So, here’s the deal: I hired this painting company back in January 2025 to spruce up my house exterior in sunny San Diego. They quoted me $9,400 for the job, which included prepping, caulking, treating rust on metal surfaces, and slapping on two fresh coats of paint. They even threw in a 2-year warranty – sweet deal, right? Well, not exactly.
Things started going south pretty quickly. Within a month, I started noticing peeling and cracking on the freshly painted facade. The contractor made a couple of attempts to fix it under warranty, but those repairs didn’t hold up for long. I had another painter swing by to take a look, and boy, did he find some issues. Turns out, the original contractor had taken some shortcuts – painting over rust, covering up rotten wood, skimping on paint coverage, you name it.
To add insult to injury, a Sherwin-Williams rep confirmed that the metal problems were likely due to improper prep work, not a fault in the paint itself. Another painter estimated it would cost $12,400 to redo the job properly, starting from scratch with the right prep. And here’s the kicker: because of the height of my house, we’re talking full scaffolding, which ain’t cheap – around $4,500 just for access.
Now, the original contractor has made me a settlement offer: $4,000 in exchange for signing a release and agreeing not to badmouth them. Their argument? Most of the paint is still holding up fine, and $4K should be enough to fix the trouble spots. But I’m not buying it. The prep issues are all over the place, and this job has been nothing but trouble from the get-go.
So, here’s where I need your advice: should I take the $4K and call it a day, or should I take this mess to small claims court and fight for more? I’m curious to hear from anyone who’s been through a similar contractor nightmare. What would you do in my shoes? Hit me up with your thoughts – I could sure use some guidance right about now.