Frequently Asked Questions

Do your employees perform the work or do you use subcontractors?

Peterson Painting has always used employees. It costs more to perform the work with employees, as we have to pay State and Federal Payroll Taxes and provide benefits to keep good people. Companies that use subcontractors are almost always lower priced but have a harder time keeping the quality of their workmanship High. Peterson Painting has always been more concerned with the Quality of our Workmanship and NOT being the lowest priced painting contractor.

The last painter we hired would work for a few days, then be gone for a couple of days, always starting and stopping. Will you stay on the job once you begin?

Yes. We’ll stay with the project and work until your painting is complete. The same crew will work on your job from start to finish because we assign different crews to different jobs.

Who does the painting and who will supervise the job?

Peterson Painting uses the “lead painter” system, and each of our lead painters manages a set crew of 2 to 3 painters; one crew will be assigned to your project for the duration. Although crew members change from time to time, the continuity this system offers has many advantages. For example, they are more productive and efficient as a team because they understand each other’s style and skills, which helps to ensures you get the best quality job possible.

At Peterson Painting, we maintain a staff of 14 to18 painters. Our most tenured painter has been with the company 13 years. The average industry experience of our painters is 6 years. Our painters are knowledgeable and experienced.

What kind of paint do you use?

About ninety percent of the time we use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paint.  However, the brand of paint we use can be influenced by other factors including customer preference, the nature of the project, and other bid specifications.

Are you a Registered Contractor in Iowa?

Contractors in Iowa are required by Iowa law to be registered with the state. Peterson Painting IS a Registered Contractor in the state of Iowa (our Contractor Registration Number is # C88695). We are also a Certified Lead Safe Renovator (our Lead Safe Renovator Number is 0013336-FIRM). A Certified Lead Renovator means we’ve been certified by the state of Iowa to safely work on homes that may have lead based paint on them. The older the home the higher the probability that Lead Based Paint may have been used on a property.

Are you insured and bonded?

We are insured by both Liability and Workman’s Compensation Insurance, with up to $1,000,000 in coverage. We are happy to provide documentation of our insurance coverage when requested. Bonding is normally only required on large commercial properties and it is rare that it is needed. We can obtain a bond when required.

I’ve had bids before, and I usually get some prices that are high, low and all over the place. Why is that?

The level of thoroughness, attention to detail, and quality desired usually determines the cost of a job. For example, it costs more to properly prepare a surface for painting than to give it a “quick once over.” We would be happy to review, in detail, our calculations for your project so you can make a fair comparison with other bids.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept checks, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover credit cards. We DO NOT accept American Express.

I see Bob Peterson Painting trucks around.  What’s the difference between Peterson Painting and Bob Peterson Painting?

My father was Bob Peterson and he started his career in painting, working his way through Drake University in the mid 1960’s.  It was in 1973 that he began our family’s business with that name. When I came into the business in 1993, Sears approached our family and wanted to get into “Home Services” and offered us the sole painting license to use the Sears name in our area. I operated as the “Sears Authorized Painter” for about 5 years and learned that I didn’t need to use their name to expand our business. I learned a lot for those 5 years as I did ALL the work myself: estimates, billing, painting, etc. I also learned who “Not to Hire”, and when I learned that and other lessons, the business began to grow. We decided to keep the businesses separate, and when my father passed away in 2010, my identical twin brother Chris moved back to town and is currently serving many of my father’s long-time customers under the Bob Peterson Painting name.