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FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
Traditional Stucco - Install or Completely Replace, Traditional Stucco - Repair or Partially Replace, Exterior Home or Structure Paint or Stain,
About us
Family owned and operated with a small staff that rotates on all jobs. We also offer senior citizen discounts and run specials throughout the year.
Business highlights
Emergency services offered
21 years of experience
Services we offer
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PROPERTIES.
Amenities
Emergency Services
Yes
Reviews
4.626 Reviews
| Number of Stars | Image of Distribution | Number of Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| 85% | ||
| 0% | ||
| 4% | ||
| 12% | ||
| 0% |
Showing 1-25 of 26 reviews
RICHARD M.
Apr 2013
Bill Chacon responded very quickly to my call for help. The tenant moved out on Wednesday, March 27th. The new tenants wanted to start moving in on Saturday, March 30th. It was not a big job, but First Rate treated it as if it were the only job in the world. The team patched and painted on Friday, providing a safe area in the living room for temporary storage of furniture. On Sunday, everything was ready for the new tenants. In addition to the $325, Bill also charged me $50 for cleaning before painting, which the departing tenant was supposed to do. This $50 was reasonable and I deducted it from the tenant's security deposit.
Back in February, First Rate patched and painted an entire apartment and garage for me for $1,600.00. The garage required creativity because it was just plywood that had never been painted. It was also very ugly because the departing tenants had removed a lot of shelves and then patched, so the walls looked like smeared-up plywood. Plywood soaks up paint, but Bill experimented and found a cheap way to paint, which saved a lot of money.
Back in February, First Rate patched and painted an entire apartment and garage for me for $1,600.00. The garage required creativity because it was just plywood that had never been painted. It was also very ugly because the departing tenants had removed a lot of shelves and then patched, so the walls looked like smeared-up plywood. Plywood soaks up paint, but Bill experimented and found a cheap way to paint, which saved a lot of money.
John S.
Feb 2013
All work was performed as we contracted for. The initial contact and evaluation was with the owner and was great. He
understood what we wanted and his suggestions were outstanding. The work was performed under the owners supervision
was was done top quality. No mess was left behind.
understood what we wanted and his suggestions were outstanding. The work was performed under the owners supervision
was was done top quality. No mess was left behind.
RICHARD M.
May 2010
Today, First Rate came back to do a little bit of warranty work because two windows wouldn't open. Bill Chacon, the owner, dropped what he was doing and drove in from the Valley to free up the windows. This is important to me because I rent apartments and I have to keep the renters happy.
RICHARD M.
Oct 2009
Initially, I gave Bill a list of things to be painted. His estimate came to almost $1,200. With my property taxes coming up in Dec, we decided to break up the job into 3 parts--with him returning to do more when I call him. I truly appreciate his flexibility.
John S.
Sep 2009
Poor experience overall. After more than three weeks (for work he estimated at less than 2 weeks) we had to ask William to stop work and leave our home. He asked to be paid for the profit he would have earned had he finished the job as originally contracted. His rationalization was that he had initially intended to hire other people - someone to wallpaper and a contractor - to do the other work, and they failed to show up, so he had to try to do the work himself. Since he was only trying to assist us, he felt he should be paid the profit he would have earned for all the work, including the work he didn't complete! We rejected that absurd suggestion.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"Thank you for the response. You are correct on many of the matters and I truly apologize for the problems that had arisen. In the beginning I had total confidence when I took on the wall paper and minor construction work that my outside people would be able to complete the work to your expectations. Unfortunately, they bailed out on me and I was left alone to figure this out on my own. You are right and I will stick to the painting because this is my main trade. I did find two new contractors such as Wall Paper City of Santa Monica and a general licensed contractor to complete the final work, but you didn’t want to proceed for various reasons and I can accept this. Any who, you were great clients who gave me A ratings prior on two other jobs. I will be there for you if you need any new touch-up work free of charge later in time, if you wish."
Eureka M.
Aug 2009
Called the company on a Friday and was very much appreciative of the Bill's quick response to the phone call. Bill returned the phone call and he asked a few questions about the work that needs to be done via email. Our communication went on smoothly and he responded with the estimate that same night. However, we requested an onsite inspection to ensure that we agreed upon the work that needed to be completed. We are do-it-yourselfers and initiated majority of the work. But because we wanted to move in to our house more quickly we decided to leave the details to a professional and hire a painter who can professionally do the job with the quality we wanted. When Bill inspected our project on Saturday, his stance was that he knows all the things that needed to be completed --- prepping that needs to be done to ensure the quality of the paint outcome and cut work. He even pointed out areas that we didn't complete stating that he has a lot of experience and pretty much knows areas that needs work. We stated how particular we are. He was very assuring. Most of the paint job was already initiated so our request was mostly on the details of the job other than the kitchen which was not painted at all. We agreed on the initial quote. Bill and his crew came to work on the house on Sunday. He protected a lot of the areas and we were impressed. He called in the morning if somethings comes up and provides updates on a daily basis. When the job was finished on Wednesday, Bill gave a tour and everything looked fine and cleaned up and provided our final payment. That night we inspected the job further and noticed a few areas that were not painted. Our fault for not inspecting it thoroughly during the final tour of the job. Our ceiling looked like it was just primed in a lot of areas, there were some window trims/casings that were not painted, the touch ups that he pointed out was not even done and other areas where cut work was not done, there are areas with drips of different color on the wall, there were over spray on the new window glass, there was caulking on the wall that was not cleaned up and painted over etc. It looked like we have a lot of job ahead of us to correct these problems. Initially we just noticed the ceiling that was not completed so we emailed in to Bill to inform him of the problem that same night. We didnt receive an email back and decided to call in after a couple of days. He affirmed and said he will return to do a second coat (implying that he knew the problem). He indicated that he is currently working on a couple of jobs but will get back to me on his schedule the following day and will get back on the job in a couple of weeks. We decided to communicate via email. Sent a couple of emails but never received any response back ---- quite the opposite when we asked him to do the job initially which was a big disappointment. Although we badly wanted to move into the house, we do not believe in compromising quality. We have an old craftsman house but we did a lot of work to ensure that the craftsmanship is intact but we were quite disappointed with the paint job. We are very much appreciative that Bill and his crew came in to finish the job but we were not happy that quality was compromised in quite a few areas and the lack of communication after the problem was raised. We were hoping to hire him for the exterior work but because of our experience we will not hire him again.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"I take responsibility for the mishap of not returning to this client’s home during the time frame we had discussed. After completing your job I was stuck on another project far longer than expected. Sorry for the mishap and inconvenience. Returning would have been an easy task to complete. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, let me know."
Robert R.
May 2009
Very professional, courteous, efficient. He and his brother did a great job.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"Thank you so much! I so appreciate the great review, especially after receiving a negative one prior to the one you wrote. I usually receive these reviews from Angie's List in my business e-mail account, but have not received the past (3) reviews. I apologize for not recognizing your effort in supporting my business! Thank you again and do call me if you have friends, colleagues or if and when you need more work completed. You are one of the reasons I stay in business."
Brian M.
May 2009
Bill (with the help of his brother on one of the days) did a great job and took care of everything we asked for. He reported right when he said he would each day, and we're very happy with the results. I wasn't exactly sure of how far along he was at any point in the job, so I ended up asking him about things that he hadn't missed, but he simply hadn't done yet. I would have liked to have a little better idea of the time the whole project would take, so I would know not to be concerned that he wasn't going to get to certain parts. In the end, he took care of everything, and all was well.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"Thank you for the fair review. I always strive to communicate and do the best work I can in order to get an A rating. Unfortunately, there were factors that came up personally and work related that were beyond my control. For example, I did communicate to you everyday via email in regards to work in progress. My scenario during the duration of the job is that I did not mention the unforeseen problems you had with the surfaces being very temperamental, thus having to put three coats of paint, rather than the standard two coats. This did take me a little bit longer and I do admit I forgot to tell you this until the day before I finished. My apologies for I had to take care of my newborn child and I had a family tragedy arise, as well. At the same time, I had another client who jumped the gun assuming I wasn’t there for the demands during these tuff times, and gave me an unfair review, so I do appreciate your good review. You can’t win them all. I’m a sensitive person who will continue to do the best I can, regardless of the personal and professional challenges I face at times."
ANITA C.
May 2009
I choose Mr. Chacon for this job based on his excellent Angie's List reviews. His bid came in between 2 others we received so he was neither the most or least expensive, but he wanted to do the job immediately, and we wanted to get the work done. Unfortunately, it was not a satisfactory experience. We had two issues: the first I was willing to overlook because I wasn't certain if it was his fault, but the second showed a lack of quality and professionalism. First, about 2 weeks after Mr. Chacon finished the job, I noticed that the light fixture in our bathroom was cracked. I had not noticed this during my walk-though when he finished the job, but I do know for certain that it was not broken the week before the job because I had changed the lightbulb. Mr. Chacon had removed this fixture to paint and I believe what happend was that when he replaced it, he may have tighted the piece that holds the glass too much, causing a slight fracture that grew over the next few weeks. I contacted him, he firmly denied having caused the damage and his only response was that in the future he would have a checklist for damages before starting a job. I decided to let it go, because I could not be certain if he was responsible or not. But....a week after that, the paint on our bathroom ceiling began to bubble off. This is a well-venilated room with a high-efficiency fan, a window and a skylight. There is absolutely no reason a one-month old paint job should start peeling. I emailed Mr. Chacon to ask him how he wanted to handle the situation - and never heard a word back. NOTHING. The room will have to be repainted, and when I asked at my local paint store what they thought might have gone wrong, they suggested that in areas where he had patched some cracks, he failed to prime before painting. As I look closely at the ceiling, I think that might be the case because I can definitely see the patches - they are a different texture and not sanded smooth. So I do think there was a quality issue here, and because of our bad experience, we have decided to have someone else fix the problem rather than continue to try to find Mr. Chacon.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"As the owner, I'm afraid that we have encountered a bit of spite to frail my good name and reputation. Firstly, this particular client was advised that when painting a bathroom ceiling, one must wait at least 48-hours for the primer and paint to dry. Obviously the aforementioned time limit was not acknowledged, therefore damage was done. Although, by no part of my good reputation and skill level. Also, I am extremely careful with my clientele's personal property. The light fixture was not broken upon my doing and I have no way of proving that except for my good word because there was not a video camera in the room where I was working. I've found that many clients that I have taken on seem to apparently know more than myself, who is a bonified painting contractor with years of experience and professionalism, how a painting job should be prepped, painted and ultimately handled. I often ask myself, "why don't my clients just do the job themselves?" Anywho, the fact here is that I have been a contractor on Angie's List for quite some time and rely on my good workmanship to keep my business running smoothly. I and my business associates are very sympathetic to the illegal immigrants from various countries who come to Los Angeles and drive the painting prices down because I understand their need to work and their understanding of capitalism. As a final thought, please all who read my reports, feel free to call me at (323) 969-4859 to discuss my excellent references over the past 5 or 6 years. I'll be more than happy to school those potential clients willing to overlook the occasional bad review as if I were a restaurateur. Thank you in advance. I'm sorry that I did not receive this review via e-mail, otherwise I would have addressed this much sooner. Despite your negative thoughts, I am shocked, but would like to speak with you directly."
RICHARD M.
Apr 2009
Everything went smoothly and painlessly. Bill used plenty of tape, plastic, and tarps to protect the windows, floors, and carpets. I selected First Rate because Bill gave the lowest estimate. However, I also understood that there would be minor differences in quality when compared to the high-cost painters (other estimates were $1,200 and $2,000 higher). But that was a trade off I had to make because this is a rental unit. I also found Bill to be a reasonable fellow and easy to work with, and he kept in touch through both cell phone and e-mail.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"Thank you for the fair review. As you did state there was a conversation between us in regards to the quality of work compared to the price. Even though there was a B in the group of all A’s, I don’t have an issue with this for we both new that there was a trade-off. I usually wouldn’t take a job like this with a bid price so low, but I had a good feeling that you would be a great client and I was right. I have a red flag check list that gives me an idea who to work with but personality and kindness supersedes everything else. Call me anytime for any future work."
Alison W.
Mar 2009
William came to my home the very same day that I requested a quote. He was prepared with samples to show me. He listened carefully to my needs and provided plenty of advice after I had asked for his opinion. He came 3 successive days and was even able to squeeze in a change of paint color (my bad choice, not his) because his work had been quicker than he anticipated. He was professional, courteous and trustworthy from start to finish. I highly recommend First Rate and William.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"Thanks a million for the great review. You are the target client I strive to work with in a professional capacity. I look for potential clients who firstly like me as a person and appreciates how hard I have worked to build my business. Also, a client that trusts me to do what I say I am going to do, rather than imagine all of the rotten things that could potentially go wrong on a job. Thanks again for your kindness and the baby blanket. I wish to work with you on your future endeavors and hope everything is going well with your new baby."
JUDY J.
Feb 2009
Bill Chacon came over and assessed the type of work I wanted, including colors and how careful he needed to be in protecting built in furniture. We went over possible colors and he brought back chip samples and small cans of real paint to test. He is very patient and has an excellent eye for color and what I wanted to accomplish in each room. For example, I needed some rooms to "pop" without being outlandish in color choices and he informed me how this could be accomplished with subtle tones and well chosen colors. He is smart and considerate of the house and the hours I was available. He is also neat and tidy and gives important feedback on what he thinks will make the project successful. And he was right!
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND FAITH IN MY WORKMANSHIP. YOUR COMMENTS HELP MY BUSINESS GREATLY AND IT WAS A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU ON BEAUTIFYING YOUR HOME. I LOOK FORWARD TO COMPLETING MORE PROJECTS FOR YOU IN THE FUTURE. BY THE WAY, CLIENTS SUCH AS YOURSELF, WHO ARE ALSO PROMPT AND COURTEOUS, MAKE SELF-EMPLOYED INDIVIDUALS LIKE MYSELF FEEL VERY APPRECIATED IN THEIR PROFESSION. THANKS AGAIN!"
John S.
Feb 2009
It went great! William is very punctual and he does a great job. He arrived each day on time, and completed the work on schedule for the amount he estimated. He came back after the job was done to look everything over and to touch up where necessary.
Vanessa C.
Sep 2008
Everything went perfectly. Bill responded to our phone call the same day and came over to give us an estimate within two days. That was a Friday and he completed the job on the next Monday and Tuesday. At all times, Bill was extremely nice and professional. He was punctual in arriving each day and did an excellent job. He paid close attention to detail and was very careful with the sockets, door frames, floor boards, etc. He was also exceptionally neat in cleaning up -- it's like you wouldn't have known he was here except for the beautifully painted room.
John S.
Sep 2008
Excellent. He was very neat and very careful. He arrived when he said he would each day, and worked diligently to complete the job. On the final day we inspected the job together, at which time I paid him the balance owed. He left me with the unused stain and concrete sealer.
DOROTHY A.
May 2008
It was a very positive experience particularly in comparison to the last time my house was painted. Preparation was very extensive and time was spent getting the color right but I am so happy with the finished product. Bill Chacon kept my informed with progress; we really didn't see each other for the two weeks he was there, but he left me phone message explaining what was done and what he would be doing the next day. He didn't even complain about my dogs who I expect barked endlessly. He said he would check back with me next week in case I have any concerns. I would definitely hire him again and have told many people about him and Angie's List.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"THANK YOU FOR YOUR POSITIVE FEEDBACK! IT HELPS OUR BUSINESS GREATLY TO HAVE STAR CLIENTS, SUCH AS YOURSELF, WHO APPRECIATE OUR WORKMANSHIP. FOR THE RECORD, YOUR DOGS WERE NOT A BOTHER AT ALL AND I CHECKED IN ON THEM PERIODICALLY BECAUSE AS YOU MAY KNOW, WE ARE VERY "PET FRIENDLY" AND ANIMAL ADVOCATES. IF THERE IS ANY OTHER WORK YOU NEED DONE, SUCH AS YOUR INTERIOR, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL OR E-MAIL. AGAIN, THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!"
Danny A.
Aug 2007
Nice family business. Bill came over to see the place and emailed me a detailed estimate later that day. Once I decided to go with him he and his wife came over with the paperwork, and they were able to start the next day. I actually had to have this done while I was out of town. I was a little nervous about the idea, but the daily communication was great, and Bill took several photos and emailed them to me each day with a progress report. He always answered the phone when I called. When I got back home the place looked great and everything was safe and back where it belonged. I spotted a couple of details that he took care of immediately. I'm very happy with the work done.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"THANK YOU KINDLY FOR EVERYTHING AND YOUR TRUST IN OUR SERVICES. IT WAS A PLEASURE WORKING FOR YOU. I COULDN'T BE MORE HAPPY WITH THE OUTCOME."
ROBERT B.
May 2007
Bill and Charles are excellent painters. They offer good value for high quality work. They are punctual and deliver as promised.
ROBERT B.
May 2007
Bill and Charles Chacon did an excellent job from every standpoint. They are very professional and take great pride in their work which is reflected in the high quality of their work. They took great care to prepare all surfaces before they were painted, and made sure that the job was to our satisfaction before leaving. They always showed up when promised and were very efficient in performing the work. The cost of their services was very reasonable, particularly considering the high quality of their work. Additionally, Bill and Charles are very personable. We would definitely use them again.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT RATING. IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH YOU AGAIN. ALL THE BEST."
SHANA M.
Apr 2007
We couldn't be more satisfied. The walls look great; Bill did two full coats which really bring out the richness and depth of the color we selected. The trim looks equally excellent, all the repairs were completely successful; what used to be chipped and flaking wood is now smooth bright white paint. The edges he was able to create between the colors, especially in the archway, are consistently crisp and well-defined, which makes the colors really pop. One thing prospective FRP clients should understand is the Bill Chacon is there EVERYDAY painting and overseeing his crew. When he says he will take care of something, he means that HE will take care of it, personally. He is extremely detail-oriented and notices small imperfections that we didn't (and trust me, we were looking) and then, of course, fixes them beautifully. We've worked with several painters over the years and Bill and First Rate are head and shoulders above the rest. They are currently doing our exterior.
ANGELA H.
Apr 2007
They were not generous with the application of paint. I found two clay roof tiles from my roof lying on the ground and a window guard fell off. I was told by both William and Bridget that they underbid their cost to paint the unit. William told me he was using their own money to purchase more paint. During the final walk through, I was verbally attacked by Bridget. She claims I was treating her husband like a criminal because I was showing them what was not acceptable to me and what needed correcting to my satisfaction before I make a final payment to them. In spite of all of this I paid the final payment. They promised, both verbally and in writing to return and do some touch up work after my window guard was reinstalled. They have since declined to do so.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"First Rate Paint & Design will no longer be antagonized by the bogus allegations made upon us by a former client. Consider this our last response to any of her future responses. My wife's name has been defamed by her publicly, as well as myself, in this Angie's List response written by the member. We have already stated our position with this client and have considered this job complete and a closed case with Angie's List. To our dismay, she is trying to hurt our reputaion, including dragging my wife into the picture, and we will not allow this type of inhumanity or immature behavior. Our dispostion is that we will continue on righteously in our business and welcome new clients that appreciate us as human beings and craftsmen. If any person or potential client is interested in deciding on their own who is right in this ridiculous allegation against our workmanship, please feel free to view our work that was completed. We hope that Angie's List members understand the cruelty that an individual's purposeful damaging words can do to the reputation of a business."
Jennifer J.
Feb 2007
We are delighted! Previously we have had a tremendous amount of problems with flaking and peeling on the west side of our house. Bill and his co-worker, knowing this spent a painstaking amount of time prepping especially the west side, and then power washing the entire house. We really were impressed and appreciated this. Also, Bill was very patient with our dithering about regarding color choices and graciously got more samples for us to test out. The end result is beautiful, a really professional job-- my pet peeves are sloppy application, drips, and minor missed spots and there were none! And he cleaned up the site and came back a day later to look over the entire job one more time and do minor touch ups. Bill is meticulous and he wants you the customer to be happy! We definitely are!
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"THANKS A MILLION. IT WAS WONDERFUL WORKING FOR YOU. YOU WERE A STAR CLIENT. A GREAT EXPERIENCE AND OUTCOME. HOPE TO WORK WITH YOU AGAIN."
Jennifer J.
Feb 2007
Bill was painting the exterior of our house when we had a two rain days, which was great for us as we got to bring Bill inside and paint lots of odds and ends that were driving us crazy, plus fully paint a bathroom and sand our butcher block countertops- which were in really bad shape. As usual, Bill and his co-worker were meticulous and we are delighted with the professional job. Especially the butcher block, wow I hadn't realized what dreadful shape they were in until Bill revealed their former glory.
CORY G.
Jan 2007
OUTSTANDING! In the year since we bought our house, we've had work done inside and out. Many times the contractors we hired were flaky and incompetent. We were ECSTATIC with the job Mr. Chacon did from showing up on time every time, to giving us an estimate that was exceedingly fair, to helping us select the right color, to bringing over multiple samples and testing them on our house, to working on the weekend to get the job done on time. I am often leery about Angie's recommendations. We would use them again in a heartbeat. If you are looking for a painter, look no further. This company is responsible, courteous, and accountable and that is the absolute truth.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"GREAT CLIENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. EVERYTHING WENT PERFECT AS PLANNED."
DAVID B.
Jan 2007
Absolutely superb job. The presentation was very professional, and the work started on short notice. There was a fairly detailed discussion up front on how the job was to proceed, and what things needed attention. All was executed to highest expectations.
Response from FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN
"TOTAL APP. COST: 1750"
Licensing
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FAQ
FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN is currently rated 4.6 overall out of 5.
No, FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN does not offer free project estimates.
No, FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN does not offer eco-friendly accreditations.
No, FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN does not offer a senior discount.
Yes, FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN offers emergency services.
No, FIRST RATE PAINT & DESIGN does not offer warranties.