When PDCA established a technical department in 1990, it decided that developing and creating industry standards was a necessary and significant role for a national trade association. One issue jumped to the forefront as a widespread industry problem. The issue of touch up and damage repair was one that plagued most painting and decorating contractors and robbed significant profit dollars from their projects. PDCA Standard PI-04 Touch-Up Painting And Damage Repair: Financial Responsibility addresses this issue and today is still one of the most widely used of the PDCA standards.

Touch-up and damage repair was a problem created by our own industry, as it was common for painters to repair scuffs and damage to painted surfaces by other trades at the completion of a project. In the "good old days" when general contractors had actual field employees, and the sequencing of the work on projects was carefully coordinated, much of this damage was minimal. As general contractors became brokers, however, and fast track jobs became commonplace, many of the subcontractor trades were forced to fend for themselves and the amount of damage to others' work was drastically increased. As a contractor I always asked why should a punchlist require me to repaint surfaces damaged by others when, if my forces damage another trade's work, that is also my financial responsibility. When carpets are installed and the walls are damaged, I'm expected to fix them. But if my worker spills paint on a carpet, I'm expected to pay for having it replaced.

PDCA Standard PI-04 TouchUp Painting And Damage Repair: Financial Responsibility defines a properly painted surface and how it is to be inspected. A "properly painted surface" is defined as uniform in appearance, color, texture, hiding and sheen. It is also free of foreign material, lumps, skins, runs, sags, holidays, misses, or insufficient coverage. It is also a surface free of drips, spatters, spills or overspray caused by the painting and decorating contractor's workforce. In order to determine whether a surface has been "properly painted" it shall be examined without magnification at a distance of thirty-nine (39) inch-under finished lighting conditions and from a normal viewing position.

The standard states that it is the responsibility of the painting and decorating contractor to provide properly painted surfaces and that any corrective work necessary to eliminate the above listed deficiencies is defined as touch up.

However, the standard goes on to say that when a properly painted surface is damaged by other trades or when latent damage occurs, then even though the painting and decorating contractor may effect the repair, others are financially responsible for the cost of the repair. Latent damage is defined as damage to surfaces by causes beyond the control of the painting and decorating contractor after the painting and decorating contractor's work has been completed. Examples of such include, but are not limited to, building settlement, cracks, water damage, earthquake damage, nail and/or screw pops or expansion and/or contraction of substrate.

Because of this standard, painting and decorating contractors have rightly received change orders for damaged work that previously would have caused profitable jobs to become big losers. Here are examples of testimonials received:

From Dave Siegner, President Elect of PDCA- "This is a head's up from one of our estimator/ project managers. He met with the general contractor's project manager on damage repair/"touch up" issues on a three tower condo renovation we're doing. It's a little over $1.55 mil, at this time, and will go for another 1-and-a-half years. There are 72 floors worth of interior painting. At issue was the first billing for damage repair on one of the floors we completed, which took 48 hours. We agreed to provide 1/2 hour per floor, and reminded the GC's project manager of the contractual clause and provided a copy of the Standard P1-04. The potential gain in change orders for the balance of the project at 47.5 hours per floor is 3,420 hours. With material it's in the realm of $200,000! Now THAT will pay for a few years of Siegner and Company's PDCA dues!"