How to Start a Painting Business in 10 Steps

1. Build your skills

Whether you plan to work on homes or commercial buildings, having the right skills can help you avoid costly mistakes. Here are some important knowledge areas for painters:

• Preparation techniques: You need to know how to scrape, patch, and sand surfaces to get them ready for painting. Proper prep work ensures the paint goes on smoothly and lasts longer.
• Basic painting techniques: Mastering brushes and rollers will help you get an even coat of paint and avoid the need for touch-ups. Learn how to “cut in” paint, too, which is painting straight lines along edges without using tape.
• Different types of paints: It’s important to know when to use the right type of paint, such as oil-based, latex, or acrylic. Each type is suited for different surfaces and environments.
• Priming and painting order: Knowing when to use primer and the best order for painting a room (from top to bottom) can make your work more efficient.

If you’re planning to offer commercial painting services, you’ll need to learn some specialized skills as well, like how to apply:

• Epoxy coatings: Epoxy is often used on floors in commercial spaces like warehouses and garages. Applying epoxy requires special training since it’s a different process than regular painting.
• Line striping: This is used to paint lines in parking lots, roads, or athletic fields. It requires precision and specific equipment, so only offer this service when you’re ready.
• High-durability coatings: In commercial settings, you may need to apply coatings that can withstand heavy use. These coatings require different techniques compared to typical paints.

Getting hands-on experience is the best way to learn. Many painting contractors start by working for a painting company as an entry-level painter, helper, or apprentice for one to two years before launching their own business.

To find these opportunities, look for openings with local residential or commercial painting companies, painting contractors, or home service businesses in your area.

Job boards, trade associations, and local networking groups can also help you connect with employers who provide on-the-job training.

Working alongside experienced painters helps you build technical skills, understand administration and customer service, and see how a successful painting business operates.

2. Write a business plan

A business plan acts like a roadmap for starting a painting business. It helps you stay focused on your goals, giving you a clear direction. That way, you can make better decisions about how to grow your business and tackle challenges that come along.

If you need a loan or investment, most banks and lenders will ask to see your business plan. It demonstrates you’ve thought about how your business will make money and how you’ll handle expenses.

3. Register your painting business and get licensed

Once you’ve chosen a unique painting company name, you’re ready to complete the paperwork you need to run your business legally.

First, decide what business structure you want to register your business as. These are the typical options for small businesses:

• Sole proprietorship: You run your operations alone and want complete control over your business.
• Partnership: You’re opening your painting business with two or more people who are still legally considered self-employed.
• Limited liability company (LLC): You run a medium or high-risk business, and you want to protect yourself from personal liability.

READ MORE: Should I incorporate my small business?

Then you’ll need to register your company name. This process is different depending on where you live:

• United States: As long as nobody else in your state is using your painting company name, you can trademark it and register your domain name.
• Canada: If it’s the same as your personal name, you don’t need to register your business name. Otherwise, register the trade name and trademark it to protect your brand.
• United Kingdom: Choose whether you’re a sole trader or business partnership. Check your name availability, search for a trademark, and register your company name and business.
• Australia: If your business isn’t using your personal name, you’ll need to register your business name through the Business Registration Service, ASIC, or a private service provider.

Pro Tip: Type “YOUR CITY NAME + business laws” into Google to find your local regulations for painting businesses.

4. Get insured

Painting business insurance protects you, your business, and your future employees from losses caused by injury, property damage, or other unexpected incidents. Shop around for the right insurance plan for your small business and check out various providers in your area.

There are different types of insurance you can choose from, depending on the coverage you need:

• General liability insurance covers you financially if someone is injured on the job site or a customer’s property is damaged.
• Business owner’s policy (BOP) bundles general liability insurance and commercial property insurance into a single policy. It’s often a cost-effective option for painting businesses that want broad coverage for common risks such as property damage, bodily injury claims, and damage to business equipment or workspace.
• Commercial property insurance protects you in the event your office, storage space, or painting equipment is damaged.
• Commercial auto insurance covers your company vehicle in case of collision or other damage.
• Workers’ compensation protects your business if an employee is injured on the job. In many states, you’ll be required to carry workers’ compensation insurance as soon as you hire your first employee, although requirements vary by location.

Or, opt for a business owner’s policy that packages insurance for small business owners. This type of policy typically includes general liability, commercial property, and business income insurance.

5. Set up banking and accounting

Open a business bank account and get a business credit card to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances. This makes bookkeeping easier, helps you track deductible expenses, and may be required if you choose to incorporate your business.

Next, set up accounting software like QuickBooks Online to track income and expenses, manage payroll, create financial reports, and stay organized during tax season. You’ll also understand your profitability and make better financial decisions as you grow.

If you use painting business software like Jobber to manage quotes, scheduling, and invoicing, you can easily integrate with QuickBooks to automatically sync financial data and reduce manual bookkeeping work.

6. Choose painting services to offer

Choosing what services you want to offer will help hone your skills and focus your marketing strategy. Pick your service offering based on what you want to do, what you’re good at, and what your clients need.

Here are some types of painting services you might offer:

• Interior painting
• Exterior painting
• Construction painting
• Repaints
• Staining
• Drywall repairs
• Wallpaper removal
• Metal door painting
• Deck reconditioning
• Pressure washing or power washing

If you’re just starting out, consider focusing on a few core services, such as interior painting, exterior painting, and repaints. These services are in high demand, require less specialized equipment, and help you build a portfolio before expanding into additional services.

READ MORE: How to get painting contracts that grow your business

7. Get the right painting equipment

Painting equipment can be expensive, so start by investing in the essentials and build your inventory of equipment over time. As your business grows, you can invest in additional painting supplies for larger or more specialized projects.

What equipment do you need to start a painting business? At a minimum, you’ll need painting startup tools like brushes, rollers, paint trays, drop cloths, painter’s tape, scrapers, sandpaper, and a ladder.

If you’re a house painter, start with this painting equipment list:

• A few brushes of different sizes
• Roller
• Paint trays
• Drop cloths
• Sandpaper
• Painter’s tape
• Scrapers
• A ladder and a caulking gun (for exterior paint jobs)

You can rent advanced tools, like paint sprayers, when you actually need them. Those can cost over $500 to purchase and eat into your other important startup costs.

For commercial painting jobs, the supplies you’ll need include:

• A stable commercial ladder
• Canvas drop cloths
• Caulk and compound
• Sandpaper and scrapers
• Industrial primer
• A pressure washer
• A tape measure
• Stir sticks
• An extension pole
• Edging tools

Graham recommends always keeping your paint tools with you, and not borrowing supplies from your clients, or the painters you’re working with.

Choose business software

In addition to equipment, you’ll need painting contractor software to help run your day-to-day operations. As your business grows, manually keeping track of estimates, schedules, customer information, invoices, and payments can be time-consuming and lead to costly mistakes.

Here’s what you can do with Jobber’s painting business software:

• Quickly create professional estimates that include suggested add-ons or optional packages. Jobber helps you set the right price every time with quote markups.
• Add painting jobs to your schedule quickly. Jobber lets you visualize your visits for the day and automatically generate most fuel efficient routes.
• Manage customer details, work orders, and communication from the office or on the go with a painting CRM. Jobber makes it easy to keep track of the information you need, like room measurements or paint colors, to complete jobs smoothly.
• Invoice and collect payments. Turn completed jobs into customer-friendly invoices, send them to customers, and automate payment reminders to improve cash flow and get paid up to four times faster.

8. Price and estimate jobs for profit

You need to estimate your painting jobs properly to keep your small business profitable while charging a fair price for services.

Here’s how to price a painting job accurately using a simple painting estimate formula:

Labor + Materials + Overhead + Profit Margin = Job Price

For example, if labor costs are $1,200, materials cost $400, overhead expenses are $200, and you want to earn a $500 profit on the job, your total painting estimate would be $2,300.

By adding together your labor, materials, overhead, and desired profit margin ($1,200 + $400 + $200 + $500), you’ll arrive at a price that helps ensure the job remains profitable.

Many painters estimate by square feet for interior painting jobs as a starting point, then adjust for factors like wall height, surface condition, trim work, repairs, and the number of coats required.

Learn how to quote a painting job accurately using this process:

• Visit the client’s home or building and inspect the conditions of the space.
• Estimate how many hours it will take you to complete the job.
• Multiply the time by the cost of labor.
• Add your materials, overhead costs, and your desired profit margin.
• Use software to total the estimate and send your client a copy of the quote.

Quoting software like Jobber lets you create customer-friendly quotes in minutes. Suggest optional services (like wallpaper removal or drywall repair) directly on your quote and automate your follow-ups to keep work moving forward.

9. Find your first painting customers

The first step to marketing your painting business is establishing a trustworthy brand and a visible online presence. These make your business easy for a potential customer to find.

Try these marketing strategies to reach new customers fast:

10. Hire employees or subcontractors

As your painting business grows, you’ll need to decide whether to hire painting subcontractors, employees, or a combination of both. Each option has advantages, depending on your workload, budget, and growth plans.

Subcontractors are a good option when you’re experiencing seasonal demand, need specialized expertise, or aren’t ready to hire full-time employees. Hiring painting subcontractors has helped Graham complete more work, take on bigger jobs, and open more locations.

You can also rely on subcontractors to supply their own tools and materials, which reduces your costs and responsibilities—and often helps you complete more work in less time.