Painter & Decorator in Bacolod City

Good ones do — prep is most of the job. Standard prep includes filling small cracks and holes, sanding, caulking gaps, and spot-priming. What's usually excluded: major plaster repairs, water-damage remediation, and wallpaper removal, which are quoted separately. Ask the quote to state the prep level explicitly; 'paint over as-is' versus 'fill, sand, and prime' can be half the price difference between two quotes.

Three checks: recent photos or addresses of comparable jobs (ask specifically for work 1-2 years old — fresh paint always looks good), reviews that mention prep and cleanliness rather than just price, and the quote itself — a detailed written scope with prep level, paint spec, and coat count signals a professional; a one-line price signals corner-cutting. Cutting-in lines around ceilings and trim are where skill shows.

Because scope assumptions differ: prep level, coat count, paint quality, whether materials are included, insurance and tax status, and how busy the painter is. A quote 40% below the pack usually means one coat, minimal prep, or an uninsured operator. Normalise the quotes to the same scope in writing and the spread typically shrinks dramatically — what remains is the real price difference.

Clear small items, valuables, and wall hangings yourself; painters typically move large furniture to the room centre and sheet it as part of the job. Confirm this when booking — some charge extra for furniture moving, and empty rooms are always cheaper and faster to paint. For whole-house jobs, discuss room sequencing so you can keep living around the work.

Labour-only runs about PHP 50-PHP 150 per square metre, while full-service (labour plus paint) runs roughly PHP 300-PHP 700 per square metre depending on paint line. A standard room lands around PHP 3,000-PHP 12,000 full-service and a whole 3-bed interior roughly PHP 30,000-PHP 120,000. Skilled painters' day rates run about PHP 600-PHP 1,200.

Pakyaw is a fixed lump-sum for defined work — the crew finishes the scope for one price regardless of days taken, versus arawan (daily-rate) where slow work costs you more. For painting, pakyaw with a written scope (areas, coats, prep) plus you supplying the paint is usually the safest structure for homeowners.