5 Star Success: Philadelphia Painting Contractor Delivers

Philadelphia homeowner Kathryn DiGiorgio had to first learn how bad the contractor experience could get before she could learn how good it can—and should—be.

In March, DiGiorgio hired a contractor to paint the living room, dining room, kitchen and a powder room in her condominium. While she didn't know much about painting, DiGiorgio says, it didn't take long to realize things were going badly.

"It was terrible," she says. "He didn't cover anything; I had to use my own covers. Corners were not done. The woodwork had drips. He dripped stuff all over the floor. I mean, I'm still living here. It's not like an empty place."

Four weeks into the project, DiGiorgio sent the man packing, though her house was in shambles and the work was far from complete. Acting on a tip from her neighbor, DiGiorgio logged on to ServiceMagic.com and soon had several contractors out to survey the damage and prepare bids.

"I'm gonna fix this."

Determined not to get burned again, DiGiorgio scrutinized her new prospects carefully and listened intently to what they told her. One prospective contractor, she says, warned her that the damage inflicted on her home was too great and that she shouldn't expect it to be restored 100 percent. DiGiorgio ultimately selected Alfred Gull and his company, A & J Custom Painting. While Gull clearly understood the extent of the damage, he merely told DiGiorgio. "I'm gonna fix this."

"We do fast, high-quality work," says Gull, who has worked as a professional painter in Poland, West Germany and the United States, and who has owned his own contracting business since 1992. "If someone wants to cut the corners, there's going to be a disaster. But if you know what you're doing, it's not hard to do the job right."

Gull says he was appalled at the mess DiGiorgio's previous painter left. "Amateurs!" he says. "They destroyed her house. It was not acceptable at all." Within three days, Gull and his crew completed the four-room painting project to pristine perfection.

"My company is five-star," Gull says. "I get happy faces with my customers."

DiGiorgio was delighted by the results and struck by how vastly different her two contractor experiences were.

"I am so glad I got Alfred," DiGiorgio says. "He knew that I was at my wits' end and he was really good. He knows his stuff and takes a great deal of pride in his work. And he appreciates your belongings, so he's not going to damage them."