ASK THE EXPERT: Q: When budgeting for a large-scale painting project, why is the lowest bid often the most expensive option in the long run? A: The “true cost” of a project is rarely found on the bottom line of an initial estimate. Contractors offering the lowest bids often rely on “short-cuts” that mask underlying issues rather than fixing them. For example, replacing only a small section of trim where rot is present, rather than the entire length, leaves compromised materia