The first time I got paid to paint, I underbid a townhome, worked until midnight, and came back on Sunday to finish trim I swore would take “just another hour.” I learned fast, and not just about cutting in a straight line. If you’re wondering how to start a painting business that actually pays you, not just your paint supplier, I’ve been in your shoes. Here’s the practical, real-world path I wish I’d had: pick a niche, price to profit, protect yourself legally, and build systems that keep the brush moving and the calendar full.
Key Takeaways
- When learning how to start a painting business, validate local demand and choose a niche—residential for faster cash flow or commercial for bigger but slower projects—then expand after systems are dialed.
- Price to profit by tracking your production rates, targeting 45–55% gross margin, and using break-even math so you stop chasing low-margin work.
- Protect the business: form an LLC, secure required licenses and EPA RRP if needed, carry liability/workers’ comp/auto insurance, and use clear contracts with staged payments.
- Systematize execution with essential pro-grade tools, a consistent estimating process with good/better/best options, CRM scheduling, and job checklists to hit timelines and budgets.
- Win more jobs through local SEO and referrals by optimizing your Google Business Profile and website, asking for reviews at walkthroughs, using yard signs/door hangers, and following up at 1, 3, and 10 days.
- To start a painting business that scales on purpose, enforce safety and quality control, honor warranties, hire and train W-2 staff, and track close rate, average job size, margin, and labor efficiency.
Validate Your Market and Choose a Niche
Residential vs. Commercial
Early on, I chose residential because the sales cycle is shorter and cash hits the account faster. Homeowners typically decide in days, not months, and deposits are common. Commercial painting can be fantastic, bigger tickets, steadier work, but it often means bid lists, insurance/bonding requirements, and net-30/60 payments. You’ll also face stronger safety protocols and project management layers.
Ask yourself:
- Where is demand growing in my area (new subdivisions, aging housing stock, retail refreshes)?
- Do I want daytime homeowner work, or off-hours commercial schedules?
- Am I ready for RFPs, jobsite orientations, and multi-crew coordination?
There’s no wrong choice, just different realities. I’ve seen pros thrive focusing on one lane, then expanding once systems are humming.
Services to Offer and Local Pricing Research
Start tight, then widen. My initial menu was interior repaints, minor drywall repair, and trim. From there, I added exteriors, cabinets, and decks once I had the gear and SOPs. If you’re touching homes built before 1978, look into EPA Lead-Safe (RRP) rules, critical for safety and compliance.
To price well, I did three things:
- Secret-shop: I called 3–5 local painters for ballpark rates and timelines.
- Comb through online listings: Google, Nextdoor, and marketplaces show going rates and promos.
- Track my own production: sq. ft. per hour for walls/ceilings, linear feet for trim, and door counts. Numbers beat guesses every time.
Prices vary wildly by city, but production rates travel with you. Measure rooms, note surfaces, track hours, then build your pricing template around what you can consistently deliver.
Build a Lean Business Plan and Budget
Startup Costs and Working Capital
You don’t need a massive war chest, but you do need a clear list. My first kit cost a few thousand dollars, not tens of thousands.
Typical early costs:
- Tools/supplies: quality brushes/rollers, poles, drop cloths, tape, patch/caulk, a basic sprayer, ladders, PPE.
- Vehicle: reliable van or pickup (used is fine). Add signage when you can.
- Licensing/registration: business formation, permits, any required trade licenses.
- Insurance: liability (and workers’ comp if hiring), plus commercial auto.
- Marketing: simple website, Google Business Profile, brand basics, door hangers/yard signs.
- Software: accounting, estimating/CRM, e-signing, payments.
Working capital covers fuel, materials, payroll (if any), and your own pay while invoices clear. I aim for at least 1–2 months of fixed expenses in reserve.
Pricing, Margins, and Break-Even
Markup isn’t margin. If materials and labor cost you $1,000 and you “mark up” 25%, you’re not making 25% margin, you’re making $200 on $1,250, which is 16% margin. For residential repaint, I target 45–55% gross margin to cover overhead and net a healthy profit.
A simple approach I use:
- Estimate direct costs:
- Labor: hours x burdened rate (wages + payroll taxes + insurance). Example: 40 hours x $28 = $1,120.
- Materials/sundries: say $300.
Direct cost = $1,420.
- Apply your target gross margin. If you want 50% margin, price at double your direct costs: $2,840.
- Check reality: does that price align with local market and your value? If not, improve production (faster systems), not just slash price.
Break-even: add up monthly overhead (insurance, software, vehicle, phone, owner’s pay). If that’s $5,000 and your average job contributes $1,200 in gross profit, you need ~5 jobs to break even, then the rest is profit. That clarity kept me from chasing low-margin work.
Get Legal, Licensed, and Insured
Business Structure, Taxes, and Permits
I formed an LLC for liability separation and got an EIN for taxes. Some painters operate as sole proprietors: others elect S-Corp once profits justify payroll. Talk to a local CPA, they’ll save you far more than they cost. Depending on your state, you may need a contractor license, business license, and possibly registration for sales tax on materials or certain labor. If you work on pre-1978 homes, look into EPA RRP certification. Always check city/county rules too.
Insurance, Contracts, and Payment Terms
Non-negotiables for me:
- General liability (often $1M per occurrence, $2M aggregate)
- Workers’ comp if you have employees
- Commercial auto
- Umbrella or bonding for certain commercial jobs
Use a simple, clear contract: scope, surfaces, prep standards, color list, exclusions (e.g., hidden damage), change-order process, weather delays, cleanup, and warranty (I offer 1–2 years on workmanship). Payment terms should fit your cash flow and local rules: a deposit, a progress payment, and a final due on walkthrough. I take cards/ACH and outline lien rights and late fees. Clarity upfront prevents 90% of headaches later.
Set Up Tools and Efficient Systems
Essential Equipment and Supplies
I started with fewer, better tools:
- Brushes/rollers: a few top-tier angled sash brushes, microfiber roller covers, and sturdy cages.
- Extension poles, canvas drops, plastic, tape (standard + delicate), masking tools.
- Prep: patch compounds, caulk and gun, sanding sponges, orbital sander, scraper.
- Sprayer: an entry-level airless with spare tips/filters (game-changer for exteriors and ceilings).
- Ladders: 6–8 ft step ladder and 20–28 ft extension ladder with stabilizer.
- PPE: respirators/filters, safety glasses, gloves, hearing protection.
- Misc: color fan decks, moisture meter for exteriors, buckets, mixers.
Estimating, Scheduling, and Job Management
My estimate process is consistent: measure with a laser, capture photos, note repairs, and present a written proposal with 2–3 options (good/better/best). I use a simple CRM to track leads, estimates sent, follow-ups, and jobs won. Calendars get buffer days for weather, and each job has a checklist: protect, repair, prime, paint, punch, clean. Daily job notes (progress, issues, extra work) keep surprises from derailing the schedule. The more I templatized, the calmer my weeks became.
Market Your Services and Close Sales
Brand, Website, and Local SEO
A clean name, a legible logo on the van, and a one-page website with real photos beat fancy branding you never launch. I claimed and optimized my Google Business Profile with service areas, categories (House Painter, Painting), hours, and dozens of before/after shots. NAP consistency (name, address, phone) across directories helps ranking. On the website, I added service pages (Interior Painting, Cabinet Painting, Exterior Painting), FAQs, and a gallery. When I had time, I wrote helpful posts like “How much does it cost to paint kitchen cabinets in [my city]?”, that article still brings me leads.
Reviews, Referrals, and Offline Tactics
I ask for reviews at the final walkthrough and hand clients a small card with a QR code. Then I gently follow up 3–5 days later. Yard signs at active jobs, door hangers on the same street, and polite neighbor knocks fill the calendar without paying for leads. I also partner with realtors and property managers, they crave reliable painters.
To close sales, I keep it simple: show up on time, listen, present options, and leave a professional proposal with clear scope and price. I follow up once in 24 hours, again in 3 days, and a final check-in at 10 days. Many jobs are won on that last, friendly nudge.
Deliver Quality and Plan to Scale
Job Workflow, Safety, and Quality Control
My crew follows the same rhythm every time: protect surfaces, fix substrate issues, prime as needed, then finish coats. We label cans with room, color, and sheen. Safety isn’t optional, ladder setup with three points of contact, respirators for sanding and solvent paints, and lead-safe practices when applicable. At the end, I do a blue-tape walkthrough with the client and knock out the punch list. Warranty service is built into the schedule: honoring it quickly turns one job into three referrals.
Hiring, Training, and Key Metrics
When demand outgrew my two hands, I hired carefully. I prefer W-2 employees for control and training, and I use a paid working interview to test skills. New hires get SOPs, safety training, and a clear path from helper to lead.
I track a handful of numbers weekly:
- Lead to close rate (by channel)
- Average job size
- Gross margin (aim 45–55% for residential repaint)
- Labor efficiency (hours estimated vs. actual)
- Rework rate and on-time completion
- Cost per lead and per acquisition
Those metrics told me when to raise prices, when to add a second crew, and which ads to kill. Scaling isn’t just more jobs: it’s better jobs, done faster, with happier clients.
Conclusion
If I were starting today, I’d do this in order: validate demand, choose a focused niche, set prices around my production rates, get legal and insured, and launch a simple brand with a review machine behind it. That’s how to start a painting business that pays you well and grows on purpose. Book your first three jobs, obsess over quality, and ask every happy client for one referral. It’s amazing how fast the calendar fills when the work, and the way you run it, speaks for itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best step-by-step way to start a painting business?
Start by validating demand and choosing a niche (residential or commercial). Build a lean budget and 1–2 months’ working capital. Price around your production rates targeting 45–55% gross margin. Form your LLC/EIN, secure required licenses and insurance. Launch a simple website and Google Business Profile, standardize SOPs, and collect reviews. That’s how to start a painting business sustainably.
How much does it cost to start a painting business?
You can start a painting business for a few thousand dollars (excluding a vehicle), not tens of thousands. Expect costs for quality tools, sprayer, ladders, PPE, licensing/registration, liability insurance, basic marketing, and software. Budget additional working capital—ideally 1–2 months of fixed expenses—for fuel, materials, payroll, and your pay while invoices clear.
How should I price painting jobs to ensure profit?
Calculate direct costs first: labor hours × your burdened rate plus materials/sundries. To target a 50% gross margin, price roughly at double those direct costs. Track real production rates (sq. ft. per hour, linear feet, doors) to refine bids. Remember, markup isn’t margin—protect margin instead of discounting, and improve speed with better systems.
What licenses, insurance, and contracts do I need to start a painting business?
To start a painting business, form an LLC and get an EIN, then check state/city rules for contractor and business licenses and any sales-tax registration. If you work on pre‑1978 homes, obtain EPA Lead‑Safe (RRP) certification. Carry general liability, workers’ comp (if employees), commercial auto, and umbrella/bonding. Use clear contracts detailing scope, prep, exclusions, change orders, payment schedule, and warranty.
Is it better to hire employees or use subcontractors when starting a painting business?
Employees (W‑2) give you control, training consistency, scheduling reliability, and a stronger brand—ideal for quality-focused residential work—but require payroll, workers’ comp, and management. Subcontractors add flexibility and lower fixed costs, yet demand tight scopes, QC, and legal compliance with worker‑classification rules. Many new owners start with a small W‑2 crew, then supplement with vetted subs.
How long does it take to get your first clients and build reviews?
With a Google Business Profile, a simple website, yard signs, door hangers, and timely follow‑ups, many new painters land their first three jobs within 2–4 weeks, depending on market demand. Ask for a review at walkthrough and one referral from every happy client—the review flywheel accelerates rankings, trust, and booked calendars.