Diamond Certified Company Report

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

Name: CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
Address: US
Telephone: (510) 761-6903
Rating: 9.0

(510) 761-6903

Contact

Diamond Certified Company Report

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

(510) 761-6903

Contact

Diamond certified ratings dashboard

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION i

Customer LOYALTY i

Helpful Expertise i

Company Credentials i

Workers Compensation
Liability Insurance
License Verification
Business Practices
Current Complaint File
Legal & Finance

Phone SURVEY RESPONSES FROM 374 VERIFIED CUSTOMERS i

David B.

VERIFIED CertaPro Painters of Berkeley CUSTOMER

1 of 374

Quality 10

10 10

Loyalty Yes

CRITIQUE

I was pretty happy with the whole process. They were very responsive. The quality of work was good. They had reasonable pricing. They did a good job.

I liked the quality of their work. They did a good job, which is the most important thing at the end of the day.

Lucas L.

VERIFIED CertaPro Painters of Berkeley CUSTOMER

2 of 374

Quality 10

10 10

Loyalty Yes

CRITIQUE

Give him a call, and see if it's a good fit.

They had good customer service, helpful. He went out of his way to answer my questions, and he worked with me on the schedule, all of the stuff that they should do. It was good quality and fair pricing.

Jason S.

VERIFIED CertaPro Painters of Berkeley CUSTOMER

3 of 374

Quality 10

10 10

Loyalty Yes

CRITIQUE

They're extremely professional, on time, and met all of their commitments. They have very high quality.

I liked the quality of their work.

Read All 374 Survey Responses at Ratings View

Diamond certified VIDEO PROFILE

Diamond certified company PROFILE

Soumil Amin, Owner

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley is a full-service painting contractor that serves residential and commercial clients throughout Alameda County. In addition to handling every aspect of interior and exterior painting, the company provides cabinet refinishing, staining, power washing, acoustic ceiling removal, epoxy coatings and more.

Owner Soumil Amin is a lifelong Bay Area resident who studied Economics and Business at UC Davis before establishing CertaPro Painters of Berkeley. “Running a painting business is less about the actual commodity and more about finding the right people, making sure they’re empowered and building a positive culture where they enjoy coming to work,” he says. “Our employees care about this company, and their dedication shows in their excellent paint jobs.”

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley emphasizes the importance of customer education and communication throughout every step of the painting process, from estimating to project completion. “We cover all the bases,” says Mr. Amin. “Our clients may only have to paint their homes once every 10 to 15 years, so we make sure they have clear understandings of what they’re getting.”

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DIAMOND CERTIFIED RESEARCHED CAPABILITIES ON CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

COMPANY CONTACT

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

(510) 761-6903

EMAIL
Map Hours Website CLOSED NOW

Service AREA

Alameda County

SERVICES PERFORMED

Residential & Commercial Painting
Interior & Exterior
Epoxy Coatings
Cabinet Refinishing
Stain/Sealants
Power Washing
Drywall Repair
Acoustic Ceiling Removal
Lead-Safe Painting
Historical Home Painting
Professional Color Assistance

Company Name:	CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
Website:	www.berkeley.certapro.com
Phone Number:	(510) 761-6903
DCID Number:	DCID5109810321
Hours:	Mon – Fri: 7:30am – 4pm
Areas Served:	Serving Alameda County and the cities of Berkeley, Richmond, El Cerrito, Lafayette, Kensington, Orinda, Walnut Creek, Moraga, Alamo, Piedmont, Albany
Managers:	Soumil Amin, Owner
Years in industry:	14
# of Employees:	20
Certifications:	EPA Lead-Safe Certified
License:	837312
Insurance:	Liability Insurance, Workers' Compensation
Memberships:	Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, Berkeley Rotary, Better Business Bureau, Business Network International (BNI), Oakland Chamber of Commerce
Founded:	2003
Areas of Expertise:	Residential & Commercial Painting, Interior & Exterior, Epoxy Coatings, Cabinet Refinishing, Stain/Sealants, Power Washing, Drywall Repair, Acoustic Ceiling Removal, Lead Safe Painting, Historical Home Painting, Professional Color Assistance
Customer Type:	Commercial, Residential
CC Accepted:

DIAMOND CERTIFIED RESEARCHED ARTICLES ON CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

A look at the completed paint job.

Company Profile

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Company Philosophy

“We do business based on a set of core values: We deliver what we promise, respect the individual, have pride in what we do and practice continuous improvement. Our ultimate goal is to treat our customers the way we would like to be treated. Every time we enter a new situation, we ask ourselves, ‘What would we need to make ourselves comfortable? What kind of outcome would we like?’ Our outlook puts things into perspective for both our employees and customers.”

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Comparative Summary

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 CertaPro Painters of Berkeley, the key to achieving and maintaining customer satisfaction is simple: remain committed to providing excellent customer service throughout every phase of every project. “Customer service was my primary goal from the moment I started this business,” explains owner Soumil Amin. “I wanted to open a painting company that delivered a service I could put my name behind. Ultimately, I want our customers to be completely happy with our work.”

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley has been providing complete painting services for residential and commercial clients throughout Alameda County since 2003. In addition to handling every aspect of interior and exterior painting, the company provides cabinet refinishing, staining, power washing, acoustic ceiling removal, epoxy coatings and more.

Unlike painting companies that provide the same treatment for every customer regardless of their preferences, CertaPro Painters of Berkeley takes a personalized approach to each painting project–a comprehensive process that’s earned the company a loyal, dedicated clientele base. “Every person has a different idea of the perfect paint job, so we make sure to take our time and understand exactly what each client wants,” says Mr. Amin. “We listen to what they’re saying and deliver on our promises.”

To further differentiate itself from its competition, CertaPro Painters of Berkeley offers accelerated services that are designed to get at the heart of every project. Once a customer contacts the company, a representative immediately responds and schedules an in-home estimate. During the first meeting, an estimator talks in-depth with the client and notes the type of job, special requirements and expectations, and other project details. “We cater our proposals to our clients’ exact desires and return them within 24 hours,” adds Mr. Amin. “We also include a packet with references, our accreditations and basic company information.”

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Industry Info

Use caution when dealing with paint that contains volatile organic compounds. The smell of fresh paint may signal a new start or a soothing space, but it also warns of potentially dangerous gasses that can be toxic if ingested or breathed. Volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations inside new or remodeled homes can be dangerously high, because they’re frequently found in flooring, building materials, furniture, paint, waxes and cleaning supplies.

A renewed interest in the long-term effects of these potentially dangerous compounds means more consumers and painting contractors are moving toward low- and zero-VOC paints and finishes. “Paints that have lower VOCs don’t have as many toxic fumes,” explains Soumil Amin, owner of CertaPro Painters of Berkeley. “That means a homeowner can have their house painted and not worry about airing it out.”

Here’s what you should know about VOCs in your home:
• If you can smell paint when you walk into a room (no matter when it was applied), it’s still releasing potentially harmful VOCs. To help clear the air, leave windows open whenever you can.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates VOCs in air, water and land. However, it doesn’t regulate air quality in non-industrial buildings, including private homes.
• VOCs have been linked to “sick building syndrome,” a combination of symptoms that include headaches; eye, nose, throat and skin irritation; and a decrease in smell and taste. Sick building syndrome is generally attributed to working and living in buildings with poor ventilation and biological and chemical contaminants, including mold, bacteria, pollen and viruses.
• Children are the most affected by high levels of VOCs and may experience respiratory distress; allergies; immune system problems; eye, nose and throat irritation; dizziness; nausea; and kidney, liver and central nervous system damage.

To help minimize the occurrence of health problems caused by indoor VOCs, consider the following tips:
• Choose low- and zero-VOC paints when painting living spaces, especially bedrooms or rooms for infants and small children.
• If you can smell new furniture, carpeting, wall coverings, window coverings or other decorative items, they’re off-gassing and may be contributing potentially harmful chemicals to your indoor environment. Air out any rooms with new carpeting or new paint until you can no longer smell them.
• Purchase a home screening kit to measure the total VOC exposure in your house. Indoor air quality companies can also provide this service. However, testing will only determine your rate of exposure; it won’t fix the problem.
• Most items that off-gas do so during the first few weeks and months. You can limit the VOCs you bring into your house by purchasing floor models that have off-gassed in the store, solid wood items with lower-emitting finishes, and new products that contain no VOCs or low VOCs.
• Appliances, paints and furnishes often give off more gasses when a home is warmer and has higher humidity. Keep temperature and humidity under control year-round.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are your services expensive?

A: We’re usually in the middle when it comes to price, but it depends on the type of work you’re looking for. We’ll gear our services toward your budget and lifestyle.

Q: Are your painters subcontractors or company employees?

A: All our painters are full-time employees—they work for us and nobody else. They’re all highly trained, experienced workers who know how to manage schedules and meet the needs of our customers.

Q: When can you start my painting project?

A: It depends on how busy we are when you call. We’re usually about two to four weeks out, depending on the time of year.

Q: What types of paints do you use?

A: We mostly use paints made by Kelly-Moore, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams, but we’re not married to any one brand. The type of paint we use depends on the details of the project. We’ll help you decide which paint will best fit your particular situation.

Q: Are you Green certified?

A: We’re currently going through the Green certification process, and we’re also starting to implement recycling programs. We try to be as environmentally-friendly as possible, from reducing our daily output to operating in a LEED-certified building. We also offer a complete line of Green products.

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SELECTED PHOTOS FROM CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
Before
After
A “before” shot of a recent painting project by CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
A look at the completed paint job.
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
Wood ceiling "After"
Wood ceiling "Before"
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley
After
After
Before
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley is a full-service painting contractor.
Before
A couple of CertaPro employees
The CertaPro Painters of Berkeley team

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DIAMOND CERTIFIED EXPERT CONTRIBUTOR ADVICE & TIPS FROM Soumil Amin

Expert CONTRIBUTOR PROFILE

Soumil Amin is a 15-year veteran of the painting industry and owner of CertaPro Painters of Berkeley, a Diamond Certified company since 2010. He can be reached at (510) 761-6903 or by email.

Soumil Amin: In Living Color

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

OAKLAND — When Soumil Amin started doing maintenance work to earn money while attending school, he never thought it would lead to a lifelong career. “During college, I was a maintenance technician at a hotel, which involved a lot of exterior and interior painting,” he remembers. “After graduating, I wanted to start a life for myself, so I began looking at different businesses and trades to get involved in. Since I had some experience, I decided to try my hand at being a professional painter.” In 2003, after getting a few years of additional experience under his belt, Soumil made a big leap forward by opening a franchise of the nationwide company CertaPro Painters.

Today, as owner of CertaPro Painters of Berkeley, Soumil expresses a twofold appreciation for his career. “I love taking a home in need of a paint job and watching the transformation from old to new,” he says. “I also enjoy meeting and interacting with customers, as well as providing them with products they’re completely happy with.”

Originally from Atlanta, Soumil moved to California as a teenager and today resides in Concord with his wife, Kruti, and their two daughters. When asked his favorite part about living and working in the Bay Area, he cites its diverse character. “I think having such a complex mixture of people and cultures adds richness to life,” he says. “Plus, it means we have a lot of great food!”

Outside of work, Soumil devotes most of his time to his other career: being a full-time family man. “Most of my hobbies revolve around sports and outdoor activities, but these days I’m mainly doing the dad thing,” he says. “However, my wife and I make an effort to stay active by taking the girls with us on hikes or walks along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. As they get older, we’ll branch out into biking and other activities.”

In his life and career, Soumil espouses the importance of delivering on your promises. “I take pride in what I do, so I want to make sure everything is laid out perfectly and the results are exactly as I said they’d be,” he explains. “An important aspect of that is communication. Not only do I need to communicate with my customers to understand their needs, I need to communicate those needs to my crew so the job is done correctly.”

When asked what his future retirement might look like, Soumil says he’ll find ways to stay active, both at home and abroad. “I like experiencing different places and cultures, so I’ll definitely do some traveling. However, I’d also like to become more active in my local community.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A: Australia.

Q: What’s your favorite local restaurant?
A: Burma Superstar in Oakland.

Q: What’s your favorite thing to do on a rainy day?
A: Relax and eat a hot bowl of pho.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: Talk radio.

Q: What’s your favorite TV show?
A: “Breaking Bad.”

Expert articles

Lead-Safe Paint Preparation

by Soumil Amin, a Diamond Certified Expert Contributor

OAKLAND — When planning for a house painting project, a crucial concern to keep in mind is lead safety. Any house built prior to 1978 has the potential to contain lead-based paint; even if more recent layers of paint don’t contain lead, the lower layers likely do. So, when painting any pre-1978 home, it’s best to assume lead is present and take proper precautions. While this entails a bit of extra work, it’s worthwhile to keep yourself and your family safe from lead exposure. Follow these lead-safe painting guidelines:

Employ wet-sanding techniques. Use a mister to wet painted areas prior to sanding or scraping. Whereas dry sanding allows particles to enter the atmosphere, the introduction of moisture causes these particles to end up on the ground, keeping the air stream untainted.

Put up plastic. Cover the outsides of windows and tape the insides so no dust can get into the house. Also, put plastic down and duct tape it to your home’s exterior to collect fallen paint chips for disposal.

Wear safety gear. To prevent lead exposure, cover yourself head-to-toe with protective gear. Important components include protective eye wear, disposable coveralls, a disposable N-100 rated respirator, latex/rubber gloves and shoe covers. Seal any loose or exposed clothing seams with duct tape.

Have a designated clean-wash station. This will come in handy in the event of exposure.

Post notifications on the outside of your home. You have a responsibility to make people aware of the situation so they can keep their distance.

Obtain a lead safety booklet from the EPA. This will provide more information about the risks of lead exposure and lay out proper procedures for lead-safe painting.

If you decide to hire a painting company to handle your project, find one that’s EPA Lead-Safe Certified. Hiring a painter that’s trained in lead-safe procedures provides extra assurance that your project will be carried out in a safe, responsible manner.
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How To Paint Over Oil-Based Paint

OAKLAND − Repainting your home interior may seem like a simple task, but it can get complicated fast if you aren’t careful. For example, since many older homes still have oil-based paint on the walls and trim, attempting to paint over these with newer, water-based paint can result in a literal “oil and water” situation. To avoid this, you’ll need to employ the right techniques.

First, sand the oil-based surface with a 200-grit sandpaper, which will remove the top layer of gloss and provide a better surface for the new paint to adhere to. Keep in mind that in homes built before 1978, lead-based paint may be a concern. To be safe, use an EPA-certified Festool sander, which is equipped with a HEPA vacuum that sucks up 99.9 percent of dislodged dust particles.

After sanding, apply an oil-based or hybrid primer, which will both adhere to the oil-based paint and provide a good surface for the new layer of paint to adhere to. One great product to consider is Benjamin Moore’s ADVANCE, which is an oil/latex hybrid that goes on easily and provides a durable final result.
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Expert video tip

Video: Lead-Safe Painting Protocol

With Soumil Amin of
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

Complete Video Transcription

OAKLAND — Host, Sarah Rutan: When repainting a home built prior to 1978, proper lead-safe protocol is a must. Today we’re in Oakland with Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Soumil Amin of CertaPro Painters of Berkeley to learn more.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Soumil Amin: Today, we are going to be talking about lead-safe sanding and preparation procedures. Any home that’s built before 1978 has a potential for lead-based paint. It’s a big deal. There’s been a lot of research and developments on the effects of lead-based paint if it gets into your blood stream or if it gets into your environment. So, proper procedures is important to do when you’re preparing your home. Whether you’re doing it yourself or you’re hiring a professional, proper steps you should be taking. First you can check, they have tests that you can buy at the local paint store or hardware store. They can test to see if the house actually has lead-based paint. Most of the time before 1978 you should assume that there is lead-based paint. So, take all the proper precautions.

Professionals need to have certification from the EPA in order to be renovating with lead-based paint surfaces. So, if hiring a contractor, you should in to make sure they have the certification and it’s current. First up, you want to make sure there is a first aid kit on-site, just in case anything was to happen, standard safety procedures. Goggles to protect your eyes. A spray sock which goes over your head. Good quality Tyvek suit basically keeps all the particles away from you. You put spray socks on your shoes. You wrap yourself basically 100 percent so no contaminants can get inside of you as you’re doing any work. As this is going on, we have certain machines that help us do this work. This is a Festool sanding machine, proprietary brand, it’s EPA certified to be able to sand a surface and it’s 99.99 percent able to contain all the dust that comes out.

So, basically when you sand this surface, compared to the sand getting into the air and all the debris getting into the air as with typical sanders, this has a HEPA vacuum attached to it, proper hoses, and connectors to make sure 99.99 percent of all particles get into the properly sealed EPA-certified HEPA bag and is contained inside of the unit. This is also a HEPA vacuum. It’s a certified HEPA filter, certified HEPA vacuum, which again uses the vacuum to bring in any particles or dust into it without anything getting into the environment. It is important to have the right equipment to be working with lead-based paint. A lot of harmful substances are inside your home built a long time ago. These can get into the grounders, they can get into your system, the neighbors, anybody that’s walking down the streets, so having proper equipment on-site and doing the work in a correct manner, proper safety mechanisms for everybody around is a – is a smart way to do the work on your house.

Host, Sarah Rutan: To learn more from local, top rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified Expert Reports at experts.diamondcertified.info.

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Video: How to Repaint an Oil-Based Surface

with Soumil Amin of
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

Complete Video Transcription

OAKLAND — Host, Sarah Rutan: When painting over an oil-based paint surface in your home, it’s crucial to employ the right techniques. Today we’re in Oakland with Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Soumil Amin of CertaPro Painters of Berkeley to learn more.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Soumil Amin: So, I wanted to talk today about painting over an oil-based paint. A lot of older homes have oil-based paint painted on the trim currently; special technique to be able to paint over it. We usually recommend scuff sanding it – 220-grid sandpaper. Basically cuts up the surface; gets that top layer of gloss off the surface; allows the new paint to stick on there really well. If it’s an older home with lead-based paint, just be a little careful. We use a Festool sander. It’s EPA-certified. 99.9% of the dust particulates get sucked into a HEPA vacuum. So, just be aware of that.

After the scuff sanding – nothing too harsh – we like to use an oil hybrid or an oil-based primer; really sticks onto that hard surface; allows the new paint to stick. Benjamin Moore has a great product; it’s called Advanced. It’s an oil/latex hybrid product. It goes on really nicely and provides a really durable finished product.

Host, Sarah Rutan: To learn more from local, top rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified Expert Reports at experts.diamondcertified.info.
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Video: Lead-Safe Painting Procedure

with Soumil Amin of
CertaPro Painters of Berkeley

Complete Video Transcription

OAKLAND – Host, Sarah Rutan: If you’re unsure whether your house paint contains lead, it’s best to take full precautions and employ lead-safe procedures. Today we’re in Oakland with Diamond Certified Expert Contributor Soumil Amin of CertaPro Painters of Berkeley to learn what this entails.

Diamond Certified Expert Contributor, Soumil Amin: So, today I’m going to talk about the importance of lead safety when doing any remodeling or renovation around your home. Not only when you do the work yourself but if a licensed contractor or anybody is doing on the home for you, you should make sure you follow the proper steps. Lead safety is very important. Any amount of lead in your system is not healthy. It’s not supposed to be there. Any house that was built before 1978 has the potential for having lead based paint. Even if the top layer, more recently layers, levels of paint that were put on there did not have it on there, lower levels probably will.

So, we assume that anything before 1978 has lead and all the precautions need to be adhered to. It takes a little bit extra work but they really come through in the end to make sure the people inside the house and the people around the house are safe and taken care of. Before anybody does work to your house, you should make sure they are fully EPA certified. There is a certification that you need to take and the refresher courses to make sure you’re following the proper guidelines and you know what you’re doing. They should also be licensed with the state of California. They do checks, background checks, to make sure they’re qualified people and they know how they’re working on your house. Typically on a house, there are a couple of areas you need to be concerned about.

During the scraping phase, you need to do a wet scrape where basically you water the house down so the paint chips go straight down to the ground compared to getting into the air supply. You should cover the windows up with six mil plastic. Cover the outside of the window, tape the inside of the window so that no dust can get inside the house. Use it on the bottom of the house. Apply six mil plastic. Roll it out, duct tape it to the house so all the paint chips that come off the house are collected in the plastic and you can dispose of that properly. Notifications need to be put up so people in the house know what’s happening. And everybody should be giving you a booklet from the EPA. Very simple booklet. Tells you what you need to know, what the risks are and how things should be happening properly to insure safety for everybody around.

The crew – they should also be protected and safe. They should be wrapped head to toe with protective gear. This is a spray sock that they put over their head. These are goggles that you put into your mouth. And this is a tyvek suit so it goes full top to bottom. It protects everything and it gets duct taped at the seams. Basically the point is that there is no part of your skin that is showing or anywhere that lead chips can get inside of. There should be a clean wash station around. There should be proper protocols taken so that the employees are safe as well. So, when you get any work done to your house make sure you check out the regulations and the people that are working there are doing the work properly.

Host, Sarah Rutan: To learn more from local, top rated companies, visit our Diamond Certified Expert Reports at experts.diamondcertified.info.
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CertaPro Painters of Berkeley WEBSITE AND EXTERNAL FEED

COMPANY WEBSITE

https://berkeley.certapro.com/

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