I'm dealing with a frustrating situation with my house painting. I specifically contracted for Sherwin-Williams Emerald paint, but my crew started using A100 without my knowledge. When I noticed, they switched to Emerald but blamed it on a language misunderstanding. Now I've found suspicious paint cans that suggest they might have mixed A100 with Emerald. The job is about two-thirds done, and the crew lead has given me multiple excuses when I confronted her. She even offered to buy new paint and repaint for free, but I feel there are too many red flags. I'm planning to call the office for help. How can I approach this without sounding crazy, and what should I ask them to do? I've already spent three days supervising them. Any advice on how to handle this?
2 Answers
First things first, take photos of everything! Capture the mixed paint bucket, any paint can labels, and the dates on everything before they dispose of any evidence. You should definitely avoid letting them 'fix' it on their own—they’ve already lied multiple times. Call the office, show them your evidence, and demand a different crew to properly repaint with the correct Emerald color at no extra cost. If they push back, consider disputing the charge with your credit card company and find a new contractor instead. It's better to be safe than sorry in this case!
Make sure you have a written agreement that outlines the scope of the work, including the specified paint. If it states Emerald, they are obligated to deliver that. You might also want to request an invoice from the paint store to back up what they used. Documenting everything helps put you in a stronger position when speaking to the office.