Maintaining customer satisfaction is a crucial aspect of any business, but it’s even more important for painting companies that have earned the prestigious Diamond Certified award. For Sigura Pro Painting, the key to achieving and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction is simple: set high expectations on every painting project, regardless of its size. “Quality workmanship is what we’re all about, and our clients know that’s what they can expect from us,” says owner Ilan Sigura. “We’ve built a positive reputation by taking care of our clients and providing them with the results they’re looking for.”

Sigura Pro Painting has been providing interior and exterior painting services throughout the Greater Bay Area for more than two decades. The company takes a full-service approach to the painting process in order to guarantee a streamlined experience for each client, and it also has the training and equipment to offer staining, refinishing, and color consultation services.

Unlike less experienced painting contractors that take a hands-off approach to interacting with their customers, Sigura Pro Painting focuses on communicating with its clients before, during and after their projects. “Ultimately, we want our clients to be satisfied with every phase of our work, and clear communication is the best way to confirm we’re achieving that goal,” says Mr. Sigura. “We’re always available to address questions or concerns, and we conduct a survey after every job to confirm we’ve met the client’s expectations.”

Another distinguishing attribute of Sigura Pro Painting is its comprehensive approach to quality control, which includes providing each project with a superintendent who is responsible for jobsite coordination and a production manager who oversees quality. “By having multiple levels of supervision, we’re able to ensure nothing falls through the cracks,” explains Mr. Sigura. “Also, I personally oversee every project, which adds yet another level of accountability and guarantees the client gets their money’s worth.”

If you’re planning a painting project, make sure you set a realistic budget and stick to it. Budgets are hard to live by, but they can be especially difficult to stick to when it comes to upgrading or renovating your home. One thing spirals into another until you have a beautiful home and a bare bank account. Luckily, when it comes to house painting, you can increase your chances of setting a realistic budget and sticking to it.

First, think about your project and write down your needs and wants. This will prevent you from contracting for more than you need. Evaluating what you really need instead of what you want will allow you to prioritize, which means you can add to a project that’s under budget and remove unnecessary items from an over-budget project.

Most painting contractors charge either a flat rate or a variable price for time and materials. Be honest with your painter. Tell them how much you want to spend and find out if it’s reasonable, but never sacrifice quality for price. Even if you have to put a halt to the project to save more money, that’s better than hiring an unlicensed or uninsured painter to do the work.

Many painters will work with you to choose paint brands and other materials that make sense for your budget. Ilan Sigura, owner of Sigura Pro Painting in Santa Clara, says good painting contractors are able to work with any client and their unique budgetary needs. “Your painter should give you options for materials that are high-quality and take cost into account. They should do whatever it takes to get the job done right and still meet your needs.”

Remember, time is money when it comes to hiring a painting contractor. Anything you can do to simplify or shorten the job should save you money and prevent you from going over budget. For example, if you take down art and remove furniture from the rooms that are being painted, you’ll save your painters time and keep their services within your budget.

The timing of your job can also impact the cost. Some contractors set higher fees for peak times and offer discounts to clients who book jobs during the off-season. It’s also smart to stay in constant contact with your painter. Ask them to let you know about potential overage fees or things you can do to help the job stay on budget.

Q: How soon can you start my painting project?

A: It depends on the type of work, the size of the job and the time of year. We always try to accommodate our clients, but we won’t rush a project just to fit in another job.

Q: When you start my project, will you work continuously until it’s finished?

A: Absolutely. Our dedicated crew members see every project through to completion without jumping from job to job.

Q: Is it necessary to strip my old paint or prime my walls before painting?

A: If a wall is already painted and the paint has good integrity, we don’t need to apply primer. For an exterior job, we’ll power wash the surface to clean the existing paint, seal cracks with caulking and repair any damaged areas before applying new paint. Only exposed areas need to be primed. If the paint is peeling or flaking, we’ll scrape it, sand it and apply primer so the paint lasts longer.

Q: Are you certified to remove lead-based paint?

A: Yes, we’re an EPA Lead-Safe Certified company. We’re trained to perform asbestos and lead testing in homes that were built before 1978.

Q: Can you paint over my wallpaper?

A: We don’t recommend it. If you paint over wallpaper, the moisture from the paint can penetrate the wallpaper and cause it to peel. Instead, we’ll remove the wallpaper and any glue that’s on the wall before priming and painting over the surface.

Q: Can you repaint my cabinets?

A: Yes, we use water- and alcohol-based paints to paint cabinets. If we’re using alcohol-based paint, we wear masks and use HEPA filters so we don’t contaminate the home with fumes.

Q: What type of paint should I choose if I’m concerned about keeping it clean?

A: The easiest paints to keep clean are semi-gloss and satin sheen—you can just use a sponge and water or a gentle cleaning agent.

Q: Will you work with my budget?

A: Yes, we’ll give you options for materials and do whatever it takes to complete your project within your budget.

Q: Can you paint my house if it’s raining?

A: In most cases, yes. It depends on the weather and type of painting we’re doing, but we can usually cover open areas to keep out rain and continue working.

Q: Will you take care of the permit process?

A: Yes. We’re a one-stop shop, which means we take care of everything from beginning to end, including obtaining any necessary permits.