Bright BrushGetting three painting quotes and watching them land miles apart is common in Auckland. It rarely means one painter is "expensive" and another is a bargain. It usually means they priced different amounts of prep, access, and paint.
Ask who will actually be on site. Owner-operated is a different job to a crew you never meet. You want one person to call if it rains on day two, or if a colour looks wrong in the afternoon light.
Ask what prep is in the price. Wash, scrape, sand, prime bare timber, fill, and recaulk are the job. "We'll give it a sand" can mean twenty minutes with a pole sander or two days of proper work. If prep is vague, the quote is a guess.
Ask what paint system they are using — brand, product, number of coats, and whether bare timber gets a primer. A cheap acrylic over a failed film can look fine for a month.
Ask about access. Two-storey weatherboard is not a ladder job if you care about the top edges and the barge boards. Scaffold or a proper access plan should be in the quote, not a surprise invoice.
Ask what happens when the weather turns, who covers plants and paving, and who takes the rubbish. Ask about insurance, and who is responsible if a neighbour's car picks up overspray.
Bright Brush is owner-operated. You deal with Daniel from the first message to the last coat. Small jobs are welcome. If a quote cannot tell you what prep is included, keep asking — or pick someone who can.