Legitimate House Painting Contractor Slowly Dies at the Hands of Uninformed Homeowners
Scott Kuperman, President of Paint Platoon USA and 20 year veteran house painting contractor, shines a bright light on house painting contractor insurance, the real reasons for low estimates, and how a lack of professionalism in the industry is slowly but surely killing the legitimate house painting contractor.
(PRWEB) February 15, 2006 -- According to Scott Kuperman, a lack of professionalism, little to nonexistent training, meager licensing requirements, and homeowner ignorance has slowly been killing the legitimate home painting contractor over the last 20 years. Kuperman, president of the commercial, industrial, and residential painting company Paint Platoon USA, said the untrained, unscrupulous house painting contractor is ruining the business for the good guys.
"House painting is a very difficult, competitive business to be in. Most reputable painters are hearing the same thing over and over again from the uninformed homeowner: price, price, price, and the cheaper the better. Most homeowners don’t realize that the only reason those cheaper house painting contractors can afford to offer those low prices is they’re unlicensed, uninsured, and untrained in the business, and they’ve been getting away with it for years."
THE TRUTH ABOUT HOUSE PAINTING CONTRACTOR INSURANCE
A lot can go wrong on a paint job, and that's not counting bad work or no-show contractors that are usually a homeowner's first concern.
"Many times a homeowner will ask the painting contractor if he's fully insured, and he'll say, ‘Yep. Of course I am.’ In many cases, this ‘fully insured’ house painting contractor merely has liability insurance, which covers him in case of an injury to the homeowner or a loved one on the job or unintentional damage to the customer's home. But if one of the painters of the job gets hurt, that’s a whole other story," said Kuperman.
In Illinois, house painting contractors are legally required to carry workers compensation insurance on their employees in addition to liability insurance, but many house painting contractors are either uninformed of the state laws or haven’t been caught yet, according to Kuperman.. If a painter is injured on the job, the homeowner is usually the one sued. In many cases, homeowners insurance will not cover a contracted worker’s injuries.
In Illinois, homeowners can easily check up on a house painting contractor’s insurance compliance by calling the Illinois Industrial Commission’s compliance office. All the homeowner has to do is ask if a given company is insured with worker’s compensation and liability insurance, and they will receive that information over the phone in a few minutes.
THE FACTS BEHIND CONTRACTOR REFERRAL SERVICES
House painting contractor referral services are designed to prescreen painters for homeowners to verify credentials, saving the homeowner a lot of time and stress, but unfortunately, this is rarely the case.
"Several of the larger house painting contractor referral services never require a paint contractor who wants to join their service to provide proof of workers compensation insurance," said Kuperman. "They only sometimes, require a certificate of liability insurance. That's not adequate to protect a homeowner, and it's certainly not ‘screening’ the contractor. All those contractor referral services do is sell the homeowner’s name to three or four different contractors who pay money for it--usually around $25 or $30."
The best defense a homeowner has against unqualified or unscrupulous house painting contractors is education. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, consider all the details before choosing a contractor, and remember price shouldn’t be the only priority.
"It’s impossible to get a good, high quality, reputable house painting contractor at the cheapest price. It’s a rare thing to pay a little and get a lot," said Kuperman. "House painting contractors don’t--or shouldn’t--just slap paint on a house or wall. It takes years of experience and making mistakes to become a knowledgeable, professional painter."
About Scott Kuperman
Scott Kuperman is the president of Paint Platoon USA, with over twenty years experience as a commercial, industrial, and house painting contractor.
About Paint Platoon USA
Founded in 1984, Paint Platoon USA is a professional family-owned commercial, residential, and industrial painting company. Paint Platoon USA is a proud member of the Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) and other professional organizations, guarantees all of their work, and insures their employees with both Workers Compensation and Liability Insurance. Visit Paint Platoon USA at www.PaintPlatoonUSA.com.
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See the original story at: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/02/prweb346905.htm
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