How to hire a painter in Calgary without getting burned.

Under Alberta's Consumer Protection Act, a business that takes payment before the work is complete is a prepaid contractor and needs a licence from Service Alberta. You can check a licence for free. A door-to-door sale over $25 also carries a ten-day cancellation right, and the contract must be in writing.

Painting itself is not a compulsory certified trade in Alberta — anyone can legally paint. That makes insurance, licensing and written scope the real filters rather than a trade ticket.

A real quote tells you what is being painted, what is not, how many coats, which products by name and sheen, what prep is included, who moves the furniture, and how change orders are handled. A quote that says 'paint interior — $4,200' is not a quote, it is a number.

Compare like for like. The cheapest bid is frequently cheapest because it is one coat instead of two, contractor-grade paint instead of premium, or no patching and sanding included. That is a legitimate choice if you make it knowingly — the problem is when the difference is invisible until the walls look patchy under a lamp.

Calgary police have repeatedly warned about home-renovation deposit fraud, with losses reported in the hundreds of thousands across recent years. The pattern is consistent: unsolicited contact, urgency, a discount for paying cash today, and a large deposit for materials.

Reasonable practice on a residential repaint is a modest deposit or none at all, progress payments tied to completed stages, and the balance on satisfactory completion. Full payment up front is never necessary.

Ten minutes of questions filters most of the risk out of the decision. Ask them of everyone you are considering, including us.

We are insured, and we will send the certificate to anyone who asks — no chasing required. Every crew member has been painting for a decade or more, and the quote you receive names the products, coats and prep rather than handing you a bare number.

The reason Coatly exists is the waiting. Getting three quotes in this city usually means three site visits scheduled across two weeks. Uploading photos and getting a real interior number in minutes was the whole point of building the app — see our story on the about page.