Homeowners often go full-bore, spending big bucks on flooring, kitchen cabinets, and lighting, only to cheap out on painting by trying to do it themselves.

Yet in almost every case, a paint contractor can do a better job of painting your house than you can.  You don't need to lift a hand (well, except the hand that writes the check).  Believe the statistics:  you do this once a year; he does this 200 times a year, and has been doing so for many years.

But that DIY "devil on your shoulder" pops up and says, “Look how easy it is to paint your house, and for no more than the cost of paint and a few supplies.  Painting?  It's mere child's play..."

I have experienced both--from painting interiors and exteriors by myself to hiring professional painters--and I can say that, except for the cost, professional painting services win out every time.  They do things that you cannot do, will find difficult to do, or are simply don't want to do.

A paint contractor will:

1. Cover Everything Really Well – Lots of homeowners think that they are sufficiently covering up their furniture and floors—until the moment that they strip away the coverings and find canary-yellow paint splotches on their Brazilian cherry floor. A paint company knows where to cover.
2. Have All the Supplies – You need more than paint, a brush, and a roller to paint your house. It’s surprising how much more stuff you need to really paint your house well. There are places where a top-notch paint sprayer is needed. And what about those vaulted ceilings of yours? How will you manage them? Paint companies have or can rent all the right scaffolding and ladders to reach these place.

1. Know How to Cut-In –“Cutting in” means to paint up to a non-paintable section, such as trim, without masking that area. Masking is effective, but it’s time consuming and if you’re using fine painter’s tape, expensive. Professional painters can cut in with ease and still make the paint look like it had been masked.
2. Paint Your House Fast – Blisteringly fast, if you have the right painters. Contrast that with you, a person who has things like work, children, and eating to attend to, in attend to all that painting. Not only that, but you’re just one person. Two, at most. Some painting companies send out crews of three, four, five, or more painters to get the job done amazingly fast.
3. Advise You – Yes, you know everything about painting because… Well, you learned about primary and secondary colors in kindergarten. That’s nice. Except your friendly professional painter has that same native knowledge, plus about five or ten (or more) years of actual on-site, hand-on-the-brush experience. Trust your painter; he/she probably knows a thing or two.
4. Might Move Your Furniture – The key word is “might.” Painting companies are not furniture movers. Time spent moving your furniture is time not spent painting. Besides, they don’t have the tools to move some pieces. Finally, lots of paint companies don’t want to even consider the liabilities associated with moving your 100” plasma screen TV off the wall. But it never hurts to ask.
5. Know Specialized Techniques – Painting is more than just slopping a roller across the wall. “Cutting in” aside, there are plenty of other little techniques that professional painters employ to get those details done right.
6. Purchase Paint in Bulk - You buy paint off the shelf at The Home Depot; the painting company buys paint, primer, and other supplies in bulk from paint supply stores with their contractor accounts, getting it cheaper and often getting it better, too.
7. Accept Liability - A professional painter who is licensed, bonded, and insured will accept the liability for personal injury and damage so that you do not have to.