Call us today

Do you provide free estimates?

Yes. Just give us a call at the number listed above or fill out our contact form and we can discuss your project and schedule a consultation at your convenience.

What should I expect during the consultation?

A standard consult takes about 30 minutes to complete. When your estimator comes to meet you, they will walk through the project with you and gather all required information to prepare your quote. They will address any concerns, discuss your options, and offer helpful suggestions to make your project perfect. Once we've clarified all details, your estimator will prepare your proposal and send it along for your approval. This will include an outline of services to be performed. We do not give on spot pricing, as we have found that to be similar to guessing jelly beans in a jar. Every quote is well thought out and reviewed, in order to keep pricing consistent and fair for all of our customers.

How many people will work on my project?

The size of our crews varies to accommodate the scope of your project. We typically keep crews between 2-6 professionals, more than that tends to cause redundancy.

What preparation is needed to assure a great paint job?

Preparation is the most important aspect of what we do. Building a house requires a good foundation, just as a great paint job requires appropriate and well thought out preparation. Having a clean surface is essential, some surfaces will require sanding or de-glossing as well. A member of the team can determine if a primer coat is required. Caulking and filling holes/damage prior to applying paint streamlines the project and will give you beautiful results.

What if I have some changes that I would like to make or additional work I would like the crew to do while they are at the project?

We encourage you to reach out to Donnie, the Crew Lead, or Project Manager. In most cases it is more cost effective to issue 'Change Orders' or 'Additional Work Orders' during the course of the project, rather than coming back after the project is completed. Having to prep areas we had already prepared before the project was complete requires more time and material, which makes the project less environmentally friendly and more costly to you.

How will the paint be applied?

While each job varies, a combination of brushes and rollers is typically used on walls and ceilings. We prefer to spray Enamel projects and cabinetry for a high-quality finish. Exterior siding is often sprayed and then back-rolled with rollers to get paint into every nook and cranny.

What should I do to prepare for the project after accepting the bid?

Upon approval of the Proposal, all of your information goes to the Operations Manager, who will contact you to arrange a starting date and put you on our schedule. A detailed scope is then given to your Project Lead. Depending on the size, a pre-visit by the Project Lead will be scheduled the day before, or on the day of before the crew arrives. They will go through the details and any needed prep work by you (e.g. removing items from kitchen drawers for a cabinet painting project).

Will I need to move my furniture?

That depends on whether you would like to move it, or have our crew move it for you (we are more than happy to do so). Furniture should be moved into the center of the room for wall painting, and to the perimeter for ceilings. We move according to your specific scope, which the Project Lead will discuss with you. As for artwork and wall hangings. If your intention is to return them to that location simply leave the nail in place, otherwise put tape or mark the nail you would like removed.

Will I need to protect my belongings?

Prior to your painting project, we ask that you move anything you are concerned about when possible, such as fragile or breakable items (e.g. pictures, glassware, and electronic devices). We would also be happy to take your instructions if you would rather have us attend to this. We can move furniture and even wall mounted TVs if needed. We take careful observation of anything we do handle and bring any and all concerns and notes to the Crew Lead's attention, who will communicate this to you. We pride ourselves on being trustworthy, but if you wish to be in your home while we paint that is perfectly acceptable. If you look through our testimonials, we are praised for being un-intrusive and accommodating to the homeownerrs priorities.

Can we break the project into phases?

Yes. We provide a detailed and itemized quote to the client to allow them the opportunity to break the project into phases if need be. By listing the cost per room or detail in our estimates our customers have a much easier time prioritizing and keeping within their budget.

What happens after the project is completed?

Final inspection: We recommend a project walk through with Donnie or a Project Lead. Depending on the size and scope we may even leave you a roll of blue tape for a few days so you can mark things we may have not noticed during the final inspection. Different details may become noticeable in different lighting throughout the day and night.

What about self-priming paints?

Self-priming paints are not as simple as they appear. We use primers. Oil based on all raw wood. Any grayed wood needs to be sanded back to color as the oxidized wood behaves like dead layers of skin. We need to exfoliate before application, or the paint will not last as long as it otherwise could have. We use acrylic primers on unpainted/badly damaged walls as this seals in any smells and helps solidify any spackle that has been applied to ensure the top coat looks solid and consistent. Self-priming paint only works in situations where there is no dramatic color change or flaws in the wall that require spackle.

Why do some paints boast 1 coat coverage?

Simply put; it's a marketing scheme and has not worked very well in our experience. A simple test you can do is roll a sample of such a paint on a peice of glass or plastic and see if it creates a solid coat.

Are tinted primers important?

Yes, there are many instances where the only way to achieve the desired look and finish requires a single solid top coat. Having a tinted primer makes that high-end goal easier and simpler to get. (and means less overall project time) Otherwise we would often have to prime, then paint a top coat, and then another to get what a tinted primer and one top coat can.

What is your basic Interior Process?

Interior painting is mostly about color and we want you to love your new paint job. We also know the decorating experience is what will make or break the final product. The steps below explain the basic interior process. ​

• Furniture or smaller items are removed. Large furniture pieces and remaining items are covered.

Why is there a large variation in bid price from painter to painter?

Some things to consider when a bid comes in unexpectedly low:

• The city of Minneapolis requires painters to be insured and licensed, but this is not always the case. Brushed Monkey does this not only to conform to legal obligations, but out of a sense of duty to our employees and customers should there be an accident or injury on the job.
• The Scope of Work outlines in detail what a contractor intends to do at each stage of the job, without a detailed Scope of Work there is no way to be certain that they intend to follow all steps necessary to do the work correctly. This could mean their bid neglected certain steps and is innacurate in price, or they intend to skip steps to keep the price low. We have done many jobs where the previous painters skipped important steps and the clients had their paint/work begin to fail after just a few months.
• Other factors can include employee compensation (which we pride ourselves on fair compensation practices and never hire immigrant labor with intent to pay them wages below Federal and State regulations), peak painting season vs. off season, or simple inexperience in quoting.

Can you seperate the bid into several parts, or include line items?

Absolutely! We realize you may have priorities and we are glad to help in any way we can to get your job done, all at once, or bit by bit. There can be built-in cost advantage efficiencies at times when doing the project as a quoted whole, rather than in parts, such as in set up times and clean up times (having to do this multiple times instead of just once may impact overall price). We always try to balance this to minimize price increases for breaking up a project.

What's the difference between "good paint" and "cheap paint"?

While the difference may not be very apparent at the onset, lower quality latex paints tend to darken quicker and are more likely to be damaged during routine cleaning than higher quality paints. Areas with higher quality paints need to be touched up and repainted less often, and when you touch them up they will match better due to less fading. After you've gone ahead and accepted a bid from a reputable contractor and you have made the commitment to invest time and money into getting the work done, don't let potential cost savings get in the way of the quality or longevity of your project. We use our extensive history and experience to lead us to the best paints for the best price. High quality paints have more solids and less fillers which means the paint is more resistant to turning chalky, peeling, fading, and cracking. In addition, higher quality paints are backed by the manufacturer's warrenty. Low quality paints are also less consistent in their sheen due to higher levels of fillers that allow the paint to seperate while painting (even on the wall itself they may begin to seperate before drying).

Why not accept the lowest bid for my project?

While it's tempting to take the lowest bid, it may not be the best idea. Most painting estimators base their price on cost of materials, cost of labor, overhead, and profit. If you go with the lowest bid that is usually an indicator that labor costs have been cut, or that lesser quality products will be used. For example not prepping correctly will leave areas exposed to paint drips, or spills, or flecks on areas you don't want painted. Another example is using inexperienced labor who may leave heavy brush strokes or lines on your wall, and may even get paint on wood trim (we see this all the time, it is very difficult to remove once hardened). As in all things you get what you pay for. If your expectations are low, a lower cost bid may be the right fit, however, it should not be viewed as the default best option.

Do you require a deposit before my project begins?

Yes. We require deposits for all projects. The amount of deposit depends on the size of the job. Smaller jobs require a 50% deposit. As a project grows in cost the deposit, as a percentage of the total cost, shrinks. Please see your estimate to find out your requested deposit amount. Don't have a bid yet? CLICK HERE to request one for free!

Someone else quoted a lower price, will you match it?

Perhaps. We are always happy to review our quote and if we feel we can provide the same quality at a lower price, we will match it or at least come close. We pride ourselves on being an award-winning painting company and never sacrifice quality to be cheaper.

Can you give me a quote over the phone?

No. There are many variables that go into estimating a home painting project, making an accurate quote near impossible to acheive without a visit to the project site. Our painting estimates are highly detailed and priced per unit (sq ft, linear ft etc). We also have variables like accessibility, heights, and amount of paint needed per color. We break down the various details making it easy to see what your paint project will cost in a transparent and easily understood way.

How much will it cost to paint my home?

We get this one a lot. The answer is, every home is different. The differences include: square footage, surfaces to be painted, type of paint, amount of preparatory work, faux finishes, any refinement required, heights that require scaffolding or ladders, and more. To get the answer accurately we will need to perform a bid. Bids are free, just click here or call the number at the top of the page to shcedule one.