Start with the questions, not the color
Most people begin a paint project with swatches. Painters begin with the surface: what's on it now, what shape it's in, and what the job will expose it to. If you live in Springfield, Missouri, and you're about to get bids, the questions below are the ones worth settling first. Each answer is general painting practice unless it quotes a fact printed on this page.
What does the Springfield weather record say that matters?
NOAA's engineering weather data for Springfield lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 90 mph (3-second gust at 33 feet), a 100-year rainfall rate of 3.3 inches per hour and about 57 freeze-thaw cycles in an average year.
For an exterior coating, the freeze-thaw count is the figure to dwell on. Water that works into an open seam, a split board or a gap behind trim expands each time it freezes. Over many cycles that opens the gap further and pushes paint off from behind. A topcoat can't stop this on its own; sound caulk, primed end grain and closed joints do. When you compare bids, look at how much each one says about caulking and sealing, not only about the paint.
The rainfall rate is a design figure for the heaviest downpours, not a forecast. For painting, the practical lesson is that fresh paint needs a stretch of dry hours before rain reaches it, and the product label says how many. A crew that paints right up to a storm is gambling with your finish.
Why does a painter wash the house first?
Paint sticks to whatever is on the surface. If that's dust, pollen, mildew or chalky old paint, the new coat is only as strong as that layer. Washing, rinsing and letting the house dry thoroughly before priming is basic, and still gets skipped. Ask how the house will be washed, whether mildew will be treated, and how long the crew waits after washing before painting.
Where does Springfield's water come from?
City Utilities of Springfield describes the city's drinking water as coming from three lakes, two reservoirs, a river, two wells and a spring: McDaniel and Fellows lakes, with more water pumped from Stockton Lake to Fellows, the James River when flows allow, and the historic Fulbright Spring, the system's oldest source. That's the utility's own description, printed as published. It's here because a house wash and every brush cleanup use that water; it says nothing about your walls.
On cleanup, a good habit applies anywhere: water-based paint rinse water and leftover paint shouldn't be poured into a storm drain or onto the lawn. Ask how the crew disposes of it.
What if my house is older?
The EPA rule printed below covers anyone paid to disturb paint in homes, childcare facilities and preschools built before 1978, and it requires lead-safe work practices from their workers. Scraping, sanding and some kinds of power-washing all disturb paint. If your house falls under that date, ask the painter one direct question: does the firm hold the RRP certification the rule describes? Then ask what containment, cleanup and debris handling the proposal includes.
How many coats do I need?
It depends on the surface and the change in color. Bare wood and patched areas need primer. A big color change, or going from dark to light, may need a tinted primer plus two finish coats. A same-color refresh on sound paint may need less. The proposal should name the primer and finish product and how many coats each surface gets, not just say "two coats".
Inside or outside first?
Exterior work depends on the season and the forecast, so it's often booked first and interior rooms fill in around it. Interior painting is less weather-bound but still needs fresh air for drying. Our interior painting and exterior painting pages explain each job in detail.
What should a written proposal include?
- Every surface to be painted, by area or room.
- The preparation for each: washing, scraping, sanding, caulking, patching.
- The primer and finish products, sheen and number of coats.
- How furniture, plants and floors will be protected.
- What happens if hidden rot or failed siding turns up.
- How debris and leftover paint leave the property.
The pricing guide explains how each of those lines affects the total.