Somerset Painting & Professional Improvements

A simple but annoying problem -- my vinyl siding had been installed years ago by someone who didn't know how to do it. When one piece came loose, dangling from the wall 30 feet up, I needed someone to put it back securely. This had happened before and I had tried to fix it, but not well enough obviously. I called Somerset Painting, based on Angie's List, on a Saturday afternoon and got a callback in 15 minutes. Although Rick, the owner, was "up north" for the weekend, he took time to talk about the options and had me send him a photo of the problem area. We talked again on Sunday and agreed on a price. The price seems steep for a small job, but it was a reasonable price considering the travel time and costs -- plus, it would solve the problem permanently. Rick arranged for someone to come out and take care of the problem -- it took until Tuesday to get there, but that was not a problem (a strong wind the next day brought the loose piece down). When his siding guy (Wes) arrived, he assessed and fixed the problem. He also took time to explain to me why the siding came loose and what the problem with the installation was. He took a look at the rest of the siding work, pointed out the problem areas and gave me a verbal estimate for repairing. The total time on site was about 30 minutes. I was very pleased with the responsiveness of Rick, the owner, on this very small job. He was willing to be attentive to a problem that shouldn't require professional service, but it was beyond my reach (and my fear of heights). I was also very pleased with the efficiency, professionalism and knowledge of Wes, who explained more to me about vinyl siding installation than the guy who originally put the siding up. We are still considering the work offer to repair all of the vinyl siding. I am happy to put Somerset Painting on my list of firms I would hire again.

Rick came out the same afternoon to look at the job and gave us a quote. The price was reasonable. I had three other companies to give me price on this job. He was very reasonable. Also what I liked that they were able to come out the same weekend, since it wasn't really a major project. The two painters were very clean, efficient. They did not stop until they were done. Rick came out the next Monday to check on the job. So everything was done in a week. I was very very satisfied with their work and attitude towards us as a client, and towards the job.

All I can say is WOW! Generally, I am not one to write review's, but Somerset Painting did such an outstanding job I had to let others on Angie's List know. Rick and his crew were extremely professional. I called for an estimate on Monday and the next day, as promised, Rick came over and provided me with an estimate. He provided me with an estimate in-home after looking at the rooms we wanted painted, and then also emailed me a very in-depth copy of the work that would be performed once we hired him. Once we gave Rick the go-ahead, his crew was at our house as scheduled. They said they would be there at 8:00 AM and they showed up on time. They started at 8:00 AM and ended at 5:00 PM with a lunch around Noon. They moved all our furniture and covered everything in the rooms to not get paint or other material on our furniture, electronics, carpets, etc. The previous owners had a dark burgundy color on the wall and I was concerned that the new lighter color that we picked would not fully cover the previous color but they did a great job painting. In our bathroom upstairs, we had a very bad problem of paint peeling from the previous painter using the incorrect paint and primer. When I initially received the estimate from Rick he mentioned that there are special paints and primers that are used for high humidity conditions. None of the other painters that I received estimates from mentioned this at all. I had four other estimates and all of them were just going to use the regular paint, which would end up peeling again. Thankfully Somerset knew what they were doing. The whole project took 2 days (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) and before they left on the second day, the painters asked me to do a walk through to make sure everything was to my satisfaction. Everything was as expected and looks so much better. I have already recommended Somerset to some of our friends and family. Everyone that comes over comments on how great everything looks. I give Somerset painting an A+ for their services! We will definitely be using them again in the future. For those that are interested in the paint that Rick used in the bathroom, it is called Aura Bath and Spa by Benjamin Moore.

The owner came out and gave me an estimate for painting. He helped me pick out colors and told me which paint to get. He was very helpful. Unfortunately, he was very busy with a lot of jobs but told me to buy the paint because when he had some down time, they would come out and do the job on short notice. Six months later and I am still waiting. Luckily, I did not follow his advice and buy paint immediately.

Rick came out promptly and gave us a thorough estimate. I called him a few weeks later to schedule the work to be done. During that same call he said he had an opening and the crew could come out to the house that afternoon to begin (although it was very short notice, we made it work). The crew came out and they worked quickly. The main painting and trim work was done in a day. The aluminum took a little longer to get completed, but it was still done relatively quickly as were a couple of touch ups. Rick was really friendly as was his crew. They kept the yard clean while working as well, which was great to see. The job was done well and we are very pleased with the way everything turned out! Our siding looks like new, even though its 60 years old!

I have a historic home in Milford with wood siding that had been peeling very badly. While initially I believed Somerset's estimate to be high, you do get what you pay for. Other companies quoted a cheaper price but did not state how hard they would work to prepare the house for painting. Somerset Painting took the time to properly prep the wood surfaces for paint with multiple rounds of scraping. The paint they use, while more expensive, has an excellent look, good warranty and applies thicker than the leading brands, or at least those recommended by Consumers Reports. Somerset Painting was also able to make a recommendation on encasing my wood window sills with aluminum to help prevent further rot from rain collection. Instead of just sealing the rot in, they took the time to replace wood where needed before encasing, caulking and painting the surface to resemble the wood still surrounding the windows. Since the work has been completed, I have had several neighbors and co-workers who drive by my home on a regular basis complement the job performed. Somerset Painting kept me apprised of the progress and any issues as they arose throughout the duration of the project with Rick personally following up on a regular basis. I have not had to call back Somerset for any concerns with the work as of this time, but Rick has assured me that a prompt response to any issues will be forthcoming as necessary. With all this said, I would recommend Somerset Painting for your exterior painting needs.

This was not the work that I wanted done. He even said to me, "As long as I get a good review on Angie's List, that's all it's about right?"

Rick was called me on the same day in which I sent the request. He was very responsive throughout the whole process, including followup once the job was completed. The gentlemen who came onsite were outstanding and very curteous.

They did a great job and I would recommend them highly!

Dedicated to customer satisfaction.

Rick did an excellent job getting us a very detailed and thorough quote / estimate. His team was able to get started right away. I was very pleased with the quality of the work, and the speed at which they were able to get it done. Overall, very impressed. :-)

Excellent Provider. Main things I liked: - Flexible on dates. Painter even worked on Sunday to get the job done on time. - Not a clock watcher. Did their work for original bid amount even though Rick said it took extra time. - Flexible on materials. Allowed me to use my own paint which I matched with existing color. - Cost savings. Suggested ways to save while bidding. - Competitive price: compared to other bids - Quality of work: Repairs done well. - Customer Satisfaction: Rick came back afterwards to confirm everything went OK.

Rick was professional and prompt. Completed work as planned on time and professional. Highly recommend him. Also had interior work done, equally well. He made recommendations where he felt indicated. Great job.

Somerset Painting is a wonderful company. We would recommend it to anyone. They do a great job.

Rick returned my phone call immediately and he scheduled an estimate right away. I was originally thinking of painting my 90 year-old concrete basement floor. Rick convinced me that an epoxy coating would be better, and that it wouldn't cost much more than painting, since the floor would need to be diamond-ground either way. I was a bit worried about the pitting/spalling on the concrete -- in addition to the cracks -- but Rick convinced me they would not be a problem. Rick and I also agreed to have his worker spray primer and paint onto my basement ceiling. Since the ceiling (exposed joists and subfloor from the first floor) was coated in decades worth of oil soot, we decided to hit it with serious primer to seal it up. (I was very glad to not have to try to clean it.) The next week Matt arrived and got to work priming/painting the ceiling and grinding the floor. He was an efficient and professional worker. We ran into some trouble once the epoxy went down. Some small rocks were sticking up through the epoxy. Whether this was from loose aggregate from my old floor or from dirt that had not been adequately vacuumed from the floor was unclear. I got in touch with Rick and he sent Matt back the next day to scrape and recoat the floor. Unfortunately, the problem persisted after the second pass. Rick was unfazed and he sent Matt back for a third go at the epoxy. And, thankfully, the floor turned out great that time. Rick was friendly, professional, responsive, and very accommodating. I would hire him again in a heartbeat.

I run a municipal building department and deal with contractors on a daily basis. There are good ones, bad ones, and then there is Rick at Somerset. I called Rick at 11:00 in the morning to get an estimate and he was at my house at 2:00 that afternoon. We agreed on a price and he said he would send two painters the following Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. He sent three! His crew did an excellent job and were professional and friendly. The had the job done in one day as promised. We we got home the color we chose for the living room was not at all what we thought it would look like. We called Rick and he said to go get a different color paint the he would send the crew back the next morning to re-paint it. He did, and they did, and it looks great. Rick called several times to see if it was OK and came the next day to check the work. This is the first time in 40 years of working on my homes that we have ever hired a contractor. If this is the kind of people you get from Angie's list it is well worth the fee. Thanks again Rick.

I called Rick on 3/8 at approx. 9am in which he got back to me by 10am. His siding contractor called by 5pm and Rick followed up by 6pm Very professional company that gives you an impression they do good work just because they are on the ball. By 10am on 3/9 the siding contractor was at my door, fixed all that needed to be done. He did the job right which meant he had to undo some mistakes from the original installers and made sure this problem would not happen again. Price was a little more than I was hoping to spend, but if it never happens again it is worth it. Bottom line, if you want quality work you pay for it. I would much rather pay more with a top notch company like this and never see them again, than pay half the price with a fly by night company only to have them come back 3 or 4 times until they disappear off the map and you never see them again. Way to go Rick and Wes!! Thank you for an excellent service backed by quality workmanship!

Rick and his team are excellent. He is professional, timely and highly motivated. I would recommend them to anyone. He was even nice to my kids. I was in the attic a few weeks ago and managed to slip and put my foot through the ceiling. I hung a new piece of drywall myself and tried mudding myself. After further consideration, I called a professional. Somerset painting came highly recommended on Angie's List so I gave them a call. They were at the house within 2 days and they were very accomodating to my schedule. Despite the fact that they had to work around my initial efforts, they did an excellent and fast job. When it came to the cost, Rick was very reasonable. He did not try to hike up the price due to my lack of mudding skills even though he could have. Again, highly recommended. I will definately use them again.

Somerset did an outstanding professional job. They were very detailed and attentive in their work. Very high quality work, and the finished product looked GREAT! The work was done on schedule. The owner, Rick, was a pleasure to deal with and he was easy to work with throughout the entire process, from quote to cleanup. Rick cares about his business and customer's satisfaction, and that showed.

My experience was excellent. The owner, Rick, was helpful in suggesting color combinations that were very helpful to us. The work was done quickly, cleanly and the finished product was outstanding. Rick is a pleasure to deal with. Some of the walls and the ceiling are quite high, and Rick was able to do what I didn't think could be done as well as he was able to accomplish.

When I first called and talked to them, they had the painter out that afternoon. They were very quick.

Rick and his guys showed up five minutes early on the first day. This was going to be a week long job so showing up early put my mind at ease. I left for work and they did their thing. Each night I would come home and take a look at what was done and was pleasantly suprised that everything was going to plan. There were a few small issues throughout the job (as big as it was I was expecting that) but Rick was readily available via cell phone at all different times throughout the day. His crew was always very professional and when the smaller issues were brought to their attention they took care of them right away. One of the crew was sick a few days so they fell a little behind pace, but Rick was there on the last day to make sure everything worked. It was so nice to be able to walk through the house and point out little "knit-picky" things and have them taken care of right away. They made sure to go above and beyond. When we found out the bathroom had three different levels of wall paper, they took it in stride, kept the quote the same and made sure it was done correctly. I have already recommended Rick and his crew to a few co-workers and will continue to do so.

Given the enormous task and short time frame, it could not have gone better! Rick is always responsive and goes out of his way to please you. I would highly recommend him and hope he will return in the spring to paint my outside.

How much did the final cost compare to the original estimate? similar How does the value of the work compare to the price? Price is perhaps on the high side but, as with anything, you get what you pay for and we received quality work. How far in advance did you schedule the work? 1-2 weeks Did you find the company through Angie's List? yes Why did you choose this contractor? Ratings in Angie?s List Have you used this company before? this is the first time I've used this company What did you like most about this contractor? easy to work with, kept his word about start and finish time What did you like least about this contractor? We originally entertained removal of our brick veneer but recanted. We communicated in writing that our brick veneer was to remain on the house but Wes removed a small portion of it. What surprises came up during the course of the work? A miscommunication meant that our trim wasn?t done in white as we originally wanted. What words of advice would you give other members considering this contractor? Absolutely would recommend them but, as with any contractor, make sure you communicate all desired details in writing. The results of any home exterior project is purely visual ? use pictures (worth a 1000 words) to communicate desired outcomes. What words of advice would you give this contractor? Create quotes similar to those of other contractors ? include details of materials to be used, project timeframe, etc.

Wanted the interior bedroom to be painted white. It came out a little greenish -- asked for 2 coats -- forgot to say prime it first so old dark color doesn't bleed through -- so that may have been my fault. Did a very good paint job. Had a garage workbench painted -- Mr. Hartsell was very knowledgeable about how to paint it correctly, as wood workbench had many oil stains that would come through with regular paint. Did an excellent job on that. The siding over the wood trim on my garage was done perfectly -- the only bad part of it was the fact that due to the way the wood had been put on in the first place required using caulk to fill in gaps. Mr. Hartsell did his best to match the caulk; but the caulking job turned out a little unsightly in places. This is not a problem Mr. Hartsell usually encounters with installing siding, however. Overall, was pleased with all the work done -- thought the price a little high, though.