Most of the attention in a painting project goes into choosing the painter. Once the contract is signed, the questions change: what happens now, who calls whom, and what are you supposed to be doing in the meantime? Here is the sequence, from the signature to the last walkthrough, and what to expect from a well-run company at each step.
The deposit and the start date
A deposit to hold your place on the calendar and cover materials is normal; paying most of the job before anyone arrives is not. The contract should say when the deposit is due, when the next payment comes, and that the final payment follows your walkthrough. Shortly after signing, you should receive a start window and the name of the person who will manage your project. If you do not hear from anyone within a few days, call. Silence after a deposit is the first warning sign of a company that is better at selling than scheduling.
Settle the colors and sheens early
If you have not already chosen colors, this is the time, because the paint has to be ordered before the crew arrives. Alliance Painting includes a free in-home color consultation, and it is worth using even if you think you know what you want. Have samples brushed on the actual walls, look at them in morning and evening light, and confirm the sheen for each surface in writing: flat or matte on ceilings, something washable on walls, satin or semi-gloss on trim and doors is the common pattern, but your house and your habits decide.
Changing a color after the paint is ordered is usually possible; changing it after the first coat is on is a change order. Decide early.
HOA approval, if the project is an exterior
Many Dallas–Fort Worth neighborhoods have associations that must approve exterior colors, sometimes including trim and front doors. If yours does, find out whether the painter submits the request or you do, and how long the review takes. Most contractors cannot start until approval is in hand, and a delayed approval can push the job into a busier or wetter part of the year. Start that process the week you sign.
The pre-job call and the logistics it settles
Expect a conversation a few days before the start about logistics: what time the crew arrives and leaves, where they park, where the paint and equipment will be staged, which rooms will be out of use on which days, where the crew can get water and use a restroom, and what you need to move. Alliance Painting assigns a project manager who runs this walkthrough and stays your point of contact until the end. Whoever your painter is, make sure you have a name and a phone number before day one.
What you do before the crew arrives
Your part is mostly clearing and protecting. Take pictures, mirrors, and shelves off the walls. Move small furniture and breakables out of the rooms being painted and pull larger pieces toward the center so the crew can cover them. Empty closets if they are being painted. On an exterior, trim shrubs back from the walls, turn off the sprinklers, move cars out of the driveway if spraying is planned, and take down anything hanging on the porch. The contract should say what the crew moves and what you move; if it does not, ask.
During the job: updates and change orders
A good crew works the same way every day: arrive on time, protect the area, work, clean up, and leave the house usable. You should know what was done each day and what is planned for the next, either from the project manager or from a quick walk with the crew lead. Anything that changes the scope, including a repair the crew finds under old paint or a room you decide to add, should be priced and agreed in writing before it is done, not discovered on the invoice.
On an exterior, weather will occasionally stop work. North Texas rain and summer heat both matter, and a careful painter would rather lose a day than paint a wet wall. Ask how the schedule is adjusted and how you will be told.
The walkthrough and the punch list
When the crew says they are finished, walk every room or elevation with the project manager in good daylight. Look at cut lines along the trim and ceiling, check for missed spots behind doors and above windows, run your hand along the trim for drips, and look at any repairs from across the room to see that the texture blends. Write down anything that needs attention; a punch list of a few small items is normal and should be handled before the final payment.
Then make sure you have the warranty document. Alliance Painting’s Lifetime Interior Warranty and 5-Year Exterior Guarantee are both in writing and transfer with the house, so file the paperwork with your other home records in case you sell.
That is the whole arc, whether you are in Southlake, Trophy Club or Flower Mound: a clear schedule, colors decided early, a named contact, written change orders, and a walkthrough before the last check. The Interior Painting and Exterior Painting pages describe how Alliance Painting handles each step.