Catchlight Painting

Even though their pricing was at the high end of the estimates we received, i chose them because of: their great reviews here and elsewhere; affiliation with WBUR public radio and Historic New England; their estimate was extremely detailed; and they work on a lot of old houses. I expected their attention to detail and customer service to be just as detailed as their estimate but they fell far short of meeting our expectations. If it weren't for me directing the painters each day, we would've had a number of areas that were either not painted at all, not properly prepped, or painted the wrong color. I gave one star because their painters did an acceptable job...but only because I had to manage them by myself. They needed direction, which the project manager Pete did not provide. And when he was here he never gave me a heads up; if I happened to notice Pete was here he would disappear before I could get outside to look at things with him. At the end of the job, even on the last day, he did not meet with us when punch list items should have been reviewed. They also refused to do the last bit of work we planned on. It was estimated separately because they were still discussing with us which floor sealer to use and another contractor had to install the gutters first before they came back to paint them. Pete, backed up by Nigel (the owner) decided they didn't want to work with us anymore because they “did not meet our expectations." Normally if a business admits to not meeting the expectations of their customer, they try to correct the problem to make the customer happy. In this case, apparently because we complained about the above issues as well as some damage to our antique hardware and floor, they dumped us with 1-2 days work left to do. (They didn't have to honor the second estimate because we hadn't paid a deposit yet - they hadn't billed us yet, though we technically had a verbal and written agreement via email). Lesson learned, if you arrange work on a separate estimate, be sure to pay the deposit so they are locked into finishing your job! When invoiced, they tried to charge us for work not done (I knew this because I was here everyday managing the job) so i had to ask them to reduce the bill by that amount. When I received the adjusted invoice, I asked for a discount due to our dismal experience, the amount of personal time I had to spend managing this project, as well as the damage that they did not address. The owner responded by threatening to have his lawyer put a lien on our house instead of first trying to make this right, which is the number one tenet of customer service. Incredibly disappointing and confusingly awful customer service. DO NOT HIRE THEM.

Excellent company - we hired them for exterior painting of our Newton home and they did an outstanding job. All staff were professional, easy to work with, and good with communication. Painters and carpenters were highly experienced and meticulous and they did a great job cleaning up after each day, We are very pleased with the final result and would hire this company again.

Catchlight did an outstanding job. We have an 100+ year old house that had also had siding on it for many years. We had the house scraped and painted three years ago (not long after moving in), but within less than a year there were areas where paint was beginning to flake off as the underlying lead paint detached from the wood. We talked to several different companies about the need to remove the underlying lead paint. We found very few companies with any experience with this scale of lead paint removal. Catchlight responded quickly when we asked for a quote, were very knowledgeable and worked with us to adjust the scale of project to meet our budget. They were punctual when we scheduled a time to meet and were easy to reach by phone before and during the project. They kept the site very clean. From everything I could tell, they carefully followed safety guidelines around lead removal and clearly marked when and where work was being performed. At the end of the each day all tarps were removed and areas were thoroughly vacuumed. The painters on site were always friendly and courteous. They also did an exceptional job with the painting. We met with Nigel the owner at the end of the project to do a final walk through. There were a few small items to touch up. He immediately agreed to deal with each item without any pushback. This project was more expensive than any exterior painting project we have ever had, but I think this accurately reflects the amount of work that was involved with stripping the clapboard, prepping and painting, which also included extensive detailing on the trim. They even delivered flowers to our neighbors at the completion of the project to thank them for putting up with the noise from the project.

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I greatly enjoyed my interactions with Nigel and it is clear to me that this is a very professional company. We obtained an estimate for a complex multicolour paint scheme on a large Colonial house. It was very clear to me that Nigel knows his business very well and has an exacting eye for detail. It's also clear that this their methods and work are of extremely high quality with regard to lead paint protection, cleanup, etc. The work he quoted would not only have been cosmetic, it also would have given our house excellent protection from the elements including some additional carpentry, caulking, replacing flashing, etc. Ultimately we decided that exterior painting wasn't in our renovation budget for the year so we are putting the work off, but I would gladly do business with Catchlight in the future. Note that I rated their pricing as "fair" because I do believe it is a fair price for the work. It represents the high end of painting work in this area, so it is certainly not a bargain, but I feel assured that you would get what you pay for with Catchlight.

They really knew what they were doing. They were spectacularly interested in detail, they did high quality work, and they are expensive, but they did very good work. My house is old, so they primed the wood, and it ended up looking better than it has ever looked, being painted. I would tell family members that they should be prepared as they are expensive, but they do very very very high quality work.

Nigel and his crew were very responsive and professional. Initially I was not satisfied with some paint splatter and inaccurate paint lines, but Nigel came out with a crew on hand and spent the day making it all perfect. Catchlight stands by their work and will do what it takes to satisfy the customer. You really get what you pay for - Catchlight tends to be on the more expensive side but the product and customer service are second to none.

They were professional in the way that they communicated with us.

They did a good job. They were professional. The painter that came out was great. He was fine with my dog as well.

Excellent. The crew was fantastic, they did great work, were extremely considerate toward my family, and always explained everything they were doing. The house looks beautiful and they were a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend them. An excellent value.

Brendon Lowney showed up on time to give estimate time and cost of job. I received an e-mail from him outlining the work to be done and materials to be used. I was given the amount of time it would take to complete the work. Carlos and Marcos (?) showed up on time everyday and were professional in every way. If I need anymore rooms painted in the future, I will definitely use them again. Pleasure to work with.

The whole experience was impressively professional, beginning with the estimate visit. Brandon and Nigel were incredibly observant, finding a number of issues that would require special attention. They found places that needed stripping (in one case a sample was taken for microscopic analysis), and they found rotted wood that needed to be filled in with epoxy or replaced. These were problems a lesser company would have painted over. They accurately described the scope of work in detail in the estimate, and there were no surprises. At the end, the final price was a little lower than estimated because the carpentry didn't take as long as expected. When the time came to start the job, a swarm of workers arrived. The prep work was very thorough, and I feel pretty confident that this thoroughness will give my house long lasting good looks. I was a little surprised but grateful at the thoroughness of each day's clean-up. I expected some clean-up but at the end of each day they cleaned up like it was the last. When they painted, they thoroughly covered everything that wasn't to be painted. When they sprayed, they were very careful to eliminate possible overspray. I've had enough of overspray on my cars from when my neighbor's house was painted (twice), so I'm sensitive about that. I've also noticed how many of my neighbors had their walkways, bushes and other non-house things splattered with paint by other painters. They also took care not to trample my plantings around the house. The actual painting was excellent. I'm picky and observant, and I was hard-pressed to find any mistakes, and I checked with binoculars. The foreman, Iraldo, was friendly and professional. He was much more picky and observant than I am, and there were no mistakes. The whole job went smoothly and as expected. Iraldo communicated every step along the way. I think an excellent job was done. Catchlight is a high-end company and their price reflected that. I think the price was fair - you get what you pay for. I expect the house will continue to look good for years to come, and when it's time to paint again I'll call Catchlight.

It went well. We had some misunderstandings as to what was included - but have resolved those.

Work took longer than the estimate. Paints splattered everywhere (workers did not apply tape to protect moldings/trimmings) and paint drops were on my hardwood floors, moldings, and my furniture as well. Not enough coats were applied even with the extra day and some of the colors didn't come out so well. Date was reschedule at the last minute, which was very inconvenient for me. I hired them because of their excellent reviews, but turned out to be a horrible experience - I had to redo everything they did, because the workmanship (especially cutting lines) was so poor.

Very nice guys, but not at all responsive. They came to prepare an estimate in August but did not provide the estimate until 5-6 weeks later and only after reminders. The estimate was very substantially higher than others we received, and did not include all of the work that was in other estimates. They never followed up on the estimate. It appears that Catchlight is so busy they don't want or need more work. It would be better if they simply declined to take new work rather than stringing out potential clients. Owner called to apologize and also sent a nice letter. Much appreciated.

Do yourself a favor, look no further for painters than Catchlight......Catchlight Painting is THE BEST. These guys are CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONALS and CRAFTSMEN, that's right, CRAFTSMEN; they treat your home in the same fashion a curator treats their artifacts at a museum. Catchlight's work is flawless. And they were on time, on budget, and immaculate.

Nigel Costolloe and his crew of painting professionals create beautiful painted spaces, and they are a pleasure to deal with. Because I work at home, I share space with the craftsmen who help us care for this old house, not always something I look forward to. Catchlight is an exception -- our Catchlight painter thanked me for the opportunity to work in our house! My initial contact with Nigel assured me that we and our house would be in capable, knowledgeable painting hands. We received an estimate promptly, with great follow up from Nigel's office staff, and the estimate fairly reflected the scope and cost of the work. Once the work began, we found Nigel's guys so very easy to have in the house: they are personable, respectful of my time and space, do their work beautifully (and quietly!), clean up thoroughly afterward, and leave us with results that make us smile. For this caliber of work, Nigel's pricing is not the lowest. However, in our judgment, the results are worth what we paid. We have found the painters for this old house.

They were extremely professional and did the work in a timely manner. Even though our house and our budget were a lot more modest than many of the other houses they work on, we never felt like anything less than their first priority. Their work was very good - especially the painting. My husband is a bit of a perfectionist and asked them to redo a few things differently and they do so without quibbling. We have to look very carefully to find a company that he is willing to work with, and we would definitely use Catchlight again.

Very well. They were responsive, gave a reasonable estimate and stuck to it, cleaned up perfectly after each day of work, and completed the work on time. It looks great.

The foreman on the job was very helpful in choosing custom colors. They did a very professional job and cleaned up well after their work. I don't remember how much I spent with them.

They are quite knowledgable about painted finishes, and priced commensurately. Before they would consider giving us a quote for painting the entire kitchen they wanted to test the ceiling for asbestos, which seemed excessive, as the ceiling was just an old calcimine finish with peeling latex over it - no "popcorn" finish or any of the likely markers for asbestos. So, we saw no reason to go looking for problems where there probably were none. They have a good reputation in the design community and highlight their commitment to "green" painting with their Toyota Prius company car. Everyone can be more eco-friendly, though, and we used BM's low VOC Aura paint. Catchlight's quote for just the kitchen cabinets was $5,000; we found a very good painter who did the entire kitchen for less. Maybe not quite as perfect, but close, and for less than half the money.

Catchlight was recommended by my interior decorator. The owner met me at my home and advised me on the best approach. Their quote was bit pricy which I understood they would be from my decorator, but she told me they would be worth it. Due to delays in my construction schedule, they agreed twice to reschedule my work to meet my needs. They even came by the sight to inspect the quality of the carpentry and give me advice. The painter assigned to my project was trustworthy, honest, flexible, fast yet extremely talented. One of the most pleasant experiences I've every had with a home renovations.

The things that were really great about them is that they showed up when said, pricing was reasonable, and the gentlemen that actually did the work was very knowledgeable.

THE OWNER IS VERY GENTLEMANLY, RESPECTFUL, AND ULTIMATELY FAIR. HE ESTIMATED THE JOB OVER THE PHONE, BUT HE UNDERESTIMATED THE TIME. THE PAINTER HE SENT WAS METICULOUS, AND EXCEEDED THE TIME. THERE WAS A LANGUAGE BARRIER, AND AS A RESULT HE MISUNDERSTOOD THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND FAILED TO PAINT THE TRIM. THE JOB EXCEEDED THE TIME ESTIMATE BY A LARGE AMOUNT, AND ENDED UP COSTING A LOT MORE THAN EXPECTED. HOWEVER, NIGEL,(THE OWNER) DID ALLOW ME TO PAY WHAT I THOUGHT WAS FAIR. THEY WANTED ME TO PAY OVER $900.

THE WORKERS USED BY COMPANY WERE VERY POLITE, WORKED CONSISTENTLY ON PROJECT AND COMPLETED THE PROJECT IN A TIMELY FASHION. THEY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL IN FOLLOW-UP AND IN ATTENDED TO AREAS OF TOUCH-UP AS NEEDED. THE MINOR PROBLEM NOTED WAS FINE PAINT DROPLETS ON THE FLOORING TO WHICH I NEEDED TO ATTEND AFTERWARDS. THE COMPANY GUARANTEES ITS PAINTING WORK FOR THREE YEARS.