Reviews of Bates Painting Co. (Painter)

Katrina R.

Donna & Doug Bates are true painting professionals- which are hard to find. They arrived on time for the bid and gave us a thorough estimate to paint the exterior of our home, which was built in 1950. Doug and his crew did an outstanding job and communicated with us very well over the 7-day job. They are courteous, detailed and cleaned up after their work each day. Not only did they paint complicated french pane windows extremely well, but stained shutters for us that my husband and I built. The house looks fantastic! So much so, I hired them again to paint an interior of a client's house as well. My clients are thrilled with the results too—they even fixed dry wall issues that a previous painter neglected. I've hired lots of painters over time, and I honestly can say they rank among the best!

Lindsey Schaaf

Bates Painting was absolutely wonderful. They did the whole house by paintbrush. My house looks beautiful. I couldn't be happier.

Andrea Mitchell

Bates Painting did a great job painting the exterior of our stucco house. The crew always showed up on time, were courteous, and kept us informed of their progress. The house looks fantastic! Thank you!

Lesley Holt

I have partnered with Doug on many projects since 1989. He is my go-to painting company because of the quality of the work and the efficiency and integrity of his painters. I never hesitate to recommend him to my interior design clients. No one, including me, has ever been disappointed. This is not just a job for Doug; it is an expression of creativity.

Donna Vaughan

Most beautiful paint job I have ever seen!

Phyllis Ann Robinson

I have worked with the team from Bates Painting for over 10 years. They are prompt, courteous and do fabulous work. A big plus for me is that they keep the area cleaned up as they go along! The owners, Doug and Donna, can help create a more personalized experience with onsite consultations and color/palette suggestions. I would definitely use them again.

Mary Alice Walter

These talented painters were curteous, knowledgeable, and great to work with. In addition, they transformed my recently purchased and sorely neglected house into a solid and beautiful home. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs interior or exterior painting.

Janet Goss

Based on the recommendation of a family member, we hired Bates Painting Co. for a large interior project, spread out over three floors, that lasted a month and they did a superb job! From the initial contact, Doug Bates was courteous, professional, friendly and enthusiastic about working with us. He showed up as promised and on time for the estimate, made another trip back out to estimate additional work and was extremely easy going throughout the process. Communication before, during and after the project was great. We were extremely impressed by how NEAT and organized Doug and the entire crew were. On the first day, he and Donna covered every floor they would walk on with heavy brown paper and protected the stairway carpet with a durable adhesive plastic runner. He set up a work station in the garage which was just as neat and organized. Our project included three bedrooms, a den and a makeover of our finished basement. They painted walls and a large amount of dated oak stained trim, wainscoting paneling, cabinets and bookcases, removed wallpaper and created a custom reclaimed wood look for an existing bar, mantel, cabinets & railing. The end result is beautiful! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bates Painting Co. and will definitely hire them again for my personal home as well as for my clients (I’m a realtor). Doug’s personality is enthusiastic and cheerful. He arrived every morning with a smile and has a positive way of approaching his crew, his client and his work. He offers creative solutions and input and goes the extra mile to make sure you’re happy. This man truly takes pride in his work and his reputation. And his artistic skills (he is also an accomplished working artist) benefitted us as he worked up a few samples for our “reclaimed wood” look. The additional crew of two, Mike and George were fantastic also. They were very respectful of our home and I cannot believe how quiet they were! As someone who works from home, I really appreciated there were no loud boomboxes blaring as I’ve had with other painters. All in all it was a successful collaboration and we’re really happy with everything. Thanks Doug, Donna, Mike and George!

mitch mcdonald

Great paint job and a very professional crew

Adam Pieraldi

Fantastic work!

Bryon Muhammad

I work for this man!!

Dale and Jackie Knoop

Thorough and courteous. We'd recommend them to anyone.

Ann Parker

Hi folks, Hope all is well back in KC! These guys are wonderful painters! Came to help me choose the perfect color combinations. Showed up when they said they would! Completed the job on time and left everything neat and clean. It all looks wonderful! Thanks to the Bates team. I will hire them again when the time is right!! Ann Parker

Brian Wright

My wife and I met with Doug Bates to discuss our project. We told Doug that we were considering purchasing new cabinet doors, but would rather refinish our existing stained kitchen cabinets to a like new appearance. Doug explained that he is an artist and felt more than qualified to accomplish the task with 40 years of experience. We indicated several areas of wear that caused concern. A primary area of emphasis was the rubbed worn semi-circles around the pull knobs. He replied that, “I will take care of those areas.” (He did not.) He proceeded to describe the process of using gel stain. We did question that selection, but he firmly replied that using a gel stain was the best way to achieve the appearance we desired and that the cabinets would look great. (It did not.) The entire process took a little over a week. During the last few days of completion, we were on vacation. Upon our return we discovered a multitude of blemishes. To begin, cabinets were installed upside down and others overlapped. Drawers were jammed into place and required prying them out. Such a lack of care was administered to this one easy task. It was immediately apparent that most surfaces were rough, with multiple dimples and bubbles in the outermost polyurethane finish. Most of the cabinet and drawer faces were much darker than before work began, diminishing the visible wood grain, which is the most desirable aspect of stained wood. The rubbed areas above the knob pulls were still noticeable and previous water damaged areas clearly visible. Panel edges received very little attention and are still unmistakably coarse. We also had the walls around the cabinets painted. In a couple of areas the painters tape had removed the paint and a thin layer of the wall. To repair, they did not fill the area, but applied a thin layer of paint, hoping we would not notice. When confronted with the numerous infractions, Doug initially stated that this result is really the best anyone can do with old cabinets. He later confessed that he could have fully sanded down the cabinets and drawers to completely refinish the cabinets, but that would have been more expensive. He admitted that he did not present this option because he did not “read us correctly”. He also responded, “If you stand back and look at the kitchen as a whole, it looks great”. (Agreed, but nobody uses a kitchen from 15 feet away.) In an email Doug stated, “I feel as though our company has delivered the product as contracted at or above industry standards with final touch up to be completed.” Bates Painting also only applied one coat of Minwax polyurethane. The instructions clearly state to apply 2-3 coats of polyurethane finish to all surfaces. Calling and emailing Minwax confirmed that the first coat seals and the second coat protects. One coat is not industry standard. When I first inquired with Doug about the single coat, he responded that the Old Masters gel stain used serves as the first coat of protectant. I proceeded to call Old Masters to confirm. They replied that gel stain absolutely does not protect and at least two coats of polyurethane should be used. I provided this information to Doug, who then said that because he only scuffed up the original varnish, only one coat of polyurethane was necessary. He did not agree a second coat was necessary. I have attached some pictures that show only a handful of the poor work. One in particular identifies a blemish that instead of repairing properly, Bates Painting chose place a drop of polyurethane on top. This one spot is indicative of the entire job where shortcuts were taken at every step. I am now at a point where I have a kitchen that does not look professionally finished and have to completely refinish most of the surfaces myself. I lost money and time because I hired Bates Painting.