Do more painters equal a faster paint job?
When quoting and organising exterior and interior painting projects we are often asked, “How many guys will you have on the job?” While Wall Treats are award winning Auckland Master Painters, what we offer is a high-end, boutique painting service, and most customers understand this also means we have a small, expert team on each project.
Of course, there are occasionally times when customers are surprised we don’t allocate more people to their project to get it completed faster.
More isn’t always better – or faster!
You’ve heard that too many cooks spoil the broth, and in high end residential painting it can be a case of too many painters ruin the finish!
In any painting team there will be a range of experience and specialised skill sets. It is so important to avoid adding an inexperienced or low quality painter to a team just to make up numbers, as
their involvement may be more detrimental than beneficial. It can lead to more experienced team members spending more time correcting substandard work than actually painting, which can lead to unnecessary time pressure on the project and less than optimal results.
How many is just right?
So, what is the ideal number of people to allocate to a painting project? Well, it depends. At Wall Treats, we consider the law of diminishing returns, and the point of diminishing returns varies on each job.
There are key variables that influence maximised productivity. These include the project requirements and the camaraderie within the painting team. Generally, a small team works better together because working closely on an almost daily basis fosters understanding and communication, and issues between or amongst team members are easy to identify and are resolved quickly.
All registered Master Painters, such as Wall Treats, that specialise in high end residential painting will have a formula, honed over years of experience, that enable them to achieve their customers’ desired outcomes. Because we specialise in this type of painting project our team are so well versed with the processes and products to deliver success, that they work together like a well-oiled machine.
Painting companies who dabble in both residential and commercial painting across the market are less likely to be as well trained in one form of painting work, especially as team members are expected to work across both. They may also work on projects where the key driver is low prices, so will not be rewarded for focussing on attention to detail.
When working with larger painting contractors with larger teams, the outcome will depend on which painters are allocated to one’s project, and there can be inconsistencies in service and output because the painters you actually get depend on the luck of the draw.
It is important to us that while running a small team we are achieving maximum productivity, without compromising on the high standard our customers expect.
With the current low interest rates and the travel freeze many house owners are choosing to invest in their homes. If you are considering repainting your house this year, please request a quote now to make sure you don’t miss out - we are already booked to the end of May.
Remember, at Wall Treats we provide a one stop shop service that includes colour consultancy, house washing, repairs, height access equipment and much more.
