I Made The Right Choice!

Thursday, June 29, 2006
If you are viewing this blog right now and are in search of a quality painting contractor, we highly recommend that you try our Painter For a Day™ program. Hiring the wrong contractor and then experiencing dissatisfaction is extremely costly. Chism Brothers Painting's goal is to provide a one of a kind experience simply by doing the right thing. We persistently strive to do the right thing and make each and every customer say to themselves, "I made the right choice!" With hundreds of painters in town, the decision of who should paint your home is not easy. If you are looking for a company who puts quality and customer satisfaction first, please give us a try. We stay in business by doing excellent work for people like you!

Posted by admin on 06/29 at 12:06 AM
General • (0) Comments • Permalink

Update on Pat Chism

Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Pat Chism, Vice-President of Chism Brother's Painting, was diagnosed with stage four of pancreatic/liver cancer in June of 2005. His final project was working at a long-time customer's home: The Levines in La Jolla. He had to step down from his position in the middle of the project to receive the proper treatment. Because of the severity of Pat's condition, he was unable to return to work. He has been strong in this fight against cancer. Today we received a report that he is not doing well; his fight is reaching an end. Only twenty percent of people with this form of cancer last a year, and Pat was diagnosed twelve months ago. Many of our clients have been very kind and thoughtful in asking how he has been doing. We will update this blog with further news. Pat has been surrounded by a loving family--his wife, Edna, and four children, Sarah, Amy, Mikey, and Matt. He had the great joy of walking his daughter, Amy, down the aisle on her wedding day, May 12. His family is strong and so is Pat's faith in Christ. He believes he will soon be with His Savior, Jesus Christ. He does not blame God for what happened but is grateful to have served Him on this earth for 53 years. We have all had many opportunities to visit and encourage him, and he genuinely appreciates the love and support from our clients.

America is Remodeling with NARI

Monday, June 26, 2006
If you are looking at remodeling your home, ask us first who to hire. We have a list of some of the best carpenters, drywallers, installers, etc. in San Diego. These are companies that try to provide the same great service to their clients. Another great resource for you when you have a house project is to contact a NARI professional. NARI stands for "National Association of the Remodeling Industry." It is a group of professional remodelers, subcontractors, and vendors who strive to take remodeling to the next level. It is similiar to a better business bureau. A NARI contractor also has certain certifications for remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, and whole houses. If you are looking for quality companies, or simply do not have the time to be your own general, check their website at: www.narisd.org. They are in the process of designing a website that is more consumer oriented, so please visit again soon. David Chism is a current board member of NARI and will be helping with the redesign of the NARI website this year. Chism Brothers Painting makes it their priority to join the right groups of professional organizations, to learn from others, and to be the best in the business for you!

Out of Business Already!

Saturday, June 24, 2006
You may have heard advertisements for a product called, "Liquid Stucco" on the radio recently. There was a similiar company in town called, "Red Diamond Coatings" selling a similiar ceramic coating. Unfortunately, Red Diamond did not last very long. They went out of business within the last several weeks. Red Diamond Coatings came to San Diego around 3 years ago to sell the "state of the art" paint coating with a 50 Year Guarantee! It followed the popular Liquid Stucco and Siding that was being advertised in parts of the U.S. I was concerned and told the company that I did not think it was ethical to offer such warranties. I asked them what would happen if the paint failed in 10 years and they were not in business. My concern was validated when I heard the news that RDC had closed their doors for good. The product was originally developed by a company in Canada and is still sold by a different name at a local San Diego store called Colorama. These new ceramic coatings are excellent, but BEWARE of whom you hire to apply the material. A number of the companies around the United States will do a few things that are unprofessional. 1) They will hire subcontractors to apply the paint. 2) They will sell you on the product saying it will last 25 years, 50 years, or for life! 3) In order to sell the amazing warranties, "Never Paint Again," they charge a very high price, and it is NOT worth it. I have written several blogs on this issue, because I believe many San Diegans are being taken advantage of when hiring these high-pressured sales companies. Beware of dishonest companies selling good products with invalid guaranties.

Budget Numbers

Thursday, June 22, 2006
It is almost impossible for paint companies to be precise when giving you a painting quote. People typically hire us, not because of our quote and proposal, but because they feel comfortable that we are the most professional and will do the job right. Most painting companies work like this: You give them a call, they show up whether you are home or not, do not ask many questions, and leave a hand written estimate or drop it in the mail explaining what they will do for a certain price. When you contact Chism Brothers Painting, you will find a different approach.

• We will schedule an appointment to meet with you face to face.
• The estimator will ask you a few questions, and take time to answer any questions you may have for him as well.
• The estimator will then take a look around and give you a Budget Number of what it might cost. The budget number depends upon your previous discussion. For example, if you want to do a complete restoration of your home, he will look at the project with restoration in mind. Whatever your needs may be, the estimator typically can give you a range of pricing on the spot. If the budget was near what you were thinking or you feel comfortable with it, the estimator will then proceed to explain the rest of our process.
• If you feel you want to use us, we will then put our verbal estimate into a formal written proposal.

We care about our customers and believe that providing accuracy in our numbers is very important.

Bogus and Bankrupt

Wednesday, June 21, 2006
I went on an estimate call today for an elderly lady in the North Park area who wanted me to paint all the wood trim on her small bungelow home. One of the first questions I asked her was, "When was the last time you had your house painted?" She replied that she had it painted with TexCoat back in 1998. The job back in 1998 cost her about $10,000 to paint the trim, and it was guaranteed for 25 years. Here I am looking at repainting in just 8 years, and by the looks of it, the job should have been done a few years ago. I asked her what happened to the company who painted it, and she said they went bankrupt. She also mentioned that the TexCoat labor warranty is only as good as the company that is applying the material. She was very disappointed that the paint was failing and needed a completely new paint job with many areas requiring a full two coats. The moral of the story: be very careful when selecting a painting contractor. If you go with a low bidder, you may be redoing the paint job in a short amount of time just like this woman. The company that painted her house did not do a very good job. The proof is in the pudding. I cannot stress enough the importance of hiring a licensed contractor who does not take advantage of his clients, has a good reputation, and has been around a long time. Most young companies that offer great deals, low prices, amazing warranties and/or have "good" products may not be around in 5 or 10 years. There are no two paint companies that are alike, and most of the good companies that do the job right charge a very fair price which sometimes can be the highest. Chism Brothers Painting is not always the highest bidder on projects, but we do plan on being around for many years (and have been). We will do the job right the first time so you don't have to redo the project and spend more money. We will do whatever we can to make every dollar count.

Chism Brothers Painting Spring Newsletter

Friday, June 16, 2006
If you would like to view the newsletter we sent to our clients this past spring, please click on this link: Company Newsletter Spring 2006

Best Place to Work Nominee

Sunday, June 11, 2006
Chism Brothers Painting was nominated in the 2006 Best Place to Work award sponsored by the San Diego Business Journal. One award was given to each business category: small, medium, and large. We were not selected to be this year's winner, but it was fun to be part of the program. This year's winner for small business was Western Pump. We are very grateful for the blessing God has given to us in providing quality individuals to serve our clients. We are so excited to have a very low turnover rating, and we hope you can discover for yourself why we love our people so much!

How to Spend Less Money on Painting

Most people call us when their home is in desperate need of a paint job, which means more money out of pocket. We all know that owning a home means we have to budget a certain amount of money on maintaining our property. Sometimes it is not wise to spend a large portion of money all at once. Instead of paying to have the entire interior or exterior painted every ten years when it really needs it, consider this option: Try our Painter For a Day™ program. You will be amazed at how much work our skilled painters can get done in just one day. Why can this be a good alternative? It can keep your home in top-knotch shape on a continual basis instead of gradually getting worse until it looks like it is in need of a complete paint job. Some of you may budget to have an auto detailer come and clean your cars or a landscaper to take care of your lawn on a regular basis. This helps keep your car from needing a new paint job and your yard from looking like the Amazon forest. Our Painter For a Day™ program has been a success since the day we started it in the late 1990's. Let me give you an example, just like the detailer cleans your car on a regular basis, we can come in and clean the exterior of your home with a pressured rinse. This helps keep the dirt and elements off your paint job, which prolongs the life of the paint. Another example, instead of stripping your wood thresholds every time they turn gray and look like they're 100 years old, we can come out every couple of years and in no time at all, clean and apply another coat of varnish before they look bad. This can save a lot of money, because we keep a careful eye on your home. We have a number of long-term customers who do not do a complete paint job often, but call once a year to do a small amount of work to keep their homes looking sharp. The cost of our Painter For a Day™ can vary depending on if you desire one painter or two. Currently, the cost for one Project Foreman (most experienced painter) to come to your home is only $570. This includes up to a full day's worth of work, the basic paint supplies, and little or no charge for paint materials.* We recommend that you have a list of things to do so our painter can have a full day of work as this is the minimum charge. *Extra charges for material may apply. These include: certain industrial enamels, specialty products, faux finish materials, and anything over two gallons of paint per day.

What Does it Cost to Paint My Home?

Saturday, June 10, 2006
Continue reading the article below or scroll down to find a general listing of what things cost for Chism Brothers Painting to paint your home the right way. The #1 question that everyone wishes to know before getting an estimate is, "What will it cost to paint my home?" I wish there were a simple answer to this question, but in reality, there is none. Every estimator looks at a home differently. The estimator will typically determine how much time it will take to paint your home and what it will cost. If one person tells you it will cost $3,000 and will take 2 days and another says it will cost $6,000 and take 6 days to do the exact same project, it is because each person saw the job differently. It is important to talk about your budget and expectations with the paint estimator before getting too far into a project, so he or she can give you a proposal that fits your needs and meets your expectations. If you do not have a budget in mind, this article will help you begin to come up with one. The #1 reason people do not use Chism Brothers is because they were not expecting the price to be so high. I wrote this blog because I feel that most consumers do not really know what it should cost to get a good paint job. There are hundreds of painters in San Diego, and it is rare to have bids that are identical. The typical response I have heard when a homeowner wishes to use us but can't justify the cost is, "I think Chism Brothers Painting is the most professional and will do the best job, but you guys were a lot higher than the other bids we received." These are not fun words for me to hear. I wish our company could work for everyone I meet. We do tend to be a little higher in price than most San Diego Painting companies, but I believe there are great reasons why people spend a little more (at times) to use us. I believe the main reason our customers come back is because they value our service and know we will always do the right thing. We will not take advantage of anyone. We have worked very hard to take painting to the next level. We were tired of hearing about the reputation painters had of being: drug addicts, not showing up on Mondays, not knowing what they were doing, or not dressed professionally. We wanted to change the perception people had to a positive one. This is not just a job for us, it is our livelihood, and we love our job. Just for the record, we are not the highest all the time.

There are three types of painting companies that you will meet if you are getting several of estimates.

• 1) There is the painter working out of his sedan who is simply not professional.
• 2) A company has a company truck, good reputation, does decent work but may not be as professional, provide good service, have the up to date knowledge of the best products to use; their employees are not long-term, they do not attend regular safety or quality control meetings, tend to rush through the project quickly, or they will only do a minimal amount of preparation to keep the cost down.
• 3) There is the professional painting company that is fully licensed, insured, has full-time employees, is very experienced and knowledgeable, performs as promised, and will be around for many years.

Each type of company above has its place. The first company would typically have problems showing up on time and may not be licensed. A homeowner who selects this type of paint company would have to take more risks and do more careful management all under the pretense of saving money. The problem is that sometimes the job has to be redone and ends up costing more money. If a homeowner hires the second type of painting contractor, he will usually get a decent paint job. Many homeowners are fairly pleased with hiring this type of painter. However, there is a greater possibility that one would be dissatisfied with some aspect of the paint job--be it the process of painting or the finished results. Chism Brothers Painting offers you a one of a kind experience. We take you to the next level. Our goal is to be the most professional service company in San Diego. We accomplish this objective by looking for customers who really do want a great paint job and desire complete satisfaction with the whole process: beginning to end. We do not want there to be any doubt in your mind when you agree to use us to paint your home. Most of the work we do is by referral or repeat business. We want to keep it that way! It is true that when people hire us, they do not say it is because they got a good price. They typically hire us because they trust that we will do the job right and they believe in value. A few years ago, we bid a project for the home of Jan Bast, instructor at the Design Institute of San Diego. The cost was quite a bit more than what they were expecting. Mr. and Mrs. Bast knew the repairs and preparation that needed to be done was crucial to their Kensington, Craftsman-style home. They decided to go ahead with the project, and the home looked beautiful when we finished. It took a lot of planning and diligent work. Our company was quite glad to get Mrs. Bast's feedback when we finished. She said the following: "I've always referred you to clients without hesitation. My experience exceeds all my expectations...worth every penny." Whatever type of painting you hire us to do, we want you to feel it was well worth it. So let me rephrase the question, "How much will Chism Brothers Painting cost to paint my home?" Each and every home in San Diego is different and depends on the style and taste of each homeowner. Let me give you several ideas of what you might be looking at for us to paint your home with the highest standards, skills, and service possible. Samples of Pricing for Repainting Work Interiors

• Painting the walls and baseboards in a 10x10 bedroom with two coats (occupied with furniture) would typically cost about $500-600
• Painting the walls in a 3,500 sq. ft. home (empty) with two coats: $10,000-12,000 (depending on ceiling heights)
• Painting walls and base in 3 standard bedrooms, 2 baths, hallway, living room, kitchen, dining room with 2 coats would probably be around: $4,000-5,000
• Painting a very small kitchen (oak to paint) with a primer and a several coats of a high industrial product: $3,200+ (medium kitchen) $4,000+ (large kitchen): $5,500+
• If you wanted to paint an entire home (top to bottom with two coats) around 3,000 sq. ft. (Doors, base, ceiling, shutters, insides of closets and walls (some high ceilings) the cost could be as high as $20,000 (completely furnished)
• A general rule of thumb: material cost is around 8-10% of the total job. A home that is empty (free from furnishings) will probably save 15% in labor charges.

Exteriors

• Standard 2-Story (2,500 sq. ft), Stucco and Basic Wood Trim typically seen in select areas of Scripps Ranch, Carmel Valley, Tierrasanta: $6,000-8,000 (2 Coats)
• Larger 2-Story (3,500+ sq. ft) stucco, some wood siding, basic wood trim: $8,000-11,000 (2 Coats)
• Standard 1-2 story San Diego Home (up to 2,000 sq. ft): $4,000-6,000 (2 coats)
• An approximate 5,000 sq. ft. home with wood windows, wood French doors, wood trim, stucco or wood siding: ($18,000-20,000+)
• A separate Gazebo that is in good shape could cost $1,500+
• A patio cover/trellis (open to sky) is expensive and time consuming to paint. A typical 8x10 unit will probably be about $500-600 for the basic prep and painting. If it is a larger unit (covering most of the patio: 20x12), the cost may be as much as $1,200-1,500+)
• Entry door stripping and refinishing is typically very expensive and can cost as much as $1,000 per side (complete strip, stain and three coats).

Posted by admin on 06/10 at 08:06 PM
General • (3) Comments • Permalink