How to start a painting business

How to start a painting business, step by step

1. 01

   Choose repaints, new builds or commercial

   Residential repaints mean working in occupied homes: moving furniture, protecting floors, and talking with the owner every day. New construction means painting for builders on their schedule, with lower prices but steady volume. Commercial means offices and storefronts, often at night or on weekends.

   Most new painters start with interior repaints. Jobs are small enough to finish in a few days, homeowners leave reviews, and a good bedroom leads to the living room.

2. 02

   Get lead-safe certified for older homes

   Under EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, any firm paid to disturb paint in a home or child care facility built before 1978 must be certified, and the work must be done by a certified renovator trained by an EPA-accredited provider. Firm certification costs $300 and lasts five years.

   The renovator course is one 8-hour day. Montana State University Extension, one accredited provider, charges $300 for the initial course and $150 for the 4-hour refresher every five years. Before work starts, you must give owners and occupants EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet.

   On the job, cover the floor with taped-down plastic six feet beyond the area you're working on indoors, and the ground ten feet out for exterior work.

3. 03

   Check your state's license rules

   Some states license painting contractors above a set dollar amount. In California, an unlicensed painter can only take jobs under $1,000 in labor and materials, with no permit and no employees, and must say they're unlicensed in ads. A full interior repaint can easily go past that.

   California's contractor license costs a $450 application fee and a $200 initial license fee for a sole owner, plus a $25,000 bond. Check your own state's contractor board before you bid.

4. 04

   Estimate from measured wall area

   Measure, don't guess. For each room, add up the wall lengths and multiply by the ceiling height, then subtract large windows and doors. A 12 by 12 foot room with 8-foot ceilings has 384 square feet of wall before openings. Divide by the coverage on the paint label, and double it for two coats.

   Then add labor hours for prep, which can take as long as the painting: patching, sanding, caulking, masking and moving furniture. Quote a fixed price per room or per job, and list what's included.

5. 05

   Buy a sprayer and containment

   Rollers and brushes do most interior work. An airless sprayer pays for itself on exteriors, ceilings, fences and empty rooms. Add a 6-foot fiberglass ladder, drop cloths, rolls of 6 mil plastic sheeting for lead-safe jobs, painter's tape, and a good caulk gun.

   Open a contractor account with a local paint store and ask what pricing it offers. The staff can also match colors from a chip and tint on the spot.

6. 06

   Insure against paint and ladder accidents

   Register with your state and city, get your free EIN, and buy general liability cover. Paint on a hardwood floor or a ladder through a window is the kind of claim it covers, and builders and property managers will ask for a certificate before you start.

   Add your EPA lead-safe certification number and any state license number to your quotes, your invoices and your site. Clients with older homes look for both before they call.

7. 07

   Show finished rooms online

   Painting sells on photos and trust. Your site needs a gallery of finished rooms and exteriors, the services you offer with starting prices, the area you cover, your EPA lead-safe badge, reviews, and a quote form that asks the year the home was built, so you know when RRP applies. Replo builds that site and puts it live on your domain.

   Replo doesn't schedule crews or send invoices. Embed Jobber's online booking or a Calendly link on the page so homeowners can pick a time for an estimate visit.

What it costs to start a painting business

Startup costs for interior and exterior repaints, including EPA lead-safe certification. Skip pre-1978 homes at first to delay the two certification rows.

Your first 30 days

1. Week 1

   Certify and register

   • Book an RRP initial course with an EPA-accredited training provider.
   • Apply for EPA firm certification once you hold the course certificate.
   • Register the business, get your EIN and quote liability insurance.
   • Check your state contractor board's dollar limit for painting.

2. Week 2

   Gear up and practice

   • Buy a sprayer, ladder, plastic sheeting and masking supplies.
   • Paint one room for a friend and time prep and painting separately.
   • Build a per-room price sheet from those hours and the paint label.

3. Week 3

   Launch and estimate

   • Launch your site with a gallery, services and a quote form.
   • Open a contractor account at your local paint store.
   • Visit every estimate request within two days and send a written quote.

4. Week 4

   Finish and follow up

   • Complete your first paid job and walk the room with the owner.
   • Ask for a review and photos you can post on your site.
   • Offer the next room or the exterior at a returning-client price.

Build your painting business site

Frequently asked questions

Is $50 an hour good for a painter?

It can be, for an owner. The BLS reports a median wage of $23.75 an hour for employed painters. Your rate must also cover prep supplies, insurance, certification, driving, taxes and days between jobs, which an employee's wage doesn't.

How much paint does a 12x12 room need?

With 8-foot ceilings, its walls are about 384 square feet before windows and doors. Divide that by the coverage printed on your paint's label and double it for two coats. Ceilings and trim are separate, so measure them on their own.

Do I need lead certification to paint houses?

Yes, for homes built before 1978 if you're paid to disturb painted surfaces. EPA requires the firm to be certified, for $300 every five years, and the work to be done by a renovator trained by an EPA-accredited provider.

Do I need a license to start a painting business?

Often, depending on your state and job size. In California, painting jobs of $1,000 or more, permitted work, or jobs with employees need a contractor license, which costs a $450 application fee and a $200 initial license fee for a sole owner.

How much does it cost to start a painting business?

About $760 for a sprayer, ladder, plastic sheeting and a domain. Adding EPA firm certification and an RRP renovator course brings it to about $1,360. A state contractor license, insurance and scheduling software add to that.