June 11, 2025
Learn to spot the red flags of subpar painters, from suspiciously cheap quotes to missed prep work.
Getting your home painted should be exciting, not stressful. But with so many painters out there, how do you know who to trust?
A poorly done paint job can make your walls look worse than before you started. Here's what to watch for:
Visible stains and patchy areas are dead giveaways. If you can see old marks, dents, or uneven patches through the new paint, it means the walls weren't properly prepped. This is especially obvious with white or light colors.
Streaky or blistered paint happens when painters rush between coats without letting each layer dry properly. As a result, moisture and dirt get trapped underneath, causing the paint to bubble and peel.
Faded or patchy color usually means they skipped coats to save time and money. Most quality paints need at least two coats for proper coverage, sometimes three on new surfaces.
Paint splatters everywhere show a complete lack of care and professionalism. Good painters protect your belongings like they're their own.
Some of these are common paint problems that you would expect to see in older walls and roofs; not from a paint job that just dried the other.
The best time to avoid a nightmare paint job is before you hire anyone. Here are the warning signs of painters you should avoid:
They rush through everything. Professional painting takes time. If someone promises to paint your whole house in a day or two, run. Quality work means proper prep, multiple coats and adequate drying time between each step.
No proper preparation work. Watch what they do before they even open a paint tin. Are they filling holes, sanding rough spots, cleaning walls, and applying primer where needed? If they're skipping straight to the color coat, you're in for trouble.
Wrong tools for the job. Professional painters bring more than just brushes and rollers. They shopd have proper ladders, drop cloths, painter's tape (not regpar sticky tape), capking guns, and quapty brushes and rollers for different surfaces.
Protecting belongings. Before any painting starts, furniture shopd be moved or covered, floors protected with drop cloths, and fixtures pke door handles and pght switches properly masked off.
A suspiciously cheap quote might seem like a win, but it often means corners will be cut. Here's what to watch for:
Remember, fixing a botched paint job costs way more than hiring the right painter from the start.
Communication is key. If a painter won't discuss the process, provide references, or explain their methods, that's a major red flag. Good tradies are proud of their work and happy to explain what they're doing.
Check their reputation. Look for painters who care about their professional reputation. They should be willing to show you examples of recent work and provide customer references.
Watch the weather. Professional painters know not to work in extreme conditions. If they're painting in high humidity, extreme heat, or when rain is forecast, they probably don't know what they're doing or don't care about the results.
Get everything in writing. Professional painters will provide detailed quotes and stick to agreed timelines. If someone shows up at your door offering a "special deal" because they're "working in the area," be very cautious.
It's helpful to know what Sydney painters charge per hour in 2025.
If you spot problems during or after the job, speak up immediately. Put your concerns in writing, explaining what's wrong and what needs to be fixed. Give a reasonable deadline for corrections.
A professional painter will want to fix issues and maintain their reputation. If they refuse to address problems or won't negotiate a fair solution, you're dealing with someone who doesn't care about quality work.
In Sydney, the Building Commission can step in to resolve disputes.
When consumers and traders can't sort things out themselves, Fair Trading steps in with experienced, trade-qualified building inspectors who mediate disputes across the state.
Either party can request Fair Trading's help. While consumers don't need trader agreement to lodge complaints, traders do need consumer consent for trader-initiated disputes. Importantly, inspectors can issue rectification orders regardless of whether traders agree to participate.
Inspectors may meet both parties on-site or resolve disputes through phone discussions and document review. When parties reach agreement, inspectors complete a complaint investigation report outlining what's been agreed and each party's responsibilities.
Rectification OrdersIf inspectors find traders responsible for defective or incomplete work, they'll issue rectification orders with specific deadlines. Failing to meet these deadlines breaches the Home Building Act 1989.
NCAT ReferralsWhen mediation fails and inspectors aren't satisfied the trader is at fault, consumers can take their case to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Time Limits and CoverageThe Home Building Act provides statutory warranties covering:
These periods extend by 6 months if defects are discovered in the final 6 months of coverage. Building claims must be lodged with NCAT within these timeframes for Fair Trading assistance.
Who Can Use the ServiceLicensed builders and tradespeople can access Fair Trading's free dispute resolution for residential building issues with consumers or owner-builders. The service doesn't cover disputes between licensees or with sub-contractors.
At SnapTradie, we carefully vet our tradies and make sure they meet our quality standards before they can work through our platform. Plus, we protect our tradies from unrealistic expectations too, creating a fair system where everyone wins.
When you book through SnapTradie, you're not just getting a painter. You're getting peace of mind.
Our dispute resolution process means if something goes wrong, we'll step in to sort it out. Ready to find professional painters who actually care about quality? Start with a free quote.
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