Five Things a Cheap Exterior Paint Job Skips

When two exterior painting bids come back and one is dramatically lower, the difference is almost never that one painter is more efficient. It is that one of them left steps out. Here are the five that usually go missing, and what happens when they do.

1. Pressure washing

In Florida, exterior surfaces grow things. Mildew, algae, and pollen build up on siding and stucco, especially on shaded and north-facing walls. Paint over that and you have not removed the problem, you have sealed it under a coat of paint. It comes back through, and it comes back fast.

2. Caulking

Every gap around a window, a door frame, a trim joint, or a penetration is a path for water. Caulking is slow, unglamorous work and it is invisible when it is done right, which makes it the easiest line item to quietly drop. Skipping it turns a paint job into a water intrusion problem two seasons later.

3. Priming bare spots

Bare stucco and bare wood drink paint. Without primer, the finish coat soaks in unevenly, and you end up with dull patches where the surface absorbed more than its neighbors. It looks acceptable on day one and obvious by month six.

4. The second coat

This is the big one. One coat of paint looks completely finished while it is wet. It also has roughly half the film thickness it needs to survive Florida sun and rain. A single-coat exterior can look fine for a year and then start chalking and fading years before it should. If a bid does not say two coats in writing, ask.

5. A written scope

If prep, caulking, priming, coat count, and the specific product are not written down, they are not part of the deal. A verbal understanding is worth nothing once a crew is on site and behind schedule. This is also how you compare two bids honestly. Without written scopes you are not comparing the same job.

How to use this

You do not need to become a paint expert. Take these five items to whoever is bidding your house and ask them to confirm each one in writing. A contractor doing the work properly will have no problem with that. The reaction to the question tells you most of what you need to know.

HL Remodeling Group handles interior and exterior painting for homes and businesses throughout the Jacksonville area. Call (904) 314-6769 or email info@hljax.com for a free walkthrough.