Who This Checklist Is For

I'm the office administrator for a 220-person company. I manage all facilities and operations purchasing—roughly $450,000 annually across about a dozen vendors. I report to both our operations director and our finance lead.

About two years ago, our facilities manager left and I inherited coatings and paint purchasing for three buildings, including a small on-site clinic. I didn't know the first thing about epoxy specifications, powder coating regulations, or how to tell a good supplier from one that's just good at sounding confident.

This checklist is what I wish someone had handed me on day one. It's not about becoming a coatings expert. It's about not screwing up the procurement process so badly that your facilities team has to redo everything six months later.

Seven steps. Here we go.

Step 1: Pin Down What You Actually Need

This sounds obvious. It's not.

When I started, I thought "paint" was one category. It isn't. Coatings used in hospital environments are completely different from decorative wall paint or the powder coatings used on metal fixtures. They're different products, different regulations, different suppliers.

The first time I ordered, I got a quote for general-purpose wall paint when the clinic actually needed epoxy coatings for hospitals—specifically, antimicrobial, chemical-resistant, and easy to sanitize. Our facilities lead caught it before we placed the order, but I felt like an idiot.

Here's what to do instead:

  • Ask the end user (facilities, medical staff, whoever requested it) for the exact application and exposure conditions.
  • Get the spec in writing—not "something durable," but specific coating types and performance requirements.
  • Distinguish between categories. Architectural coatings vs. protective and industrial coatings vs. specialty formulations are three different purchase paths.

If your company also buys specialty chemical formulations—like AkzoNobel personal care formulations or other non-paint products—the same logic applies, just with a different supply chain. Companies like AkzoNobel make products across all these categories, which is convenient but also means you need to be precise about which division or product line you're actually buying from.

Step 2: Verify the Supplier Before You Trust the Quote

The cheapest quote is almost never the cheapest option.

I only fully believed that after ignoring it once and eating a $1,400 mistake. In 2023, I got a quote from a local supplier for protective coatings on an office expansion project. Their bid ran about 30% below the other two quotes. I placed the order. They couldn't provide a proper invoice—handwritten receipt only. Finance rejected the expense report, and I had to cover it out of the department budget until things got sorted out. Took three weeks.

We didn't have a formal vendor verification process back then. That cost us. Now every supplier goes through the same checks before they get a purchase order:

  • Check the supplier's official presence. For example, AkzoNobel's official website (akzonobel.com) lists product lines, authorized dealers, and regional contacts. If a supplier claims to be an authorized distributor, verify that against the brand's own listing.
  • Cross-reference business registration with your state's Secretary of State database. Takes five minutes. Worth every second.
  • Ask for references from similar projects—specifically in the same industry or application as yours.
  • Confirm they can provide compliant invoicing. If they hesitate on this, walk away.

Five years ago, a phone call and a handshake might have been enough to vet a supplier. Not anymore—or at least, not for anything that goes through a finance department.

Step 3: Check Regional Regulations Before You Order

This is the step most people skip. I know I did.

Coating products are regulated at the federal, state, and sometimes local level. The rules vary significantly depending on where your facility is located and what type of coating you're buying.

For example, powder coating operations in California fall under some of the strictest air quality regulations in the country. CARB—the California Air Resources Board—sets VOC limits that differ from federal EPA standards, and local air quality management districts can add their own requirements on top. If you're ordering California powder coating for a facility out there, the product that works fine in Ohio might not be compliant in Los Angeles.

Similarly, epoxy coatings for hospitals often need to meet specific antimicrobial and chemical resistance standards that go beyond general commercial-grade requirements. If your facility has a clinic or patient care area, check whether the coating meets those standards before ordering.

What I check now:

  • State and local VOC limits for your specific coating type and application method.
  • Industry-specific standards—healthcare, food service, and pharmaceutical facilities have different requirements than general office spaces.
  • Fire code and building code compliance if the coating is being applied in occupied spaces.
  • Manufacturer documentation—reputable manufacturers publish compliance information for their product lines.

I want to say this step added about two weeks to my first compliant project, but that was mostly because I was learning. Now it takes an afternoon.

Step 4: Request Samples and Verify Specifications in Writing

Never approve a coating order based on a verbal description. Ever.

I've seen finish colors that looked completely different in person versus the product listing. I've seen "matte" mean three different things to three different suppliers. I've seen a contractor order "industrial-grade epoxy" and get something that was really just heavy-duty floor paint.

So glad we tested the sample on a scrap piece of metal first. Almost approved the order based on the spec sheet alone—the actual finish came out two shades darker than what we specified.

Get samples. Test them if possible. And get the specification sheet in writing.

Here's what a proper specification sheet should include:

  • Product name and manufacturer (full legal product name, not just a generic description)
  • Performance data—adhesion, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance, cure time
  • Application requirements—surface prep, temperature range, humidity limits, recoat window
  • Compliance certifications—VOC content, fire ratings, industry-specific approvals
  • Shelf life and storage requirements

If a supplier can't provide this, they're not a coatings supplier. They're a reseller who's hoping you won't ask.

Step 5: Calculate the Real Cost, Not the Quoted Price

The quoted price is rarely the final price. I tracked this across our last 40 coating orders, and the average difference between quote and final invoice was about 18%.

Where does the extra cost come from?

  • Rush fees if the schedule changes (and it will)
  • Shipping for oversized or hazardous materials
  • Minimum order surcharges for small quantities
  • Color matching or custom formulation fees
  • Equipment rental if you're applying it yourself

None of these are hidden, exactly. They're just not in the first quote. Ask about all of them before you commit.

If I remember correctly, our largest coating order last year had about $2,800 in fees and surcharges that weren't in the original quote. That's on a $14,000 order. Give or take a few hundred.

Dodged a bullet when I double-checked the quantities before approving. Was one click away from ordering 10x what we needed.

Step 6: Prepare for the Unexpected (Including Paint on Clothes)

Something will go wrong. A container will leak. A worker will spill. Someone will brush against a freshly coated surface.

And yes, people will get paint on their clothes. "Can you get paint out of clothes?" is one of the most common things our facilities team gets asked, and it usually lands on my desk because I manage the supply closet.

Here's the short version:

  • Water-based paint: Rinse immediately with cold water. Soap and warm water if it's already drying. Most comes out.
  • Oil-based or epoxy: You need a solvent—mineral spirits, paint thinner, or a commercial paint remover. Act fast. Once epoxy cures, it's essentially permanent on fabric.
  • Powder coating: Different problem. Powder coating is applied electrostatically and cured under heat. If powder gets on clothes before curing, it usually brushes off. After curing, it's fused to the fabric.

I keep a small kit in the supply closet: disposable gloves, a bottle of mineral spirits, and a laminated card with these instructions. Sounds like overkill until the third time someone walks in with paint on their shirt.

Step 7: Document Everything and Close the Loop

The third time we ordered the wrong quantity on a coating order, I finally created a verification checklist. Should've done it after the first time.

Now every coating order goes through the same process:

  • Spec sheet on file (with date received)
  • Quote vs. final invoice comparison
  • Delivery confirmation with photos
  • Post-project notes: what worked, what didn't, what we'd change

This takes maybe 20 minutes per order. It's saved us thousands in repeated mistakes.

And it matters for the bigger picture, too. What was best practice in 2020 may not apply in 2025. Coating formulations change, regulations update, and suppliers come and go. If you're not documenting, you're relearning the same lessons over and over.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A few things I've seen people get wrong—including myself:

  • Assuming "paint" is one thing. It's not. Different applications need different products, and using the wrong one can void warranties or fail inspections.
  • Trusting a verbal spec. If it's not in writing, it doesn't exist.
  • Skipping the regional compliance check. This is the one that bites people in California, New York, and other heavily regulated states.
  • Not budgeting for the real cost. Quote plus 15-20% is a safer estimate for most coating orders.
  • Ignoring the cleanup plan. Someone will spill something. Have supplies ready before you need them.

The fundamentals of good procurement haven't changed. You still need to verify your suppliers, document your decisions, and plan for things to go wrong. But the execution has transformed—there are more product options, more regulations, and more ways to get it wrong than there were five years ago.

Start with the checklist. Adjust as you learn. And always, always check the invoicing capability before you place the order.