Questions to ask before you hire a painter in Seattle

1. What is your Washington L&I contractor registration number, and does your registration cover all the work in my scope?

Why it matters: Washington requires all construction contractors to register with L&I and to be bonded and insured; L&I regulates 63 specialties that each require registration, and painting is one of them (L&I: Register as a contractor). Registration requires a continuous surety bond and general liability insurance (RCW 18.27.040; RCW 18.27.050), and a lapsed bond or policy automatically suspends the registration. The registration number must appear on the contractor’s advertising and on materials used to solicit homeowners, and the contractor must do business under the name it registered (RCW 18.27.100). Look the company up on L&I’s Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business tool, which shows whether the registration is active and also lists safety citations, infractions, and lawsuits against the contractor’s bond (L&I: Verify a contractor).

Check the classification, too. L&I says specialty contractors can only perform work in the specialty they are registered in and can’t hire subcontractors, while general contractors can (L&I: Register as a contractor). If your job includes rot repair, siding or trim replacement, or other carpentry beyond painting, ask whether that work fits the painter’s registration — that’s our reading of L&I’s description, so ask L&I if the answer isn’t clear. Two more details: Washington law bars contractors from advertising that they are “bonded and insured” just because they hold the registration bond and insurance (RCW 18.27.100(4)), and a contractor generally can’t sue to collect for work requiring registration without proving it was registered when it contracted (RCW 18.27.080). The registration bond isn’t reserved for you — it covers claims from all of the contractor’s customers, suppliers, workers, and the state (RCW 18.27.114) — so ask separately about the painter’s own liability coverage limits.

2. Who will actually be working on my house, and is your workers’ compensation account active?

Why it matters: L&I says contractors with other workers or employees on your job site must have an active, up-to-date workers’ compensation account, that owner-operators and sole proprietors with no employees aren’t required to have one, and that you could be held liable if a worker is injured on your property and the employer has no active account (L&I: Hire Smart step-by-step). The same Verify tool shows whether the business has an active, paid-to-date workers’ comp account covering its employees, and lets you print its Certificate of Workers’ Comp Coverage (L&I: Verify a contractor). L&I suggests checking any subcontractors on your property the same way. If a “one-person” company shows up with a crew, check again — and ask your homeowner’s insurance agent how your policy treats injuries to workers on your property.

3. Was my home built before 1978, and if so, is your firm certified by the Washington Department of Commerce for lead-safe renovation?

Why it matters: Federal lead-safe rules require certified firms and trained renovators when paid work in pre-1978 homes disturbs more than six square feet of painted surface per room inside or more than 20 square feet outside, and window replacement is covered (EPA: RRP rule frequently asked questions; EPA: Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program). Washington is one of the states EPA has authorized to run its own program in place of the federal one (EPA: RRP firm certification (authorized-state list)), and in Washington the Department of Commerce certifies firms and individuals (Commerce: RRP program). Under state rules, no firm may perform, offer, or claim to perform covered renovations for pay without Commerce certification (WAC 365-230-360), and a renovator certified by EPA or another state must also register that certification with Commerce (Commerce: RRP program) — so an EPA card alone isn’t the whole answer here. Commerce publishes downloadable lists of certified RRP companies, plus enforcement records and suspended or revoked companies (Commerce: Business and homeowner resources).

Washington’s rule requires the firm, no more than 60 days before starting work in your home, to give you EPA’s Renovate Right pamphlet and either get your written acknowledgment or a certificate of mailing at least seven days before the work; if the owner doesn’t live there, an adult occupant must get the pamphlet too (WAC 365-230-320; EPA: Renovate Right pamphlet). Open-flame burning or torching of painted surfaces is prohibited, high-speed sanding, grinding, needle guns, and abrasive blasting are allowed only with shrouds or containment and a HEPA vacuum attachment, and heat guns must stay below 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (WAC 365-230-330(1)(c)). The state Department of Health warns that unsafe paint removal, including pressure washing or sanding, can contaminate a home with lead dust and calls this a major cause of lead exposure in Washington (WA Department of Health: Remodeling and painting). Note a source difference: Commerce’s overview says certification is needed for “any work that disturbs paint in a pre-1978 property” (Commerce: Lead-based paint), while the rule itself exempts minor repair and maintenance under the six- and twenty-square-foot thresholds (WAC 365-230-310 definitions). Whole-room or whole-house painting usually goes well past those thresholds anyway, so ask for the firm’s Commerce certificate.

4. How will you contain dust and chips, and where will wash water and paint residue go?

Why it matters: Most paint failure starts with prep, and in Seattle, prep runs into stormwater rules. For covered exterior lead-safe work, Washington’s rule requires closing doors and windows within 20 feet of the work, covering the ground with plastic at least ten feet beyond the work surface (or far enough to catch falling debris), and vertical containment or equivalent precautions when the work is within ten feet of the property line (WAC 365-230-330). Seattle’s stormwater manual requires businesses painting buildings outdoors to use ground or drop cloths under painting, scraping, and sandblasting, to cover catch basins or use similar runoff controls if dust or debris can escape, not to spray, blast, or sand over open water or where wind can carry paint into water, to clean water-based paint tools into drains connected to the sanitary sewer, and to collect solvents used on oil-based paint for proper recycling or disposal (Seattle Stormwater Manual Vol. 4, BMP 23 (PDF)).

Pressure washing is the other big one. The manual says routine exterior building washdown may drain to the storm system only when no detergents are used and water use is minimized; otherwise wash water has to go to the sanitary or combined sewer if approved, or into a holding tank, because discharging it to the drainage system or local waters is illegal (Seattle Stormwater Manual Vol. 4, BMP 17 (PDF)). On an older house, washing can also spread lead (see question 3). The manual we cite is the July 2021 edition, and the City lists a 2026 stormwater code and manual update in progress (SDCI: Code changes), so ask the painter which rules they follow today. Seattle Public Utilities asks residents to report spills such as paint poured down a drain (Seattle Public Utilities: Pollution prevention). For lead-paint chips, King County’s hazardous waste sites accept household lead-based paint and chips, double-bagged and sealed with duct tape, but not painted objects or soil (King County: Lead-based paint and chips). That page is written for households; Seattle says its hazardous waste facilities accept waste from eligible businesses (Seattle Public Utilities: Where to dispose of household hazardous waste), so ask how the painter’s company handles its own debris.

5. Does the job involve scraping popcorn ceilings or textured walls, and has anyone checked for asbestos?

Why it matters: Interior painting jobs sometimes grow into ceiling-texture removal or wall patching. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says to check for asbestos before starting any renovation project; an owner who lives in and owns a single-family house being remodeled may do their own survey, but in other situations, such as a rental or a condo, an AHERA-certified building inspector must do it. The agency also warns that painting over asbestos-containing material to encapsulate it, such as a popcorn ceiling, may make future removal more difficult and costly, and that heavy coatings can make popcorn fall in clumps (Puget Sound Clean Air Agency: Homeowner renovation). Whether a given paint job counts as “renovation” under the agency’s rules is something to confirm with the agency — our reading is that scraping or removing textured material clearly raises the question. Ask the painter in writing whether any texture, ceiling, or patching work is included and who will test it first.

6. Does any part of my job need a Seattle permit?

Why it matters: Painting by itself generally doesn’t. The Seattle Residential Code exempts “painting or cleaning a building” from building permits, as long as no changes are made to the building envelope, and says exempt work still has to comply with the code and other City laws (2021 Seattle Residential Code §R105.2 (PDF)). SDCI’s summary lists painting or cleaning a building among projects that usually don’t need a permit unless you’re in an environmentally critical area, and says work on load-bearing supports or changes to the building envelope need a permit no matter how small (SDCI: Do you need a permit?). The 2021 Seattle codes are still the current ones; SDCI doesn’t expect to finish adopting the 2024 codes before May 2027 (SDCI: Seattle code adoption).

Watch the add-ons. Replacing siding, windows, or sheathing could be a change to the building envelope that takes the job out of the painting exemption — that’s our inference from the code wording, so ask SDCI. L&I lists a contractor who asks you to get the building permit as a warning sign, because in most cases the hired contractor is required to pull permits (L&I: Hire Smart step-by-step). If your house is a City Landmark or in a historic district, permits aren’t the only approval to think about (see question 7).

7. Is my house a Seattle Landmark or in a historic district — and do I need a Certificate of Approval to repaint?

Why it matters: Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods says a Certificate of Approval is a written authorization, much like a permit, that must be issued before changes to the designated features of a City Landmark, or before changes to the external appearance of any building in the City’s eight historic districts (Seattle: Certificate of Approval; Seattle: Historic districts). The district pages for Ballard Avenue, Columbia City, Pioneer Square, and Fort Lawton each list exterior painting among the changes that need a Certificate of Approval (Ballard Avenue Landmark District; Columbia City Landmark District; Pioneer Square Preservation District; Fort Lawton Landmark District). In those districts, get the approval before the painter buys paint.

The sources don’t line up everywhere. The Harvard-Belmont Landmark District page ties its Certificate of Approval to building, demolition, street use, or other permits for work visible from a public right-of-way and doesn’t list exterior painting, and that page is marked as historical content (Harvard-Belmont Landmark District) — while the general Certificate of Approval page covers any change to external appearance in all eight districts. Its district guidelines also say not to paint over patterned brick unless absolutely necessary (Harvard-Belmont Landmark District Guidelines (PDF)). If you live in Harvard-Belmont, Pike Place Market, the International Special Review District, or Sand Point, or own an individual City Landmark, ask the Historic Preservation Program in writing whether your color change or repaint needs approval, and keep the answer. Painting unpainted brick or stone is hard to undo on any house.

8. Exactly which products will you use — brand, product line, sheen, primer, and number of coats — and will you thin them?

Why it matters: “Good paint” isn’t a specification. Federal rules cap the VOC content of architectural coatings and put that duty on manufacturers and importers (40 CFR §59.402; 40 CFR Part 59, Subpart D), and each container must show the date of manufacture, the manufacturer’s thinning recommendation (or a statement that it should be applied without thinning), and its VOC content (40 CFR §59.405). We didn’t find a Washington or Puget Sound Clean Air Agency VOC limit for house paint: Ecology’s VOC rule applies to listed emission sources in ozone nonattainment areas (WAC 173-490-025), and its coating limits cover industrial operations, not house painting — that’s our reading, so treat the federal label as the floor. As a benchmark, Washington’s own state purchasing specification asks for paints and coatings, other than interior latex wall and ceiling paints and primers, that meet South Coast Air Quality Management District VOC limits or a set VOC cap (WA Department of Enterprise Services: Paint and coatings); that applies to state agency purchases, not to homeowners, but low-VOC products are a reasonable thing to ask about.

Ask for the manufacturer, product line, sheen, color, primer, and coat count for each surface, plus the product data sheet, and compare the label’s thinning recommendation with what the painter plans. Seattle’s wet months make the label’s application temperature, humidity, and dry-time limits matter: ask how the painter handles damp siding, mildew, and rain in the forecast, and build weather days into the schedule. L&I suggests comparing bids on the products to be used, not only price (L&I: Hire Smart step-by-step). Get in writing who buys the paint and whether it’s in the price.

9. Will you give me a written, itemized contract and the state “Notice to Customer” before you start — and if you came to my door, what are my cancellation rights?

Why it matters: L&I advises getting several written bids and a written contract that includes the price with sales tax, payment terms tied to completed work, the specific work, materials, major suppliers and subcontractors, warranties, and the change-order process (L&I: Hire Smart step-by-step). Its warning signs include a special price only if you sign today, cash only, large deposits or full payment up front, asking you to pay the contractor personally rather than the business, and no written contract or complete bid. For residential jobs above a low contract-price threshold, Washington requires the contractor to give you a signed “Notice to Customer” disclosure before starting work; it lists the registration number, bond amount, and expiration, warns that the bond might not cover your claim, says you may withhold retainage, and explains liens and lien releases (RCW 18.27.114; L&I: Model disclosure statement).

If you were sold at your home, the FTC’s Cooling-Off Rule requires sellers in covered sales made at your home to give you written notice that you may cancel within three business days (16 CFR §429.1). Washington adds a cancellation right for retail installment contracts — financed or pay-over-time deals — solicited in person somewhere other than the seller’s business address, regardless of amount: you can cancel by certified mail, return receipt requested, posted by midnight of the third day after signing, excluding Sundays and holidays, and the seller must refund deposits within ten days (RCW 63.14.154). The Attorney General’s summary describes this as three business days (Washington Attorney General: Cancellation rights); the statute’s day count is slightly different, so mail any cancellation early. Whether a cash painting contract signed at home is covered by the federal rule depends on the details — ask an attorney if it matters.

10. How will payments be scheduled, and will you give me lien releases from your suppliers and any subcontractors?

Why it matters: Under Washington lien law, a painter who contracts directly with the owner-occupier of an existing single-family home doesn’t have to send a pre-lien notice, but suppliers and subcontractors who don’t contract with you directly must send the owner-occupier a notice of their right to claim a lien, and their liens can only be paid from what you hadn’t yet paid the prime contractor when you received the notice; laborers can claim a lien without sending notice (RCW 60.04.031). A lien claim must be recorded within 90 days after the claimant stops furnishing labor or materials, with a copy to the owner within 14 days of recording (RCW 60.04.091), and a contractor who didn’t give you the Notice to Customer disclosure can’t maintain a lien on a covered job (RCW 18.27.114(4)). L&I’s summary says that for remodeling projects you can only be held responsible for the amount left unpaid to the general contractor (L&I: About liens); the statute is more specific about notices and timing, so if a paint supplier’s “Notice to Owner” arrives, hold further payments and ask for that supplier’s lien release first.

L&I recommends paying as phases are completed rather than by calendar date, withholding part of the payment until the work is done to your satisfaction, making checks for materials payable jointly to the contractor and the supplier, and getting signed lien releases from major subcontractors and suppliers before the final payment (L&I: Hire Smart step-by-step; L&I: About liens). Pay the business named in the contract, by check or card, and don’t make the final payment until the walk-through punch list is done.

11. What does your warranty cover, and who handles touch-up paint and leftovers?

Why it matters: Peeling, blistering, and failed caulk usually trace back to prep or product, so get the workmanship warranty in writing — what it covers, how long it lasts, and how to make a claim — along with any manufacturer warranty, a finish schedule listing every color, sheen, and brand, and a labeled can of each color for touch-ups. L&I lists exceptionally long warranties among its warning signs (L&I: Hire Smart step-by-step), so read the terms, not just the number of years.

Washington’s PaintCare program began in April 2021 under Department of Ecology oversight; its drop-off sites take house paint, primers, stains, sealers, and clear coatings from households, businesses, and others at no charge at drop-off, and it offers a free large-volume pickup for painting contractors and others with large amounts of leftover paint. The program is funded by a PaintCare fee added to the price of new paint sold in Washington (PaintCare: Washington program). King County’s hazardous waste sites don’t accept latex or water-based paint — take it to PaintCare, or let small amounts dry or solidify before putting the can in the garbage with the lid off (King County: Latex paint disposal) — while oil-based paint and paint thinner are accepted at its hazardous waste sites (King County: Oil-based paint disposal; King County: Paint thinner), including the North and South Seattle facilities, free for King County residents (King County: Hazardous waste disposal facilities). Your contract should say the painter removes unusable paint, solvents, and debris and disposes of them lawfully — not in your cart, a storm drain, or the street.