We got three estimates from three different painting companies to paint our house. Prior painters had not prepped the house adequately, and so there was lots of peeling paint, on top of layers and layers of old paint. In addition, there were some rotted sills on a couple of windows that needed to be replaced before they could be painted. Our estimate appointment was at 8 am and Tom Lopotosky showed up right on time. The three estimates we received from the three painting contractors were all in the same $12,000.00 ballpark. We decided to go with LOPCO for two reasons: The first was that LOPCO has their own construction contractors that would be able to do the repair work (One painting company told me I would have to find my own carpenter to do the woodwork. No thank you.) The second reason was that LOPCO was the only one that offered a FIVE year warranty on their work. They also offered a selection of payment options, and offer the free services of a color-consultant, Susanne. <br /> We signed the contract with Tom that stated that the work would start no later than June 8th, 2015 and be finished no later than June 26th. Well, the actual work didn't start until June 22nd. I understand, however, that outdoor painting is very weather-dependent, so you need to be flexible in the time-table you chose. <br /> Also, the first step was power-washing the house. The fellow who did the washing did not cover my hydrangea bushes, and the solution (a mild cleaning solution) burned some of the leaves and blossoms. I would have preferred that he cover them, or warned me that the solution might burn tender plants so that I could have covered them. The good news is, the bushes have fully recovered. <br /> Having said that,I have nothing but THE HIGHEST PRAISE for the team that prepped and painted the house. Mike (the job-site manager), Aster, Miguel, and Mark (the door specialist), plus the carpenters who were called in to replace additional rotted molding and trim that was discovered later in the process (The added work was an additional $3000 expense. Tom DID warn us that it may happen, particularly in an older house such as ours.), were ALL friendly, courteous, and took great pride in their work. <br /> They began by doing a very thorough scraping of the house, and once they determined that the paint was not lead based, they also sanded and feathered the edges so there were no "islands" where the new paint went over the old paint. They used two different types of primer on the part of the house that gets the most exposure to the elements. They then primed the rest of the house and completed the painting. We changed the color of the body of the house to a beautiful dark gray, left the trim white, then added black shutters and glossy red doors. The painters had to be very precise and particular when they were painting the trim. <br /> The house looks gorgeous, and we receive lots of compliments from our neighbors. I encourage anyone who is looking for a house painter, especially someone who has an older home, to hire LOPCO. They will not be disappointed. <br />