CertaPro Painters
Reviews and Complaints

CertaPro Painters takes all customer complaints very seriously. We paint over 50, 000 homes every year, and with that many homes and over 350 independent franchisees, there are bound to be a few problems. We have a process and dedicated resources to take care of customer issues that are not satisfied by the local company. Out of all of the painting we do, we currently have seven unresolved complaints that we are working on.
Since your complaint is anonymous, we have no way to reach you to help solve any issues. Please take advantage of our offer to work to a solution by contacting us directly at:
customersforlife@certapro.com or call [protected]

Similar complaint. Had the them paint several rooms. pointed out chaffing on some parts of ceiling. They told me they could smooth it out. They did not. They did no sanding to attempt to smooth out spots and offered lame excuses as to why. all they did was slap paint on the walls. After a moth the paint was already painting. Pay attention to negative reviews. They are all marketing. Not professional could care less about finish project. Id add photos but we painted everything white.

Don't ever use them in Western PA. Half-a**ed job, spilled paint on my patio, window screens, and driveway. And left cigarette butts all over the yard. I regret my decision to use them.

We have been using Certa for years. I used to do all my own painting until life got to busy. I hired a few independents over the years and I was never ever happy. Half the time one guy showed up drunk. Another time my wife locked herself in the basement because a painters assistant had told her she had a nice Rear-End.
Once I found Certa Pro all of this went away. They are all professional and clean. One painter even changes his shirt if it gets dirty with paint. All the complaints on here are phony and are written by Privates who are afraid of Certa!

I deeply regret that I did not make reference to a meeting that I had with Onofrei, wherein the course of conversation the two tried to change the terms of my contract through casual conversation between themselves. The next week I walked in on a $34, 000 job. I can’t go into details, but it’s bad. -from the poster of the e-mail...public, you're welcome.

In this economy, many people think about buying a franchise.

There's a lot of misinformation out there about franchises. For example, many people believe a franchise has a better chance of success than a non-franchise startup. Several sources, including the Small Business Administration, have stated that is not true. In fact, some say franchises have a worse chance of success than non-franchise startups.

As a former CertaPro Painters franchisee, I wish to caution would-be CertaPro franchise buyers that CertaPro appears to have an extraordinarily high rate of franchisee failure. Their minimum franchise requirement, combined with expenses you may not have anticipated, combined with the cost associated with 'learning on the job' can quickly deplete your savings and drive you into debt. Then if you try to get out you may find yourself being sued by CertaPro.

It appears CertaPro makes an effort to silence former franchises via 'non-disclosure' agreements ('gag agreements') which forbid them from publicly speaking negatively about CertaPro. So you may find it extremely difficult to learn about 'the other side of the story'.

'Caveat emptor' certainly applies to anyone considering buying a CertaPro franchise.

Learn more: www.certaprosucks.net

And much can be said about people like you who are disgruntled because YOU FAILED. Perhaps the fault lies behind your own inability to be successful. Unfortunately you can't accept that fact, which is why you feel the need to place blame on others. So in exchange for the franchise allegedly trying to "silence" you, you feel the best forum is to retaliate by setting up stupid websites to bash them and post negative comments about them all over the web. Seriously? You think this is effective? Don't you get it? We do...we know exactly why you failed!

Signed, sickofbashers

Maybe they used subcontractors to maximize profit.
They've gotta pay some hefty royalty and other fees to CertaPro, y'know.
And CertaPro recruits its franchisees by telling them "You don't need any painting experience".

Using subcontractors is like what Forrest Gump said:
It's "like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Garmon, I have tried to get in contact with you several times to help resolve this situation. Unfortunately without the location/zip code, I cannot address the franchise or assist in finding a resolution you are happy with.

I urge you to contact us directly if this is still unresolved or if you have additional concerns. [protected] or customersforlife@certapro.com

Best,
Janelle

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Garmon,

My name is Janelle, with CertaPro Painters. Your feedback is very important and I apologize for the experience you have encountered with us. This is most definitely not a reflection of our work and customer service standards. Please provide me with the zip code or location of the franchise you hired, so I can address these issues ASAP.

For any further concerns you can contact us directly at [protected] or email us at customersforlife@certapro.com.

Thanks,
Janelle

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I don't know why people making these false comments on some other person.You should be shameful to these kind of bad comments.
I have also hired CertaPro Painters two times in last four years but I got perfect results & their feedback was just amazing .In future I will definitely hire them again.I am very happy with their service.

Wow, an online pissing match!
Dontcha love the internets?

Hey, Janelle, can you do something here?

I bet people could say the same thing about you...they just aren't stupid enough to bash someone on a public website. What a shame that you look down on others when perhaps you should just look in the mirror! I don't know the individuals you named, but don't even have to. Your comments alone pretty much describe the type of character you have.

We have not been able to match the facts stated in this posting with any customers in 2010 or 2011. We currently have an A+ rating with the BBB and 99.2% of our over 400 customer in 2010 said they would refer us to friends and family through an independent survey company. Our referal rating in 2011 is currently 100%. We encourage any customers with an issue to contact our office directly so we can identify any issues and address them.

Actually, Janelle works for Arieff Communications, for CertaPro.
http://www.arieff.com/?p=about_us

Maybe SortaPro used subcontractors.
Sometimes SortaPro franchisees do that to maximize profit.
They've got some pretty hefty royalty and advertising fees that have to be paid to SortaPro, you know.
And if they don't pay them, they just might get sued by SortaPro.

And remember, SortaPro recruits franchisees by advertising "You don't need any painting experience".
There ya go.

Subcontractors: It's like Forrest Gump said:
It's "like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

Richy, we have attempted to get in contact with you. You may have already contacted customer service, but unfortunately I cannot address your situation without you providing the location of the CertaPro franchise. Your business and feedback is very important to us, yet without a provided location or zip code it is difficult to distinguish between true and false reviews.

I urge you to contact CertaPro directly at your convenience to resolve these issues. [protected] or customersforlife@certapro.com.

Best,
Janelle

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CertaPro Painters

Hi Richy,

My name is Janelle, with CertaPro Painters. First, I want to apologize for your unfortunate experience and the inconvenience that has resulted. This is not a reflection of CertaPro's customer service standards and I want to address your situation to your satisfaction.

Please provide me with the franchise location or zip code so we can resolve these issues immediately.

If you have any other additional or future concerns feel free to email customersforlife@certapro.com or call [protected].

Thank you,
Janelle

Maybe SortaPro used subcontractors.
Sometimes SortaPro franchisees do that to maximize profit.
They've got some pretty hefty royalty and advertising fees that have to be paid to SortaPro, you know.
And if they don't pay them, they just might get sued by SortaPro.

Poor argumentative Stephanie is probably just trying to keep her head above water.
Life can get pretty tough when you know you might not make any money, even if SortaPro corporate does.
Or if you're afraid you might go out of business and lose $150k or more...that happens to a LOT of SortaPro franchisees, I hear.

SortaPro recruits franchisees by advertising "You don't need any painting experience".
There ya go.

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Subcontractors: It's like Forrest Gump said:
It's "like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

I am writing to complain about my local CertaPro Painter
Marc Prive; first of all I was unaware that he was going to subcontract out the
work that was to be done to my home. He led me to believe that he would be
doing the job. When his subcontractor showed up to patch the sheet rock they
did not have the right thickness for the job. This was Mark’s fault for not
measuring the thickness and knowing local state regulations that 5/8” is to be
used on all ceiling. So it had to been done over later. Then when it was warm
enough for the job to be taped and spackled the quality of the job was poor.
There was spackle all over the cabinets in my garage and on the floor. They did
not even clean up after they were finished. I have never seen such poor quality
work. And then when I set up an appointment for the subcontractor’s
subcontractor to return he missed three appointments.

If I had know that Marc Prive and CertaPro Painters was a
subcontracting business I would never had allowed them to do the work in my
home. Now I have poorly done sheet rock and an unfinished job.

I would hope CertaPro Painter would step up and do the right
thing, but they have not, so I will have to file a complaint with the Connecticut
Department of Consumer Affairs.

CertaPro Painters Roanoke VA Fraudsters Steer clear of CertaPro Painters Roanoke VA They Suck!

I checked our database and we have no record of anyone named Rab in Roanoke VA or anywhere near there. If you are actually a customer, you should contact us at CustomersForLife@Certapro.com. We have a formal process to resolve issues.

I was charged an additional one hundred plus dollars in addition to an already more than fair amount for the work I had done. Now the representative does not even have the decency to call and explain the additional charges. I am not at all happy with my service and will not use in the future. I will also advise others of my experience. thank you. John Leonard [protected]. ca2jo2@cox.net

This company has been very responsive to our needs - I am surprised by these complaints. How genuine are they? Does anyone know?

Sifoone,

I have attempted to get in contact with you. It's my priority to get these issues resolved with a solution you're happy with. You may have already contacted customer service. If not, I urge you to call us at [protected] or email us at customersforlife@certapro.com.

Best,
Janelle

Hi Sifoone,

I am with CertaPro Painters and first want to apologize for your experience and the inconvenience it has caused. I want to assure you that these issues are not of CertaPro's work ethic or customer service standards. I want to address these issues to your satisfaction ASAP. Please provide me with the zip code or location of the the CertaPro franchise you hired.

Your feedback is much appreciated. If you have further concerns please contact CertaPro directly at [protected] or email us at customersforlife@certapro.com.

Thank you,
Janelle

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I was taken by Certra Pro painter as well. You have every right to complain. I would suggest you take them to small claims court in your area. I have submitted a claim as well. Our concerns are similar. Only differences is Certa Pro painters painted blue tape on my walls, painted my carpet, ceiling, baseboards, courter tops, wood cabinets, left holes in my walls; just to name a few area of concerns. Saddenly, we purchased our house (3000 sq ft) a year earlier. Certra pro was only under contract to paint the walls and nothing elese for and was paid over $2, 000 before the house was back in order. I too learned a valued lesson not to pay anyone until the job is completed. Certa Pro never intended to honor its two year contract they give people in the event something goes wrong with the paint.The funny thing is my paint started peeling off my walls 6 months after Certa Pro painted my house. Not to mention, the painters Certa Pro contracted to paint my house was Mexicans whom smelled liked beer. Neverthe less, please continue to fight against this company. I will not stop until I have justice for my home. Please do not allow anyone to make you feel you did anything wrong. Pictures will be posted at a letter date.

Call CertaPro's main office 1-800-go-certa
Get an estimate from another painter for how much it will cost to fix the mistakes.
If it's within the limit of your state's small claims court, take them to small claims court.

I'm a contractor and have found that those who are most vocal in their complaints, and their quest to 'get their money back', are those who wanted a perfect job for the cheapest price from the very start.

Did you pay a fair price? You mention thousands of dollars, but that doesn't mean anything. It depends on the size of the job and the condition of the home. How many rooms were painted? How old is the house? Is it possible that some of drips were from previous work? Was the previous work perfect?

You mention that rooms weren't perfect. GOD only is perfect. Are you perfect? Have you ever goofed on something?

Get a grip ... you probably got what you were willing to pay for.

I hired CertaPro to do work for me. I am now changing their name to CertainlynotPro! They did not powerwash my house, poor prime work, painted over dirt and mold, said I was to receive two coats of paint and I only received one coat of paint. I saw uneven paint work and there was touchups needed all over my house. Bleeding paint on the trim work where they did not properly tape the area off from the trimwork. Paint chipping and not very well covered paint job. I showed them paint coming loose from my house! Poor paint job overall. This is due to them acting professional during the sale and then no CertaPro painters showing up, instead, some subcontractors showed up and did a horrible job. I even had issues while the job was going on and called CertainlynotPro to come out and see the issues I had only to get the same level of poor quality work after they left the job site. What a joke Romero Cruz and his company is. Worst experience ever!

Thank God for Certapro...Illegal Mexicans can make $8 an hour

Do not do sub work for Certapro! I was a subcontractor for the the company for a little under a year. It was the worst job I've ever had. The branch I worked at in Brentwood TN had a very high turn over rate for the subs. The owner's that were supposed to have been knowledgeable painting contractors had never even painted. Of course Certapro trains the owners but thats about the extent of a Lowe's employee in the paint department. Point is you have to do what your boss tells you in which can get a hit on your liability insurance. You take all the risk. They make all the money. Your better off working by the hour somewhere. btw 15 years experience here.

I have been a victim of fraud, misrepresentation and unfair business practice; I have been scammed and later threatened by CertaPro Hickory franchise’s owner, Harold Lloyd, and his employees.
On 9/19/11 I asked for an estimate for painting and repairing my home. I met with the CertaPro Hickory franchise owner, Harold Lloyd, at my home and went over the job I required. I also pointed out the location of two areas of rotten wood that would need to be replaced before they could paint. I asked how much he would charge me; he said, “No, just the materials.” Then he explained to me the procedure they would take in painting my house: one painter would spray paint the wall, and another would use the roller to give it a nice, smooth look. They would also remove the shutters to paint the wall behind them so I wouldn’t have to see the old, unattractive paint again. Then he gave me an estimate and contract which did not include any of the details that he had explained earlier to me. Although he did not include my concerns that I had pointed out in our conversation in any part of the contact, I wasn't suspicious of him at that time because he represented CertaPro, a company supposedly 'Proven and Trusted Experts in Painting'.

From CertaPro's website:
'With every painting project, we're committed to providing the highest quality work and professional service in the area. Residential painting or commercial painting, we're dedicated to the process of certainty – of a job well done. Whatever your needs, big or small, CertaPro will provide a professional quality paint job and an experience you'll be thrilled with. That's our promise, that's Certainty. Start your CertaPro experience today!

Delighted to serve. Certain to satisfy.

CertaPro Painters of Hickory & Statesville, NC is the painting company of Certainty. Interior painting or exterior painting, we are certain to exceed your expectations. We are certain to focus on every detail. We are certain to create an experience of positive and lasting value for our customers. Let us show you the impact of our brand of Certainty.
We are also EPA Lead-Certified Renovators and Green Certified.'

How reassuring! Reality turned up a different picture after they attempted to paint my house:

Trust:
He said replacing rotten wood was not in the contact, so he’s not responsible for it. As for the painting methods that he explained to me at the beginning, none of that took place.

Committed to providing the highest quality work and professional service:
Their work was shoddy, sub-standard, cursory and unattractive. In the first instance, they did not clean or prepare surfaces properly. They primed and painted over dirt, rotten wood, old cracking/peeling painted areas. They did not cover the ground to collect and dispose of paint chips or dust, and they failed to cover areas that should not be painted on. After painting, I could still see the old paint color showing through in many areas. Also there was no clean up after the work, even though this was stipulated in the contact. They painted areas with a color convenient for them, not the color I requested.

CertaPro Painters strives to provide the best customer experience:
10/14/11 Mr. Lloyd screamed at my face and told me to "BACK OFF" and let them do their job after I told him that his painters were trying to paint on rotten wood.

Then 10/16/11 around 5:00pm, when they were finishing up the job, Mr. Lloyd came to check the state of work. I pointed out several areas with issues that needed to be corrected or touched-up. Instead of admitting it and correcting these problems like a professional painter would, he refused to correct most of my concerns. In additional, he was abusive by pointing a finger at me and screaming at my face, “YOU ARE PICKY, TOO MUCH… YOU ARE PICKY!”

On 10/17/11 around 5:15pm, the painters came back to re-do the awning. I asked a painter to touch up an area that he missed; however, he would not; instead, he told his supervisor. Immediately, the foreman scolded and threatened me.

Two years warranty of their work:
That's a joke! They refused to correct issues while they were still on the job site.

EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Lead-Certified Renovators:
Mr. Lloyd failed to provide me with an EPA brochure regarding lead paint issues on residences built before 1978; my house was built in 1949.
He didn't mention the rules or ramifications at all, nor did he offer any methods for keeping the site safe for my family and his employees. The issue of lead paint was never brought to my attention.

I learned about the EPA rules from other painters after I fired CertaPro.
This is most alarming because not dealing properly with contaminated paint and dust could cause serious illness to my family and animals.

*****11/23/11, I received the lab test result back from EMSL Analytical, Inc for the paint chips that CertaPro scrapped off and left around my property. . This is the direct wording from the testing of the paint chips left in my yard. “Your result was 3.9% by weight of the sample used. HUD/EPA defines lead based paint if it is 0.5% or greater which yours is greater than.”

I don’t think the painters aware of the lead poisoning because they spoke Spanish and hardly understood any English. I truly hope that they will not encounter any health problem due to their exposure.

99% Customer Satisfaction: The only reason that I can think of as to how they get a high customer satisfaction rating is because true feedback to their website is not allowed.
In the country that I came from, we don’t need to have a written agreement or a contact when you hire someone to work on your property. We trust each other verbally. Service providers will perform services as they said; we pay what we agreed upon once the job is completed.

Now I’m in a different country, a law-suit country. I have never had problems with any contactors before. They completed the job professionally as they said, and corrected it if I have any concerns without arguing or threatening me.
Unfortunately, CertaPro is totally different from them. This make me wonder, just because I’m not American-born-like. So, they think they can just take advantage of me and threatened me as bonuses!

There were two mistakes that I had made from the first day that I met with Mr. Lloyd.
1. Trusted and hired CertaPro to paint my house
2. Gave Mr.Lloyd and his crews chance after chances to proof that I was wrong about what they were doing to my house. Instead of correcting it, they constantly lied and threatened me.

Certpro of Gurnee ruined our home. Painted the aluminum downspouts, soffits and light fixtures. Its like the crew never painted before. I will be forced to sue them to get my home restored. How is it that a comapny can ruin your home and then just hide behind an attorney? Seems like the customer has little or no recourse with these guys. I DO NOT recommend CertaPro. Coprporate doesnt support the customer at all. Kirk Jurinek, Antioch IL

CERTAPRO is a rip off with their employees in my eyes, they hired any painter with one year or more experice, the small business most have their own bond, insurance and lic, if something go wrong they take it from the painter bond or insurance which is a 0% risk for the powerful franchise right !some painters subs are good, but they have to cut corners to make it, and of course if the job is too big for one person they have to hired people willing to make minimum wage which translate to low or lack of experience. The big corporation get 50% of the price they estimate, the sub contractors gets the other 50 % for their labor paint and materials cause paint and materials must be paid by the sub contractors of course" on certapro painting account ."Which they "CERTA PRO "will also use as their own expences at the time they have to pay the taxes and the sub cannot deduct any paint or material cause is was not bought on their own company name, so the small business is realy making about 25% of the total estimate which they have to split amount their crew. For instance if paint a house is $3500 Certapro keeps $1750.00 plus sales tax they will deduce about $850 more or less for paint and material to the subs, which the sub can never claim as their business expence, and the one people the makes the job will keep $850 more or less the sub contractor will try to keep the most he can because he has to pay his insurance gas and many business expences and their employees have to be willing to make minimun wage. It take normaly at least 3 days to paint a house properly three people not to mention couple of weeks prior painting the house was pressure wash . So why not to hired by referls your local painting companies, at the end of the day they are the same painters Certapro, College pro, or any big corporation will try to scout, ask for referls at the paint stores such sherwing williams, benjamin moore, rodda paint, parker paint they normaly know wich small business are good and wich ones are bad, please hire them, by doing so, you will help your local economy by creating more job opportunities. Small business have better prices than big corporation and because they dont have to rush to make some profit you will have a better quality job .

Many CertaPro franchisees use subcontractors.
Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're mediocre, sometimes they're bad.
It can be the luck of the draw.
CertaPro is just a painting company like any other painting company but they charge more because they try to present themselves as "professional". But the quality of the paint job depends on the painters (maybe subcontractors) doing the work, not the professional image of the franchisee.

Certapro and CollegePro are not the same company. They are corporate cousins with no direct . To lump all Certapro franchises into the same bunch makes about as much sense as lumping the service you received from Roto-Rooter in Texas with Roto-Rooter in Washington. Each Certapro is its own corporation with independent owners. My family's Certapro franchise has a 100% customer approval rating and a 100% would use us again or recommend us to a friend.

We neither use college nor high school kids to paint for us. All of our employees are real painters. Like any skilled trade, some are apprentices and some are Journeymen. They are paid by the job, not the hour. If they spend their day taking breaks, texting, talking on the phone, and to each other they will make minimum wage by the time the house is complete. That would also be their last house for us as it would show a lack of professionalism. If they work faster than average, as most competent crews do, the lead painter ends up making $20 to $25 per hour, apprentices slightly less. If we are working on a prevailing wage job they make around $43 per hour.

Regarding profits and bidding: After measuring a house, we use standards established by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America to establish how many hours a job will take. We then apply a standard % of profit above the costs, which I assure you is not 50 to 60%. We would never land any work at those high percentages. A common misperception of inexperienced painters is that they are being cheated because we take a larger percent than they do. What they fail to realize is the huge cost of advertising, maintaining equipment, vehicles, and office staff. On the flip side we have several 20 year veterans who have had their own companies and are thankful to have someone taking care of that end of the business for them.

I am not sure what happened with the person with the poor paint job. They should have talked to the National headquarters about the work. The advantage to using a franchised painting company is accountability. At the end of every job they call the customer to ensure we did a good job. If the above person had complained to corporate, the franchisee would likely have been out there fixing it as it reflects badly on all of us.

Certa pro/college pro same company?Is a company that has employees that have no Painting experience, They off the street drug users, and college/highschool kids, they even advertise in the want ads no experience nessesary for emploment, you ask yourself would you want a person with No experience working on your house! its a rip off to the customer and the employees who are trick into employment! and work for these jokers they "say they will pay them 15 bucks / dollars and hour, but they really pay 6 a hour! or nothing! they pocket 60 to 50 pecent profeit, they give hard working companies in the trade a bad name and in the trades field! they bid lower then market price, sound like a good deal! huh! but isn't they are a joke period! sign Ex employee!