FAQs

Do you paint only in Manhattan?

No. We’ll go where there’s a wall, room or apartment that needs painting, in all five boroughs.

Do you do any prep work before you paint? Can you fill in holes left from where pictures were on the walls?

Basic prep covers sanding all to-be painted surfaces as needed, caulking, and filling/spackling nail/screw holes as requested. The next level of prep is repair, which addresses wall cracks, peeling paint and surface irregularities. They are either scraped, spackled, skim-coated or plastered. Priming is done as-needed.

Where will I put my furniture when you paint my room/apartment?

The ideal way to paint a room is when it's empty, but we paint furnished apartments all the time. Usually the customer is responsible for clearing out their small items and personal belongings, and we move the bigger pieces. After that, everything is covered with plastic drop cloths, and the floors are covered with builder’s paper.

Do you take credit cards? Paypal?

Yes. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. And Paypal and Chase Quick-pay.

Do you offer help with color suggestions?

If you’d like, I can help you with color ideas, and I can show you all kinds of online color inspiration.

Do you have your own ladder? What supplies do you need from me?

I have my own ladder and all of my own supplies. If you have a step ladder handy, using it would be great if that’s OK with you. It will be covered to keep the ladder clean.

If I decide to hire you, who gets the paint, you or me?

After you've decided on what color (or colors) and what finish (or finishes) you want to go with, I'll get the paint. At all Benjamin Moore/Janovic stores throughout the city, paint is purchased at the reduced contractor's rate, and I do not mark the price up. What I pay for it is exactly what you pay for it.

What brand of paint do you recommend?

I like Benjamin Moore’s paint best, available at all Benjamin Moore/Janovic stores throughout New York City. It's high quality, reasonably priced, and comes in a full range of colors and a number of different finishes. Restoration Hardware sells a small, very nice line of colors that have worked successfully for several clients. There’s also Sherwin Williams and Behr, among others.

How long have you been doing this? Is this all you do?

I started painting professionally in the spring of 2002. At the start, I had another job, but in September of 2006 the company had grown enough that I was able to leave my other job and paint full-time, which is what I’ve been doing ever since.

How long will it take for the paint to dry? Will it smell? Will I have to sleep somewhere else after you've painted?

Due in part to EPA standards, paint does not have the strong fumes and odor it did at one time. It dries to the touch in 30 minutes to an hour, and you will not need to make alternate sleeping arrangements of any sort. I only work with latex (water-based) paint. I rarely work with oil-based paint, which does take longer to dry, and does have a strong odor and fumes.

I’ve heard you don’t own a truck and use public transportation to get everywhere. How do you do it?

Back in 2002 the company was very small, just me really. I took all of my supplies in a backpack on the subway and would get the paint near to where the job was. The company’s bigger now but that’s way we still do it, only now we have a super-sturdy cart and we cab it when we have a lot of paint or supplies. And six-foot-tall aluminum ladders are allowed on subways. I’m also an avid recycler, and by the end of every job there’s usually quite a lot of stuff for the recycle bins, starting with the empty plastic and metal containers from everyone’s lunch.

Do you have references?

Yes. References are an understandable and important part of this kind of work. As a way of keeping them as honest and unbiased as possible, references are always the last four jobs completed, without exception. For their contact info, please e-mail me at PaintYourApt@aol.com.

What else can you tell me?

✦ Unless other arrangements can be made, building and apartment keys for in/out access are usually required for any job longer than one day, as well as the usage of one shelf in the refrigerator (to keep brushes from drying out when not in use) and a designated sink for some light clean-up.

✦ The labor price is based on a flat rate. It always stays the same providing there are no color changes (I.e., re-painting something after it's already been painted if you change your mind). If the job ends up taking longer than estimated for any other reason, there is no extra charge.

✦ A walk-through of your space to go over the condition of the current paint job may be required prior to painting. This is done to avoid any possible future conflict regarding paint drops on the floors, lumps on the walls, etc., and whether or not they would be from P.Y.A.'s work or were pre-existing.

✦ A to-be-determined deposit (in part to cover paint and supplies) is required prior to the start of the job, with the balance to be paid upon completion.

If you have any other questions, simply call or send an e-mail to PaintYourApt@aol.com.

What are your hours?

P.Y.A. (Paint Your Apartment) is a 24-7 operation that does estimates 7 days a week and paints Monday - Friday and sometimes on weekends. Our standard hours are 9am-5pm (sometimes we start at 8), and as anyone who’s had the Paint Your Apartment experience will tell you, we’re VERY prompt. Once we start, there are usually no breaks other than one for lunch. Although we are very focused and work at a steady rate, the process (set-up, prep, priming where necessary, painting, touch-up and clean up) can be time consuming. The P.Y.A. objective is to paint your apartment and do it neatly. It's never about slapping paint up on your walls real fast and then handing you a bill.

Are you insured?

Yes. I have both liability and workmen’s comp insurance. I am also EPA lead paint certified.

Can you give me a rough idea of how much it will cost to paint my room over the phone?

I can do ballpark estimates, but usually they are very wide price-wise. Cannot do a flat-rate ballpark. Sending floor plans and pics are helpful. And I do not ‘bait and switch” (quote low via phone/e-mail and then raise it upon seeing it). The actual cost of the job is based on the actual scope of work. I prefer the on-site "no obligation consultation," which is always absolutely 100% FREE. It's to meet with you, see your space, discuss colors and take notes on what your painting needs are. There are no papers to sign and price isn't even discussed. I will e-mail you a flat-rate price after we've met so that you can read it over and make your own decision without any pressure. After that, it's

entirely up to you to contact me if you want me to paint your apartment.

George on a roll, W. 76th Street

How long will it take you to paint my apartment?

It’s difficult to give an accurate estimation of the time frame without seeing the space first, but on average, smaller jobs take 1 or 2 days. Bigger jobs take 3 - 5 days. Prep-heavy and gut renovation jobs tend to take even longer because sometimes painting can’t even start until after 2 or 3 days of prep/repair.