David in Toronto

We were looking for a company to paint our new 705 sq. ft. condo before we moved in, and we were having a lot of trouble finding a company that could do it within a couple of weeks. The only estimate we received before hiring Encore Painting was for $2700, which seemed awfully high at the time. We were relieved, then, when it seemed like Encore Painting would be able to do the work for us. I will say, though, that the company's lack of quick communication was a bit of a red flag right from the get-go. (For example, I responded to several questions needed to provide an estimate, and after no reply for two days, I had to follow up on my initial response.) After a bit of back and forth, we received an estimate for $2147, with the caveat that it didn't include closets or the laundry room. We mentioned we didn't need the bathroom or laundry room painted, so I received a reply that they would "switch around the working and remove the bathroom and paint 2 closets." Great! We accepted the estimate and booked a date. On that day, my wife allowed them entry into the condo and asked the painters to please let my parents, who live nearby, know when the work was complete so they could come over and lock up. We didn't hear a word from anyone all day. Finally, at around 6:00PM, I asked my father to head over and see if they were still working. They had apparently finished some time earlier, as the place was clean and all their equipment was gone. I have no idea how long our condo was sitting unlocked. This was on a Friday. We didn't hear again from the company until Sunday, when we were told the bill was being prepared and that we would be able to discuss it on Monday. My wife was told that it would be a "little bit more" than originally discussed, so we figured it might be an extra hundred or two. Before I go any further, let me first say that the painters did an absolutely incredible job. We have no complaints about the work, as the apartment looks amazing and the painters did an excellent job of repairing the various dents and holes in the walls. They even managed to cover up the blackboard wall that was in the kitchen. I can't stress enough how happy we were/are with the job Encore did. However, we received our final bill on the Sunday and it was for $2825, which is a full $678 more than our original estimate. I was, quite frankly, in shock. We received no indication or hint that the cost was going to be so much more than the initial estimate. Why didn't we receive a call or text on the day of the work that it would cost so much more? I'm more upset about the lack of communication than I am about the cost itself. Again, I will say that the apartment looks great. I have no complaints about the work. But delivering a final bill that far exceeds the original estimate without so much as a heads up or a warning seems completely unprofessional to me.