Renovating any space, interior or exterior, can be a huge undertaking. The process only gets more complex when you start to factor in the unique needs of residential and commercial spaces. But, fear not, because we are going break down the differences between residential painters and commercial painting contractors.

Businesses like Hughes Painting, located in Virginia Beach VA, offer both residential painting and commercial painting services, but not all companies do. Therefore, it is important to know what sets residential painting apart from commercial painting, so that you can feel confident in choosing the best option to meet the needs of your next project.

It’s All About Size

Residential painting typically occurs within single-family houses, with projects aimed at renovating both interior and exterior elements. This can include, but is not limited to, ceilings, trims, aluminum siding, decks and fences. Projects such as these are often completed by small groups of experienced professionals with the use of common home repair equipment and materials.

On the other hand, commercial painting is reserved for larger structures that could prove challenging for a residential painting company, as they may lack the manpower or equipment to do the job efficiently and in a timely manner. These projects can include retail buildings, healthcare facilities, schools, office buildings, restaurants, churches, and multiple occupancy residences such as apartment buildings, condos, or hotels. Government and industrial projects are also common, as are larger scaled structures such as warehouses, airports, sporting arenas, and even skyscrapers. Projects of this scale come with their own set of complex needs that require commercial painters to have knowledge not readily available to their residential peers.

How Much Time (and Money) Have You Got?

Residential painters tend to work regularly scheduled daytime hours. Their teams are made up of a small number of highly-skilled individuals who can take the time to engage with their client to best realize their goals. Greater focus is often placed on the quality of individualized details, and team members tend to be more flexible to any changes that the client may request.

On commercial projects, time is money, as these projects often take longer to complete and carry a higher price tag. Any delay, even a small one, can add up to huge losses in income, and not just for the painters. It is common for projects of this scale to call upon the talents of companies in different disciplines, such as construction or electrical. A lapse in judgement at one end of the collaboration has the power to affect every other member involved, therefore greater emphasis is placed on productivity and efficiency. Clients expect all of their collaborators to manage their time and resources in order to meet the deadline and stick to their estimates.

Commercial painters tend to work off hours in order to accommodate the client’s normal business hours. This grants the client more flexibility to maintain their operations while undergoing renovations. Utilizing these off hours may also make it possible to complete projects in less time. Employees can work nights, weekends, and extended shifts (sometimes up to 24 hours) all in an effort to meet the deadline set forth by the client.

The Power of One vs. The Power of Many

Residential companies benefit from a more relaxed approach to project management. With a smaller number of employees, strategically selected to offer their clients access to particular skills sets, they are able to focus on pleasing the homeowner with greater attention to personal details. Clients thus feel open to making requests and develop a friendly and trusting relationship with the team working to bring their vision to life.

Commercial projects value efficiency over personal touch. Due to the large workforce required to stay on task and on deadline, project management for a painting firm is vital. Poor time management or misuse of resources can set a project back and impact all of the other contracted businesses involved. With commercial painting contractors, a dedicated staff is often charged with planning and overseeing the completion of the project and coordinating with the other businesses involved. These partnerships require constant communication and a high level of accountability to ensure that the needs of each are being met.

Access to Materials and Equipment

Both residential painters and commercial painters have experience with materials common to home repair such as siding, wood, and sheetrock. Commercial providers have the added know-how to work with a greater selection of materials like stucco, metals and concrete. This comes in handy when they must work on buildings with unique architectures, like power plants, that require greater precision, premium quality supplies, like all-weather paints, and access to more advanced equipment, like cranes.

Additional services are also offered by commercial providers such as power washing, logo painting, masonry repair, floor and roof finishing, and sandblasting.

More Hands, More Problems

When working in a residential setting, one’s environment is fairly predictable, thanks to the greater degree of control granted by the small scale and the one-on-one relationship between the painter and the client. On commercial projects, the large working environment makes for more moving parts, which means there are more chances for things to go wrong. Teams are required to have greater endurance and flexibility as changes in strategy, scheduling, and available workforce can occur at any time throughout the project.

Compliance with safety regulations set forth by local and national governments is also made more pressing when scaled up to larger projects. Strict protocols must be overseen and reports filled. In addition, all employees must have access to proper safety equipment. In this regard, residential crews benefit from their smaller numbers and more self-contained working environment, as they have less regulations to adhere to.

As you can see, the distinctions between residential and commercial painters are fairly clear. Each can provide you with exceptional service, it is simply a matter of knowing which best suits your project needs. Companies like Hughes Painting in Virginia Beach VA can help the guesswork out of choosing a painter, with a seasoned crew of licensed and professional painters and the experience to manage both personal and commercial properties.