Use this page as a checklist. When you have quotes from two or three painting contractors cape town homeowners have shortlisted, run each one through the sections below and the right choice usually becomes obvious. We cover this further in our guide to roof painting cost per m2 south africa.
Nothing here needs technical knowledge. It is a list of things that should appear in writing, and a note on what it means when they do not. For the full picture, see our article on roof painters near me.
Checklist one: how painting contractors cape town firms describe preparation
Ask for preparation as a numbered list, not a single word. A complete schedule reads something like this.
- Wash down and remove dirt, salt residue and loose material
- Scrape and sand back all flaking or chalking paint
- Treat any mould or algae growth
- Fill hairline cracks and make good holes
- Apply a bonding sealer or primer to bare and porous areas
- Mask, cover and protect floors, fittings and plants
If a quote condenses all of that into “prepare surfaces”, ask for the detail in writing. Preparation is most of the labour and therefore most of the price, so it is the one section that must not be a single line. If you are weighing that up, our guide to exterior painting cape town is worth a read.
Checklist two: what the quote must state
- Every surface to be painted, room by room or elevation by elevation
- Number of coats, plus the sealer or primer beneath them
- Paint product and range by name, not just a brand
- Whether paint is supplied or excluded from the price
- Doors, frames, skirting and ceilings listed explicitly
- Exclusions such as damp repair, roof work or replastering
- Payment terms and the deposit percentage
- Start date and working days to completion
Exclusions are the section people skip and later regret. A quote that quietly excludes crack repair on a cracked wall is not a complete price, and the shortfall appears as a variation once the scaffolding is already up. There is more detail in our piece on how often repaint house.
Two coats means two coats
Ask how the contractor demonstrates it. Most professionals will happily tint the first coat slightly differently so you can see coverage change. It costs nothing and settles the question. For the full picture, see our article on interior vs exterior paint.
Checklist three: the guarantee
Verbal guarantees are worth nothing. Get it in writing and check four points.
- Duration in years, stated on the quote or invoice
- What it covers, typically peeling, flaking and blistering
- What it excludes, usually damp, structural movement and storm damage
- Who honours it, the company rather than an individual painter
Also ask whether the paint manufacturer’s own product warranty applies, because that often depends on the correct system being used from sealer to topcoat. A contractor who substitutes a cheaper undercoat can void it without telling you. Our guide to peeling paint causes goes into this properly.
Checklist four: site rules to agree before day one
- Working hours, and any body corporate or estate restrictions
- Who moves and covers furniture
- Where materials are stored and where washing out happens
- Access, keys, alarm and pets
- Toilet and water use
- Daily clean-up expectations
Getting these agreed in advance prevents most on-site friction. It also tells you something about the contractor: a company used to working in occupied Cape Town homes will already have answers to all six. There is more detail in our piece on exterior paint colours.
Checklist five: sequencing and other trades
Painting sits at the end of a chain. Confirm the contractor knows what has to happen first and will say so rather than painting over a problem. We cover this further in our guide to waterproof paint walls.
- Leaks and damp resolved and dried before any coating
- Cracks and plaster repairs completed and cured
- Skimming finished where a smooth wall is wanted
- Carpentry and fittings in place before final coats
Fresh plaster in particular needs curing time before it takes paint. Rushing it traps moisture behind the film and produces blistering within months. Our skimming plaster article explains the drying window, and persistent damp is a waterproofing job before it is a painting job.
A quick scoring method
Score each contractor out of five: preparation detail, quote completeness, guarantee in writing, references you actually phoned, and how they answered awkward questions. The highest score is usually not the lowest price, and it is usually the cheaper job over eight years. For the full picture, see our article on painting face brick.
We provide a free written assessment with no call-out fee, so you can put us through this checklist at no cost. See the painting services page, or send us your scope for a measured quote.
For rates to check the numbers against, use our house painting cost cape town guide, and for coastal specification read the painting contractors western cape article.
Check the paint specification, not just the price
Two quotes can look similar and use very different paint. Ask which product and how many coats, then compare like with like. Coating standards in South Africa are published by the South African Bureau of Standards.
A contractor who names the exact product and coat count is quoting properly. A vague spec usually means thinner paint or fewer coats.
Frequently asked questions
What should a painting quote include in South Africa?
Every surface to be painted, the number of coats and the sealer beneath them, the paint product and range by name, whether paint is supplied, doors and trim listed explicitly, written exclusions, payment terms and a start date. Preparation should appear as a numbered schedule rather than the single phrase prepare surfaces. If you are weighing that up, our guide to feature wall painting is worth a read.
How do I check a painting contractor is legitimate?
Ask for a written quote on company letterhead, proof of public liability insurance, a named site supervisor and two or three references from jobs two to three years old rather than last month. Older references show how the work survived a couple of Cape winters, which is the only test that matters. We cover this further in our guide to how much paint do i need.
How can I tell if a painter really applied two coats?
Ask before the job starts for the first coat to be tinted slightly differently from the final one. Coverage change is then visible as the second coat goes on. It costs nothing, most professionals suggest it themselves, and it removes the argument entirely. If you are weighing that up, our guide to wall prep for painting is worth a read.
What does a painting guarantee normally cover?
Typically peeling, flaking and blistering of the applied coating for a stated number of years. It usually excludes damp, structural movement and storm damage. Get the duration, coverage, exclusions and the responsible company in writing, and check whether the paint manufacturer’s own product warranty also applies. We cover this further in our guide to cost to paint a house cape town.
Should painting be done before or after other renovation work?
After. Leaks, damp, crack repairs, replastering and skimming all have to be finished and fully cured first, and carpentry should be fitted before final coats. Painting over uncured plaster or unresolved damp traps moisture behind the film and causes blistering within months, which means paying for the whole job twice. Our guide to interior painting cape town goes into this properly.