Definition Painting Services, Inc. is a small, family owned & operated business located in Howard County, MD. We employ more than 15 + professional staff members. The owner is our estimator and general manager. Though our foreman run the crews, Joel is available on a daily basis to ensure complete customer satisfaction. We only use high quality products, and are certified in lead paint removal. We accept checks and Visa/MasterCard.
Business highlights
19 years of trusted experience
Women Owned & Operated
Family Owned & Operated
Services we offer
We offer custom painting (interior & exterior), texture painting, wallpaper removal, general drywall & plaster, crown molding, water damage repair, power wash, deck stains/maintenance, remodel bathrooms, kitchen remodel, tile work/back splash, & replacement carpentry at residential/commercial locations.
Services we don't offer
We do not offer wallpaper hanging, faux paint, or strip paint off of brick surfaces.
Had to reschedule the date for the estimate. Also had to reschedule the work due to a famlly emergency. Eventually two painters came out and did a real good job in less time than the original estimate. Good quality work was well worth the delay in getting the final product.
Description of Work: The work was done on the day promised and the work was excellent. The two painters did a very good preparation, expeditiously painted our ceiling, and the clean up was excellent.. I would recommend this company.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
3.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
MARY W.
11/2012
1.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
I called him and he said they could do the work by Thanksgiving, but to that I needed to send him an email to set up an appointment instead of a doing that over the phone. He gave me the email and said we would get back in touch, but he never did.
Description of Work: I bought a Big Deal for painting.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
responsiveness
1.0
Response from Definition Painting Services, Inc.
I do routinely ask customers to email me if I'm out in the field and don't have my schedule book on me. No one has ever told me that it wasn't possible for them to do that, otherwise, I would call back on the phone instead. However, I never did receive an email from her, nor did her name appear on my list that she purchased a deal. I'm sorry that this happened, but I'm certain it was poor communication overall. We do apoligize to her, and wish her well with her home project.
JENNIFER D.
11/2012
4.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
He was on time for appointment. carefully measured rooms to be done then told me the big deal I payed for would only cover one room, not the 3 that were part of the deal. It would cost me over 1,000.00 more for the total job with me supplying the paint and materials. Also he told me it would require 10 gallons of paint where when I had it done it only required 5. I told him I would not use his services and asked for a refund which I was told could not be given by him.
Description of Work: no service was performed
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Response from Definition Painting Services, Inc.
Thank you for your response Member. Though, I do urge all customers to read the fine print. I have been running this deal a long time and only have issues when customers do not read what is printed. Otherwise, every else always understands what the deal is about. If anyone has questions about it, they can always ask before purchasing the deal, or get a refund from Angie's List after. I cannot give refunds for the deals because I do not run them, AL does. I pay them to advertise for me, and they supply me with wonderful customers like all of you. Thank you all for your time.
Joseph M.
10/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
The job involved painting the walls of a two story foyer and 2nd floor landing with a few minor drywall repairs. I normally do my own painting, but many tight corners and a large, difficult to move window treatment would have required me to tape a significant amount to compensate for my not-always-steady painting hand, hence my desire to contract out this particular painting job. The work performed was excellent (with no taping needed, wow), and cleanup was prompt and thorough. I highly recommend this company.
Description of Work: Work included terms of a Big Deal ($460 for painting 500 sq ft) plus additional square footage at a reduced rate plus a few minor drywall repairs. Terms included customer supplying paint and roller. Discounted paint cost was available through company owner reference.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$880
Carol C.
10/2012
4.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Everything went well. The owner gave me a fair estimate, the painter arrived at 8am of the morning scheduled and did a lovely job. They are coming back tomorrow to paint my foyer, kitchen and family room
Description of Work: Repaired dining room ceiling drywall, painted dining room ceiling and walls. Painted Powder room
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$750
Charles W.
10/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Joel came to my house to give me an estimate. He wrote out the estimate right there in my kitchen, which was very helpful. We set up the schedule over the phone. The only problem I would mention was communication via email wasn't as smooth as what I'm used to. The crew arrived on time. But it took them longer to do the job than originally anticipated. However, this is fairly common and I don't fault them too much for that. Overall they did a really good job.
Description of Work: Painted my daughter's room and bathroom. Painted wainscoating in dining room and office. Good job. Very polite. Punctual.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,000
Jeffrey R.
10/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
They did an excellent job, working quickly but carefully. They were also flexible about scheduling. They don't respond to emails super fast, so call them if you really need a quick response. Overall, highly recommended.
Description of Work: They painted a round room with 12 foot ceilings and a stairwell, which made one of the walls probably closer to 25 feet.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Jonathan F.
10/2012
4.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Did a great job. Responsiveness in setting up the appointment was a bit slow, but not too bad.
Description of Work: Two painters for a day. They repainted the walls of my 1BR/1BA condo in DC. I couldn't supply the paint, which is how they normally operate, but they were nice enough to provide the paint color I requested.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Janet D.
09/2012
1.0
wallpaper removal
 + -1 more
Joel came and gave me a proposal for the job. We agreed he would do it Friday, August 31, 2012. Friday morning I got a voicemail explaining the person doing my job called in and needed the day off. I called Joel to set up a time again, and much to my surprise was told he would have to call when he got home a looked at the calendar. I wanted someone to come the next day (Saturday), but was told he has jobs scheduled for weeks and I now was delegated to the end of the list! I requested he call me and let me know if he could possibly move some jobs around and do mine sooner, since I'm not at fault for the guy not showing. Joel said he would get back to me either Saturday or Monday to discuss a new day. HE HAS NEVER CALLED ME BACK. I guess he decided he didn't want my business, but didn't have the courage to tell me. We have left a couple of voicemails advising "we're still waiting to hear from you", but he never called back. This was a big disappointment, and the wallpaper is still there.
Description of Work: No one came to do the work.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
professionalism
1.0
responsiveness
1.0
punctuality
1.0
Response from Definition Painting Services, Inc.
It is unfortunate that this member placed such a terrible review when we did, in fact, do the work! How upsetting it is to find something of this nature. I'm a small business and cannot always manage when certain employees have family emergencies and cannot show up for work. We sent one of our guys on Saturday instead, when mostly we don't 'start' jobs on this day. Her husband was there and even told us that he realized that the wall paper would be difficult to remove in the bathroom and border in the bathroom. Well no problem, as I have certainly learned my lesson. Thank you.
linda D.
09/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Definition Painting Services,Inc offered professional,efficient service with speedy completion . They were punctual,neat, tidy and a pleasure to work with. A great job from top to bottom! I highly recommend them!
Description of Work: Definition Painting Services,Inc painted two coats on over 1500 square feet including two-story foyer and great room , as well as the trim. Also repaired and painted several lower parts of exterior door frames that had rotted.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$2,260
Madeline H.
08/2012
3.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
The man that came out was polite, but we decided to get this coupon refunded and did not end up using them.
Description of Work: We purchased a Big Deal for $450 for 3 rooms of interior painting. They came out to look at the job. We learned that the coupon was for rooms smaller than the ones we had and it was not a going to work for us.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
Response from Definition Painting Services, Inc.
We thank the member for her purchase, even if it didn't work out. However, we have been running this deal for a long time and the instructions are clear. It does not seem kind for someone to post a note such as this one when we had no fault on our end in this particular case. We do answer questions about the deal for anyone intersted in purchasing it, not to mention, Angie's will refund your money. Thanks anyway, as we do strive to do better.
rebecca G.
08/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
We purchased an BigDeal ($450 for 3 rooms up to 500sq.ft). Joel was easy to contact via phone and email to set up the consult/measurement. Our 3 rooms totaled about 900 sq.ft and he offered a very good rate to do the entire 3 rooms but we went with only doing the 2 rooms we wanted painted the most (kitchen and master bedroom).The day of the job Joel sent one painter who was professional and excellent at his work. He did arrive later than was told but really not a big deal in the big picture. He finsihed in the time frame that was estimated and cleaned up after himself. The rooms look great and I could not be happier with their work.
Description of Work: We had our kitchen and master bedroom painted by this company. The work was completed in about 7 hours and the job looks fantastic!
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$530
Joan M.
08/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
They were punctual, did an amazing job of covering everything and cleaning up afterward and finished the job earlier than expected. The quality of the work is excellent. We're planning to call them the next time we paint. w
Description of Work: Interior painting of three rooms, foyer, stairway and hall, including two areas with two-story ceilings. They painted two coats on the walls and freshened all the workwork, doors, etc., with one coat of the existing color.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$3,000
Angela E.
07/2012
4.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
The project went fine overall. slight miss communication in that I expected that cost included the small hallway in between the Kitchen and powder room which when the painters arrived they said was not included and cost more. I just did that hallway myself. Everything else went fine. If I use them again, I will use a schematic drawing to be very clear in which walls are included.
Description of Work: Painted Kitchen and family room an d powder room walls, ceiling and trim - noted purchased through an Angie's List Special discount. Crew was very polite and did a nice job.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
4.0
value
4.0
professionalism
4.0
responsiveness
4.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,100
Jeanne F.
07/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
I showed the two painters, Lionel and Hebert, the work that needed to be done, which colors to use where, and then I left for other errands. I checked in at lunchtime, to make sure there were no questions, and all was going as hoped. At the end of the day, I checked in for a final inspection and I was very pleased with everything. They brought tons of canvas tarp, and all my earlier cleaning and polishing work was very much respected. I did not have to go back and clean up after them in any way. In my haste, I forgot to pick up the key that I had loaned to Lionel, and he forgot to give it to me.I contacted Joel, the owner, and he apologized and promptly mailed the key to me. I felt that the price was very much worth the labor that was done, even though they finished before 8 hours was up. But, that's not something you can calculate to the minute, I am sure. They had all the extra paint waiting for me, they had cleaned everywhere and were ready to go after my inspection.
Description of Work: I purchased an Angie's list special: 2 painters, one day, $450, interior painting. I was preparing an apartment for rent and had done all the other work (cleaning, polishing hardwood floors, miscellaneous plumbing and carpentry repairs) prior to the arrival of Definition's painters. Before the date of service the owner had contacted me to explain what to expect. I was pretty hard-wired on the date that I needed the work done, as we had a tenant moving in two days later. The owner, Joel Alvarado, was very accommodating. He sent his two painters on the date and time prescribed.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
4.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Gwendolyn F.
07/2012
5.0
drywall, interior painters
 + 0 more
Omar and the other painter, whose name I unfortunately did not get, did excellent work. They arrived on time and did a thorough job covering and taping to protect the furniture and floors, and even laid a cloth to walk on through our living and dining areas. They worked fast but the results look painstaking. Whenever they sanded, they immediately vacuumed up the dust. The work took longer than the scheduled eight hours on our $500 voucher from Angie's list (there had been no in-person estimate, so it's understandable that it was a bigger job than anticipated), and we gladly paid another $200 for two more hours' work. $700 for an apartment and a kitchen is still a bargain. The results are worth much more. We would definitely call on this company again.
Description of Work: Two-man crew painted our one-bedroom rental unit downstairs and our kitchen. Two coats. Required three very minor drywall repairs and one installation of drywall over a hole where a 1970s-era phone box had been.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$700
William R.
07/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
We were so impressed with the owner's professionalism when he came to our house. Joel measured all the wall space and gave us a written proposal so that we knew in advance the price of the extra things we wanted to include at the sale price. The men arrived early on the painting day. They covered the furniture and all floor areas. The workers were skilled at what they did and it was apparent that they were used to working together because as one painter did one area, the other did another and they were finished and in good time. The men did some extra things while they worked as filling nail holes, patching small cracks, and caulking between the walls and heat vents. The clean up was so thorough. The walls and trim look so good. We would recommend Definition Painting very highly and will consider using them another time we need painting.
Description of Work: We wanted our living room, dining room, hallway, and staircase painted. We read about Angie"s List Big Deal of offering $450.00 for 3 rooms or 500 sq. ft. of painting. The owner came to or house and measured the space. We had a little more footage, so he gave us the sale price per foot for the space over 500 sq. ft. He also gave us his business card to use for a discount when buying the paint. His discount was more than the sale price. When the 2 men arrived on painting day they put 2 coats of paint on the walls and painted the trim that was a small extra charge, They worked steadily and finished in a few hours. They worked quietly, covered all areas and were very professional. Their clean up was complete. We were so happy with the job and glad that we bought this "Big Deal".
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Olinda P.
07/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
I purchased The Big Deal for 8 hours of interior painting and after contacting Definition received a quick response to schedule an appointment ( about a week later) to first survey the job. Joel arrived on schedule and after measuring and looking over the project told me how much paint to buy. They were very busy at this time, so the work was actually done about 3-4 weeks later. Two workers arrived on time and began immediately to cover and prep the area. They worked continuously for 5hours and completed everything sooner than expected. Everything looked great! They cleaned up well afterwards. I was very pleased with the work and will definitely use them again, hopefully using another Big Deal special price!!
Description of Work: I had stairway walls with a high (hard to reach) ceiling painted, as well as an upstairs hallway, including ceilings, all woodwork and five doors. Originally, the wall was a dark, textured paint which required a primer before covering with the new lighter color.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Carissa P.
07/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
I had no idea what to expect after buying an Angie's list coupon for eight hours of labor from Definition Painting. How much work would they get accomplished? Would it be quality work? Would they just flip a switch and leave me with a half finished job after eight hours? However, they ultimately did a fantastic job! In eight hours, two guys painted my entire living room/kitchen, INCLUDING the trim, the ceilings, and the doors. They ALSO painted my bathroom, including the trim, the ceiling, and the door. I was totally stunned. They were like a tornado, but also very meticulous and very clean. They draped plastic over the entire room so nothing was touched. There was an incident in which one of the guys bumped into a very fragile pendant light and accidentally broke it, but Joey at Definition Painting was wonderful and professional - offering to replace it and even following up a week later repeating his offer to replace it (Joey, I was out of town; I'm sorry I didn't return your call). The thing is, I felt so bad that these guys had done such a beautiful job for below market value that I called the company that manufactures the lights, told them the story, and they got me a new one for free. Thank goodness. I highly recommend them. They are very professional and will do an amazing job.
Description of Work: I bought an Angie's list coupon for eight hours of painting.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$500
Claude L.
06/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Joel was very punctual and honest. He provided me with access to his paint shop account where I received a considerable discount for the Benjamin Moore paint used for the job. Joel sent a painter who completed the entire living room walls, trim and ceiling in one day. He was efficient, courteous and professional. he did great prep work and never knew he was there because he closed off the entire room and protected all furniture and carpeting.. There were absolutely no drips and he cleaned up and wouldn't know anyone was there if it wasn't for the aroma of fresh paint.This is one of the best service experiences I've had from a contractor. My mother was so happy with the outcome. I reached out to Joel immediately to try to hire him for some paint work at my house. I highly recommend this company.
Description of Work: I purchased the big deal for my mother. Joel came out and provided an estimate based on the specs in the big deal. he advised how much extra it would be to go over the allotted square footage. In the end, I decided to have one room painted which mostly fell within the big deal offer.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Amy P. S.
05/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Angie's List offered a "Big Deal" with Definition Painting which I secured through the site. The owner, Mr. Alvarado, contacted me within the next day to set up a consult/review before he sent his crew. Mr. Alvarado was prompt, professional and offered advice on paint colors/amount/purchase location, even providing me the option of letting the vendor know I was working with his company to guarantee I received the best possible price on paint. After measuring my space and noting it exceeded the dimensions covered by the Big Deal, Mr. Alvarado simply noted he would tally the additional space as extra work - and did so at a very fair price. Likewise, he was willing to have his crew meet my scheduling needs despite a very full agenda. Mr. Alvarado's crew arrived on time and ready to work on the scheduled day. They were polite, easy to deal with, and completed the job promptly and professionally, covering floors and furniture and leaving no debris or mess following the job. The final outcome was outstanding - both rooms are neat, nicely finished, and really look great. I will seek Mr. Alvarado and his crew for future painting jobs in my home and recommend his services without hesitation.
Description of Work: Interior painting of two large rooms, excluding trim - two colors, one per room.
Joel and his crew did an excellent job. Joel was prompt in contacting me and always kept me informed on the progress. His estimate was very accurate and he charged very reasonable price for extra coats of paint. His crew was always on time and they were very careful with our belongings. They covered everything before painting and cleaned up afterwards. They completed the project in a timely manner and did an excellent job. I would recommend Definition Painting to anyone for their quality of work and reasonable price.
Description of Work: 1. Hardwood flooring 1860 sf. 2. Paint whole house 3. Deck cleaning and stain.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$11,000
John G.
03/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Totally professional, on time and done in one day as promised.
Description of Work: Master bedroom, closet and bathroom repainted.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
5.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$1,100
Rob M.
02/2012
5.0
interior painters
 + -1 more
Wonderful job. These guys were complete pros. Painting is all about the prep work, and these guys heavily labored over getting the walls perfectly ready for the paint. It made all the difference in the finished product. I would certainly use them again. I got the Angie's List Big Deal, which was $450 for 16 man hours (2 painters for 8 hrs), and 2 rooms painted, so $28/hr per guy, which seems high, but the quality of the work made it worth it.
Description of Work: They prepped and painted 2 rooms, one entry room and one bedroom.
Rating Category
Rating out of 5
quality
5.0
value
4.0
professionalism
5.0
responsiveness
5.0
punctuality
5.0
Yes, I recommend this pro
$450
Steven B.
02/2012
5.0
drywall, interior painters
 + 0 more
Joel Alvarado was prompt in contacting me to schedule an estimate & showed up, as scheduled. Estimate met budget (within amount of insurance claim check) for painting both master bedroom and bath. His crew arrived before 8:30 am on the day after Thanksgiving; and worked until after 5 pm to complete the job, which included sanding wood trim, caulking, painting & clean-up. His 2 workers got some help from Joel late in the afternoon & they continued to work after he had to leave. Definiition Painting does excellent work at a reasonable price; and I will use them again in the future.o
Description of Work: Had water damage in bedroom ceiling that required drywall repair/replacement. Damage covered by insurance, which allowed for painting the entire master bedroom.
All statements concerning insurance, licenses, and bonds are informational only, and are self-reported. Since insurance, licenses and bonds can expire and can be cancelled, homeowners should always check such information for themselves. To find more licensing information for your state, visit our State Contractor License Requirements page.
*Contact business to see additional licenses.
Service Categories
Interior Painting,
Drywall,
Exterior Painting,
Wallpaper Removal,
Finished Carpentry and Woodworking,
Pressure Washing,
Plaster,
Deck Maintenance,
Handyman Services,
General Remodeling,
Ceramic Tile,
Cabinet Refacing and Refinishing
FAQ
Definition Painting Services, Inc. is currently rated 4.5 overall out of 5.
Sunday: Closed
Monday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday: Closed
Definition Painting Services, Inc. accepts the following forms of payment: Check,MasterCard,Visa
Yes, Definition Painting Services, Inc. offers free project estimates.
Yes, Definition Painting Services, Inc. offers eco-friendly accreditations.
No, Definition Painting Services, Inc. does not offer a senior discount.
No, Definition Painting Services, Inc. does not offer emergency services.
Yes, Definition Painting Services, Inc. offers warranties.
Definition Painting Services, Inc. offers the following services: We offer custom painting (interior & exterior), texture painting, wallpaper removal, general drywall & plaster, crown molding, water damage repair, power wash, deck stains/maintenance, remodel bathrooms, kitchen remodel, tile work/back splash, & replacement carpentry at residential/commercial locations.
We do not offer wallpaper hanging, faux paint, or strip paint off of brick surfaces.