter on your property, instances where the painter damages your property or injures a third party during the project, or if the job is not satisfactorily done.

To this end, painters who wish to obtain contractor licenses from the ROC are required to maintain surety bonds and submit proof of these bonds to the agency before they are issued these licenses. The specific bond amount depends on the work volume that the painter does and the painter's license classification, and it can be anywhere between $9,000 and $50,000. Also, state law requires painters in Phoenix who have employees to secure workers' compensation insurance for these employees.

Finally, even though it is not mandatory, it is a good idea to make sure that your painter has a valid general liability insurance plan. You can confirm your intended painter's insurance and bonding status by requesting copies of their insurance and bond certificates and contacting the relevant insurance and bond providers to authenticate these certificates. It is also a good idea to contact the ROC at (602) 542-1525 to get more information on its bonding and insurance requirements for painters in Phoenix.

How to File a Complaint Against a Bad Painter in Phoenix

Research published by the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies suggests that homeowners across the United States spend more than $400 billion annually on home renovation, remodeling, and repair projects. Considering the amount of money involved in these types of projects, it is necessary to make sure that you do fall victim to fraudulent contractors or con artists when searching for painters near you. These individuals typically utilize techniques that involve unsolicited offers of home improvement services and high-pressure sales tactics to obtain money from unsuspecting homeowners in the Phoenix area deceptively.

In many cases, after receiving this payment, they leave the homeowner with a shoddily done job, an incomplete project, or abscond without doing any work. For example, in 2018, the Arizona Attorney General announced that a local contractor had been sentenced to more than six years in prison for stealing thousands of dollars from a homeowner by receiving money for home improvement projects and failing to complete these projects. This contractor had also fraudulently used the license number of a legitimate construction firm when carrying out this scam. You can protect yourself from situations like these by taking the following steps before hiring painters in Phoenix:

  • Be wary of unsolicited offers of cheap painting and other home improvement services. Utilize resources provided by reputable organizations like the Better Business Bureau and the Painting Contractors Association to get referrals to painters near you.
  • Verify that the painter has been duly licensed by the ROC and that the painter's license classification matches the scope of your project.
  • Lookup the painter on the ROC's most wanted webpage and make sure that they are not featured there
  • Request a list of references from the painter and check them
  • Get quotes for your projects from at least three painters
  • Make sure that you are given a detailed contract for the project. Review this contract properly and make sure that you clearly understand its terms and conditions before signing it
  • Determine a payment schedule and never let payments get ahead of the work
  • Never pay with cash. Also, make sure that all checks are made payable to the painter or painting firm named in your contract

You can file a complaint with the ROC concerning the suspected fraudulent activities of painters in Phoenix. Depending on the nature of the complaint, you may be eligible to receive restitution from the ROC's recovery fund for the activities of this painter.

Alternatively, complaints concerning the activities of painters in Phoenix can be reported to the Arizona Attorney General's Office online or by mailing a completed Consumer Complaint Form, along with copies of supporting documents, to:

2005 N Central Avenue
Attn: Consumer Information and Complaints
Phoenix, AZ 85004

Consumer-related inquiries can be directed to this office at (602) 542-5763 or toll-free number (800) 352-8431 for callers outside the metro Phoenix area.