QP 7 – Introductory Program

QP7

Painting contractor introductory program

The Painting Contractor Introductory Program was developed to verify the capabilities of contractors with less than 12 months experience performing industrial, marine, or architectural surface preparation and coating application in the field.

The QP 7 Introductory Program provides an initial step for contractors who currently do not have the experience required to apply for QP accreditation but who wish to eventually achieve it.

Get the QP 7 Standard

The program’s objective is to determine if a painting contractor has the personnel, organization, qualifications, procedures, knowledge, and capability to produce quality surface preparation and coating application on industrial, marine, or commercial / institutional structures. For the purposes of the Introductory Program, eligible structures are defined as those identified in the appropriate QP standard.

Please note that the QP 7 Contractor Introductory Program does not involve inspection of the contractor’s coating work or training of its personnel. It does not cover coating application capability conducted exclusively at a contractor’s fixed facility (i.e., shop painting). Finally, the program is not intended to guarantee the quality or safety performance of a specific contractor on any of its projects. Rather, it is intended to assist facility owners in their evaluation of painting contractors with less than 12 months experience as an organization. The procedure is intended only for public works projects set aside by owners willing to hire contractors that meet the requirements of this procedure.

While the QP 7 program confirms a company’s capability, on paper, to perform industrial, marine, or commercial painting. Owners, specifiers, and general contractors are encouraged to also assess the painting contractor’s financial ability to perform a job as well as to review any work history and capabilities to meet site-specific requirements and other job-related requirements not covered under this program. To better ensure the success of a project, owners should write quality specifications, implement plans to enforce the requirements of the specification through appropriate quality assurance and establish plans to maintain good communication with the contractor before work begins and throughout the project. This is necessary in addition to ensuring that the contractor meets the requirements of this program.