Painting is something that many homeowners think is an ideal DIY job. It seems pretty straightforward: Choose a color, get some brushes and rollers, and start painting. Of course, the truth is that painting is a skilled craft that is best done by professionals. Here are eight reasons to let a painting contractor do your next job.

1- Insured Work

Accidents happen on every job, but when it’s DIY, you’re left footing the bill yourself. That means every spilled drop of paint adds to your project’s total cost – and headache. A painting contractor will have insurance to cover those little mishaps, getting your home back to normal at no extra cost to you.

2- Insured Workers

On top of the spilled paint, you may experience a spill yourself. Whether it’s a serious fall from a ladder or just an aching back from a hard weekend of climbing and lifting, your medical costs are another out-of-pocket expense that you don’t need. If you choose a contractor who is properly insured, you won’t have to worry about this.

3- Expertise in Climbing

Another reason you’ll worry less about painter injuries is that a professional is much more agile on a ladder than you. Those years of experience greatly reduce the chances that a contractor will fall, making a professional much safer than you.

4- Better Surface Preparation

In our rush to finish a DIY job, we don’t always take the time to deal with scuffs or stains the way we should. We might also waste time on blemishes that don’t need it. A professional will know what surface prep is necessary for a great outcome.

5- Experienced Advice

When you’re struggling to choose paint colors, finishes, or types, a professional painter will be able to advise you based on years of experience, going beyond a rushed reply at the home improvement paint counter.

6- Time Efficiency

Paint work requires lots of setup and cleanup. Breaking the job up into multiple evenings and weekends is wasteful, and it eats into your time for family and other commitments. A professional will be able to maximize daily work hours and get done fast.

7- Lower Materials Costs

Painters invest in quality brushes and tools because they’ll use them enough to recoup their money. A homeowner either buys expensive tools and doesn’t use them again for years or uses cheap supplies and gets a poor outcome. Let a professional painter do your job with professional tools.

8- Troubleshooting Skill

A big, open wall doesn’t hide mistakes or problems. When something just doesn’t look quite right, it’s hard to figure out the issue when you’re inexperienced with paint work. A professional contractor will know how to work out the little kinks and get you a beautiful final result.

DIY only saves you money when the process and the product are both of equal quality to what a professional would provide. Let an experienced painter do the work for you; it will help the paint job last longer and save you time and stress.