A coating quote is useful only if it tells you what surface will be prepared, what exact products will be installed, how they will be applied, what repairs are included, and what happens if conditions differ from what the contractor expected. A price without that scope is difficult to compare and easy to misunderstand.
Start With Scope, Not Price
Two bids can both say “paint the house” or “seal the pavers” and describe very different jobs. One may include mildew treatment, removal of loose coating, crack repair, primer, two finish coats and protection of adjacent surfaces. Another may include little more than pressure washing and one finish coat. The dollar difference does not tell you which proposal is better until the work is described.
Hiring & Quote Guides
- What Should Be in a Florida Painting or Coating Quote?
- How to Compare Surface-Preparation Plans in Contractor Quotes
- How to Check a Florida Painting or Coating Contractor Before Hiring
- Contractor Warranty vs. Manufacturer Warranty
- Can a Contractor Substitute a Different Paint or Coating?
- How Many Coats Are You Actually Buying?
The Surface Blueprint Quote Test
- Surface: What exactly is being worked on?
- Diagnosis: What existing failure or contamination was found?
- Preparation: What will be cleaned, removed, repaired, abraded, primed or tested?
- Products: What manufacturer, product line, product number and sheen/system are specified?
- Application: How many coats, at what spreading rate or film build?
- Exclusions: What is not included?
- Warranty: Who is responsible for workmanship, product defects and future maintenance?
For technical questions behind a proposal, also use Surface Preparation, How to Read a Technical Data Sheet, and Florida Code & Product Approvals.