8 Questions You Should Ask A Kitchen Cabinet Painter Before You Hire Them

Craig Byrne

Are you thinking about refinishing your kitchen cabinets?

Maybe you’re past the stage of thinking about it, and you’re

ready to call a pro to refinish them. If so, read on. There are

important questions you will want to ask your cabinet refinisher

before you hire them for the job. 

To help you narrow down who the right person or persons are

for your kitchen update, we’ve compiled a list of questions you

should ask a kitchen cabinet painter before you even get a quote

from them. The questions are as follows: 

1. Are You Insured?

Before you hire a contractor for any job in your home, you

should know up front if they have insurance. Any legitimate

kitchen cabinet refinisher will carry liability coverage should

anything be damaged in your home. If they don’t have liability

insurance, your homeowners policy will need to cover the costs

of repairs. 

Liability coverage isn’t the only insurance your pro should have.

Anyone who works for the company should have workers

compensation, so if they get hurt on the job, their medical costs

are covered. If your pro doesn’t have workers comp insurance

for their employees, call another contractor, because you would

have to cover the medical costs yourself.

2. How Long Have You Been in the Kitchen Cabinet

Painting Business?

It’s best to find a kitchen cabinet refinisher who has been in the

business for years. If so, you can be sure they do great work,

because they wouldn’t be in business very long if they didn’t.

Because different finishes require various types of prep and

different paints work best for different types of wood, using a

pro with lots of experience will be most beneficial. 

3. Do You Have  Examples of Your Work?

Asking to see examples of your kitchen cabinet painters’ work is

a great idea. Good companies will have websites that display

their work in photos. Take a look at them. If you like your pro’s

work, ask them to bring samples to your home. If you like the

samples, including the textures, finishes and colors, they may be

ideal for your job. Just be certain they can provide good

responses to all the questions on this list. 

4. What Kinds of Paint Do You Use?

Remember, paints come in a myriad of choices. A good

contractor will have adequate experience and they will be able to

help you choose the right paint for your cabinets’ material.

A good paint for your remodel is one that holds up during

cooking, cleaning and everyday wear and tear. Another great

idea is to ask what brand of paint your kitchen cabinet refinisher

uses. If you can find the same brand at Home Depot, move on.

This painter is not suitable for the job.

5. How Do I Prepare?

Prepping your kitchen before your painters’ first day on the job

is important. After all, your prep  can help speed up the painting

process, so your contractor can finish sooner. Different painters

ask for different types of prep from their customers. The better

you prep your kitchen before the cabinet painters come, the

quicker your contractor will finish. They may ask for additional

prep from you before they start, so be certain to follow their

instructions carefully so they can be ready to prep for the actual

painting.

6. How Will You Take Care of My Kitchen While You

Work?

A good kitchen cabinet painter will place drop cloths in your

kitchen to protect your floors, appliances, and walls. If your

prospective contractor doesn’t do this, keep searching. After all,

you want to keep your kitchen free of paint drippings and spills. 

7. Do You Have References?

A reputable kitchen cabinet refinisher will always be happy to

provide you with customer references to vouch for their work.

Anyone who has been happy with your potential painters’ work

for over a year is a great reference. They will be able to give you

examples of how the process went, how professional your

refinisher is, and how carefully they took care of the client’s

home. 

8. How Do You Apply the Paint?

Knowledgeable contractors know you can’t simply use a roll

and a brush to get a professional finish. After all, brushes leave

streaks. If your “Pro” uses brushes and rollers, keep searching.

A great painter will use a sprayer. This process provides a

smooth finish, where even the trim and framing are sprayed to

give you the clean, fresh look you desire. 

Hire the Right Pro

Hiring the right kitchen cabinet painter to give you the kitchen

you’ve been dreaming of can be an overwhelming process. We

hope these questions help you as you search for the right person

or persons for your painting job. No real professional will be

frustrated by your pre-hire questions. They know your kitchen

update is important. 

Now that you’re armed with the right questions to ask, check out

these pics of the pros’ work  at Greenville Refinishing in

Upstate South Carolina.

If you’re in the area, give them a call.

They can provide the best finish for your cabinets, and they

won’t charge you for a direct quote. If you aren’t in South

Carolina,  good luck, and we hope you find the right pro for

your job.