Choose a painter who carries insurance, puts the whole job in writing, explains the prep and can be reached after the job. Price comes after those. Michigan no longer licenses painting as a trade, so a license check alone will not sort good painters from bad ones here.
This page is general information for Michigan property owners. It is not legal advice. Federal, state and city rules change, so check with the agency named before you rely on any of it.
How do I find a good painter?
To find a good painter, look for these things before you look at price.
- Proof of liability insurance, and workers' compensation cover if there are employees.
- A local phone number and a business name that matches the paperwork.
- A walk-through of the job before any price is given.
- A written quote that lists surfaces, prep, coats and paint.
- Straight answers about lead-safe work if the house was built before 1978.
- Recent jobs like yours that you can see or ask about.
Detroit Painters is licensed and insured, and every job starts with a free estimate and a written quote.
How many quotes should I get?
Three quotes is a sensible number for most jobs. It is enough to see the going range and to spot a quote that is far too high or too low.
Give every painter the same list of rooms, surfaces and colors, or the quotes cannot be compared. For a single small room, one or two quotes are enough.
What should a painting estimate include?
A painting estimate should include everything needed to finish the job, in writing.
- Each room or area, and which surfaces in it: walls, ceilings, trim, doors, closets.
- The prep: washing, scraping, patching, sanding, caulking and priming.
- The number of coats.
- The paint by maker, product line and sheen.
- Who moves furniture and how floors are protected.
- Any repairs priced as separate lines.
- The total, the payment schedule and a rough start date.
What should be in a painting contract?
A painting contract should hold the same details as the estimate, plus the terms both sides agree to.
- The business name, address and phone number.
- The full scope of work and the products.
- The price and the payment schedule.
- How changes and extra work are approved and priced.
- Start date, rough length and how weather delays are handled.
- Clean-up and removal of waste.
- Proof of insurance.
- Any warranty, in writing.
- For a home built before 1978, the lead-safe work practices to be used.
How much deposit should I give a painter?
There is no single normal deposit. A modest deposit to hold the date or cover the paint is common, with the balance due when the work is finished and you have walked it.
We could not confirm a Michigan law that caps a painter's deposit at a set percentage, so rely on the contract and not on a rule. The Michigan Attorney General's advice on home improvement is to arrange payments to be made as parts of the job are completed. Pay in a way that leaves a record.
A painter wants half up front in cash. Is that a red flag?
Yes, treat it as one. Half is a large share for a job where the main cost is labor that has not been done yet, and cash leaves you with no record.
Paint for a few rooms costs a small part of the total, so a painter does not need half the price to get started. Offer a smaller deposit by check or card, made out to the business. A painter who will only take cash and gives no receipt is a risk you do not need.
Should I hire a painter who wants all the money up front?
No. Do not pay all of the money up front. Once the painter has been paid in full, you have nothing left to hold if the work is late, poor or never done.
Keep a meaningful final payment until the walk-through is complete and the touch-ups are finished. Any honest painter expects that.
Does a painter need a license in Michigan?
No. A painter does not need a state license in Michigan for painting alone. Painting and decorating was removed from the state's list of licensed maintenance and alteration trades by Public Act 527 of 2018, which took effect on March 28, 2019.
Other house trades still need a license from the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) for jobs of $600 or more. The list in the Occupational Code includes carpentry, masonry, siding and gutters, roofing and insulation work. So a painter who also replaces siding, rebuilds a porch or does carpentry repairs on your house needs a Residential Builder or Maintenance and Alteration Contractor license for that part. Some cities also ask contractors to register locally.
How do I check a painter's license and insurance in Michigan?
To check a license, use the State of Michigan's online license search run by LARA and search the company or the owner's name. Remember that a painter who only paints does not need one, so no result is not proof of a problem.
To verify insurance, ask for a certificate of insurance sent to you by the painter's insurance agent, showing general liability cover and the dates. Ask about workers' compensation if the painter has employees. On a home built before 1978, also ask for the firm's EPA lead-safe certificate, which you can look up on the EPA's website.
What are the red flags when hiring a painter?
These are the red flags that come up most often.
- No written quote, or a one-line quote with no prep or products listed.
- A large deposit, cash only or full payment before the work.
- No proof of insurance.
- A price that is good for today only.
- No mention of lead on a house built before 1978.
- No business name, or a name that differs from the one on the paperwork.
- A promise of one coat that covers anything.
A painter says they can start tomorrow. Is that a red flag?
Not always. A painter who can start tomorrow may just have had a job cancel or a rain day open up. But in the busy season from May to September, good painters in Detroit are usually booked ahead.
Ask why the slot is free and judge the answer. If the same painter also wants cash up front and has no written quote, the quick start is part of a pattern and you should walk away.
What should I ask a painter before hiring?
These are the questions to ask a painter before you sign.
- Are you insured, and can your agent send me the certificate?
- Who will be on site each day, and are they employees or subcontractors?
- What prep is included, and what would be extra?
- How many coats, and which products?
- My house was built before 1978. Is your firm EPA lead-safe certified?
- How will you protect floors, furniture and plants?
- What is the payment schedule?
- What happens if I find a problem after you finish?
Do painters give a warranty, and what should it cover?
Many painters give a written workmanship warranty, and the terms vary from one company to the next. Ask each painter what theirs covers and for how long, and get it in writing. Ask us about ours when we quote.
A useful warranty covers peeling, blistering and flaking caused by the prep or the application. It will normally exclude damage from leaks, structural movement, abuse and normal wear, and on exteriors it often excludes horizontal surfaces such as decks and sills. The paint maker's warranty is separate and covers the product only.
What if a painter damages my floors or furniture?
If a painter damages your property, tell them at once, in writing, with photos. A proper painter fixes or pays for damage they cause, and their liability insurance exists for the larger cases.
This is why you ask for the insurance certificate before the job. If the painter will not deal with it, you can complain to the Michigan Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team, which takes complaints by phone at 877-765-8388 or online, or use small claims court. For a contractor in a licensed trade, complaints go to LARA.
A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (313) 209-8467.