Best Exterior Painter Minneapolis St Paul: How to Choose

One more note on the number itself. When three quotes come back and one is dramatically below the others, the instinct is to assume the low one is a bargain and the high ones are padded. Occasionally that is right. Far more often the low quote is describing a materially smaller amount of work — one coat rather than two, minimal preparation, no wood repair allowance, no primer on bare areas — and the difference will show up in year four rather than in the estimate. The way to find out is not to negotiate the price down; it is to ask the low bidder the six questions above and see whether the number moves once the scope matches.

An estimate containing those six things can be compared with another estimate containing those six things. Anything less and you are comparing a number to a number, which is exactly how homeowners end up with the most expensive version of the lowest bid.