I should have been wary right from the start, after I received a verbal estimate from Tom (the owner) that the work to be performed would cost $1500, and then when Tom and his crew showed up to perform the work, they "re-estimated" the job and determined it would cost $500 more. My mistake for not insisting on an estimate in writing prior to the date of the job.
The work they performed was shoddy, with over 1" gaps left in the paint between the corners of the wall, noticeable paint brush marks, and other areas they completely missed. It took me nearly two weeks and several missed appointments for them to come back out and redo the job. The work was never performed satisfactorily and I finally gave up and cut my losses.
There are so many choices for painting contractors in the N. VA/DC area, I'd highly recommend avoiding T&M. In my opinion the owner is unscrupulous and hires incompetent work crews.
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