Questions to ask a house painter before you hire

Updated November 10, 2026 · KeystoneProGuide editorial team

Which questions matter most?

Five, if you ask nothing else: What is your Pennsylvania registration number? Can I see your insurance certificate? Was my house built before 1978, and if so, is your firm EPA lead-safe certified? What preparation is in the price? How much do you want up front, and when? The rest of this list explains why each answer matters and adds the follow-ups.

What should you ask about the business?

"What is your PA registration number?" Painting is named in the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act, and a contractor covered by it must put the number on every estimate and contract. If it is missing from the paperwork, that is already a problem; how to choose a painter explains how to look it up.
"Can I see a current certificate of insurance?" The Federal Trade Commission says to ask the contractor for proof of insurance. The state requires registered contractors to carry at least $50,000 of personal injury and $50,000 of property damage liability cover, and the contract must state the amount carried.
"Will anyone else do the work?" The Act requires the contract to list the names, addresses and phone numbers of all subcontractors known at signing. Ask whether the people who arrive will be employees or subcontractors.
"Who should I call with a problem?" The contract must give the contractor's name, address and phone number, and the Act says a post office box alone is not an address.

What should you ask about lead in an older house?

"Is your firm EPA lead-safe certified, and who is the certified renovator for my job?" The Environmental Protection Agency requires certification of any firm paid to disturb paint in pre-1978 housing and names painting preparation as covered work. The certified renovator must have copies of the course certificates at the worksite, so asking to see them is reasonable.
"Will you test the paint?" Testing is not required, but without documentation that the paint is not lead-based the rule applies. If you, as the person paying, ask for it, the certified renovator must test with an EPA-recognized kit or send paint chips to a recognized laboratory, according to the EPA's renovator page.
"When will I get the Renovate Right pamphlet?" The firm must give it to you no more than 60 days before work starts and get your written acknowledgment, which can be part of the contract.
"What records will I get at the end?" The firm must give you information on how it complied with the rule when the final invoice is delivered or within 30 days of finishing, whichever is earlier.

What happens on the day describes the containment and cleaning a certified firm must carry out, so you can ask how the painter will do each step.

What should you ask about the work itself?

"Which surfaces, how many coats, and what preparation is included?" Walls, ceilings, trim, doors, scraping, patching and priming are the usual differences between two quotes. The FTC says a written estimate should describe the work and the materials.
"What will you do about the peeling?" Purdue Extension, writing with a Forest Products Laboratory scientist, says the most common cause of premature paint failure on wood is moisture, and that any moisture problem must be eliminated before repainting. A painter who plans to cover peeling paint without asking why it peeled is not dealing with the cause.
"Is there any mold?" The EPA says not to paint over moldy surfaces: clean and dry them first, since paint over mold is likely to peel.
"How will the rooms be ventilated?" The EPA advises increasing ventilation when using products that release volatile organic compounds, such as paints, and meeting or exceeding label precautions. Ask which rooms will be closed off and for how long.

What should you ask about the schedule?

"When will you start and finish?" The contract must give approximate start and completion dates.
"How long between primer and top coat?" The Purdue publication says to apply the top coat within two weeks of priming and not to prime in fall and finish in spring. Ask what happens if weather delays an exterior job.

What should you ask about payment?

"How much up front?" Nothing may be paid before the contract is signed. On a contract over $5,000 the deposit may not exceed one-third of the price, or one-third plus the cost of special order materials listed in the contract. The FTC adds: never make the final payment until the work is done and you are satisfied.
"What if the job grows?" Under the Act, specifications cannot change without a written change order signed by both of you, and a time-and-materials job may not run more than 10% over the written estimate without one.

What Pennsylvania requires has the full list of contract terms.

What should you ask about cleanup?

"What happens to the leftover paint and the debris?" County collection events for household hazardous waste are for residents; Montgomery County, for one, says businesses and contractors will be turned away. Agree in advance who keeps any unopened paint and who disposes of the rest.

When you have answers you are satisfied with, painters serving the area are on the painters directory page.

Sources

2008 Act 132 (Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act), Pennsylvania General Assembly
How To Avoid a Home Improvement Scam, Federal Trade Commission
Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Contractors, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Renovation, Repair and Painting Program: Renovator Training, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
40 CFR 745.84 -- Information distribution requirements., Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
40 CFR 745.86 -- Recordkeeping and reporting requirements., Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
Paint Failure Problems and Their Cure (NCR-133), Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service
Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program, Montgomery County
A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency