How to Start a Painting Business: Complete Guide for 2026

Starting a painting business doesn’t require a four-year degree or $50,000 in startup capital. The work is steady (people need painting help all the time) and according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, painters earn a median wage of $48,660 annually, with business owners managing crews reaching $75,000-$150,000+.

But success isn’t guaranteed. You’ll face physical demands, seasonal slowdowns, and competition from established businesses and weekend warriors. This guide walks you through everything: startup costs, licensing requirements by state, how to get your first clients, and when to hire your first crew. Whether you’re an experienced painter going solo or a complete beginner, here’s how to build a painting business that lasts.

TL;DR: How to start a painting business

Startup costs: $500-$2,000 solo (equipment and insurance), $2,000-$5,000 with better equipment and marketing, $5,000-$15,000 with a crew. Bootstrap by renting equipment and charging deposits.

Licensing: Requirements vary dramatically. California, Nevada, and Arizona require contractor licenses. Texas, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania only need business licenses and insurance. Always check local requirements.

Getting started: Register your business (sole proprietor or LLC), get licenses and insurance, buy quality brushes and rollers, set up supplier accounts for contractor pricing, and create basic marketing materials.

No experience? Work for an established company for 3-6 months while learning. Start with simple interior jobs (bedrooms, accent walls). Avoid exterior, multi-story, commercial, and cabinet work initially. Be honest about building your business.

Career track: Solo painter (months 1-6) → solo with subcontractors (months 6-12) → you + one painter (year 2) → small crew (years 2-3) → multiple crews (years 3-5). Don’t hire until you have more work than you can handle alone for 2-3 months straight.

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Is starting a painting business a good idea?

Starting a painting business can be one of the smartest moves for someone with basic skills and hustle. Low barriers to entry, consistent demand, and the ability to scale make it attractive—but it’s not without challenges.

Profitability potential

Painting business owners make an average of $48,660 annually, but that varies widely based on location, specialization, and business model. Solo painters working residential jobs typically earn $40,000-$60,000 annually. Once you’re managing crews and taking on larger commercial projects, you can reach $75,000-$150,000+.

Profit margins in painting typically run 20-40% after materials and labor costs. A $3,000 exterior job might cost $1,500 in paint and labor, leaving $1,500 profit.

Advantages of a painting business

• Low startup costs: You can start for $500-$2,000—just brushes, rollers, drop cloths, and insurance. Most trades require $10,000-$50,000 in specialized tools.
• Steady demand: Homeowners refresh rooms, landlords prep rentals between tenants, and businesses need repainting. Work stays consistent even when the economy slows.
• Scalability: Start solo, add subcontractors when you’re busy, then build a crew. You control how fast you grow.
• Recurring revenue potential: Once you paint someone’s house, they’ll call you again in 5-7 years. Commercial contracts and property management relationships create predictable income.

Challenges to consider

• Physical demands: You’re on ladders, bending, reaching, and standing for 8-10 hours daily. The work takes a toll on your body over time.
• Seasonal fluctuations: Exterior painting slows dramatically in winter in most climates. You’ll need to pivot to interior work or save money during busy seasons to cover slow months.
• Competitive market: Low barriers to entry mean you're competing with established businesses and weekend painters undercutting prices. You’ll need to stand out through quality and reliability.
• Client acquisition: Getting your first clients is hard without reviews or word-of-mouth. Expect a slow first 3-6 months while you build your reputation.

How much does it cost to start a painting business?

Starting a painting business costs anywhere from $500 to $15,000, depending on whether you’re going solo or hiring a crew immediately.

Minimum startup (solo painter): $500-$2,000

You can start a house painting business with basic equipment:

• Essential equipment ($300-$1,000): Quality brushes and roller frames ($100-$200), extension poles ($30-$50), drop cloths ($50-$100), painter’s tape ($30), basic ladder ($100-$300), buckets and trays ($20), hand tools for prep work ($50).
• Insurance and licensing ($200-$1,000): General liability insurance runs $500-$1,500 annually but you can pay monthly. A business license costs $50-$200, depending on your city. If your state requires a contractor license, add $500-$2,000 for testing and application fees.

Standard startup (solo with better equipment): $2,000-$5,000

• Upgraded equipment ($1,000-$2,500): Airless paint sprayer ($300-$800), better ladders including extension ladder ($300-$500), power sander ($100-$200), shop vacuum ($100), professional brushes and rollers ($200), additional prep tools ($200).
• Marketing and branding ($300-$800): Simple website ($100-$300), business cards and yard signs ($100-$200), vehicle magnets ($50-$100), initial digital ads ($100-$200).
• Working capital ($500-$1,500): This is to cover expenses while waiting for payments. Most clients pay upon completion, but you buy paint up front. Having $1,000-$1,500 prevents cash flow problems during your first few jobs.

Starting with a crew: $5,000-$15,000

• Additional equipment for crew ($2,000-$5,000): Duplicate tools so each painter has their own brushes, rollers, and prep tools. More ladders, additional sprayers, extra drop cloths and materials.
• Vehicle ($3,000-$8,000): Used work van or truck for hauling equipment and supplies. You can start with a personal vehicle and roof rack, but a dedicated work vehicle projects professionalism. Look for older cargo vans with high mileage—they're workhorses.
• Crew costs first month ($2,000-$5,000): Pay painters while building your job pipeline. Budget for 2-4 weeks of payroll before steady work materializes. Workers’ compensation insurance is legally required in most states once you have employees—add $2,000-$5,000 annually, depending on your state.

How to start with minimal money

Bootstrap approach ($500 or less)

Rent equipment initially instead of buying. Home Depot rents airless sprayers for about $100 per day and extension ladders for $30-$50 daily. Use your personal vehicle with a roof rack. Start with interior jobs only, as they require less equipment.

Charge 50% deposits from clients before starting and use that money to purchase paint. Focus on small rooms like single bedroom repaints, accent walls, or small bathrooms. 

Reinvest all profits into equipment during months 1-3 so you can stop renting and can take bigger jobs.

Alternative: Start as a subcontractor

Work for an established painting company on weekends while keeping your day job. You use their equipment and insurance, learn proper techniques, and get paid. After 6-12 months, you'll have $3,000-$8,000 saved plus real experience.

Do I need a license to start a painting business?

Licensing requirements vary dramatically by state. Some require contractor licenses with exams and insurance bonds. Others just need a basic business license.

States requiring contractor license for painting

California, Nevada, and Arizona require painting contractor licenses regardless of experience level. The process typically involves:

• Passing trade and business law exams
• Proving 2-4 years of journeyman experience
• Obtaining surety bonds ($15,000-$25,000)
• Paying application and licensing fees ($500-$2,000 total)

Other states with painting contractor licenses include Oregon, Utah, and Louisiana.

States with no state-level painting license

Texas, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania don’t require state painting licenses. You need a business license from your city and general liability insurance, but no painting-specific credential. However, cities within these states may still require local licenses or registration.

Business licenses and insurance

• Business license: Required by most cities ($50-$200 annually). Register your business name and get an Employer Identification Number (EIN—it’s free from the IRS).
• General liability insurance: $500-$1,500 annually for $1 million coverage. Needed to work with most clients and pull permits.
• Workers’ compensation: Required by law in most states once you hire employees. Budget $2,000-$5,000+ annually for a small crew.

Step-by-step: How to start a painting business

Starting a painting business involves more than just buying brushes and finding clients. Here’s the roadmap from business registration to your first paying customer.

Step 1: Choose your business structure and register

Most painters start as sole proprietorships—it’s simple and cheap. Form a  limited liability company (LLC) once you hire employees or take larger jobs (cost: $100-$500, depending on state). Register your business name, get your free EIN from the IRS, and open a business bank account.

Step 2: Get required licenses and insurance

Apply for your state contractor license if required (allow 4-8 weeks). Get your city business license online. Purchase general liability insurance before your first job—shop around for the best rates.

Step 3: Purchase essential equipment

Buy quality brushes and rollers first—cheap tools leave bad finishes and slow you down. For example, purdy and Wooster brushes cost more up front but last years. Add ladders, drop cloths, painter’s tape, spackling compound, sandpaper and sanding blocks, and basic cleaning supplies.

Wait on the airless sprayer until you’ve completed 10-15 jobs manually. Sprayers speed up work but require skill to avoid overspray and uneven coating. Master the brush and roller technique first.

Step 4: Set up supplier accounts

Open accounts at Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, or local paint suppliers. Account holders get contractor pricing (typically 30-40% off retail), access to better products, and the ability to charge materials and pay at month-end. Build relationships with paint store staff—they’ll recommend products and help with challenging projects.

Step 5: Develop pricing structure

Price by the job, not hourly. Estimate job duration, calculate paint costs, add labor at $30-$50/hour, and include a buffer for issues. Standard pricing framework:

• Small bedroom: $300-$500. 
• Living room: $600-$900. 
• Exterior single-story: $2,500-$4,500.

Step 6: Create basic marketing materials

Get a simple website showing services, coverage area, and contact info (Squarespace or Wix cost $15-$30 monthly). Print business cards ($50 for 500) and yard signs ($100-$200 for 5-10). Set up Google Business Profile (free) and add photos as you complete jobs.

Step 7: Get your first clients

Word-of-mouth marketing can be powerful, especially when you’re just starting out. Tell everyone you know. Offer discounted rates to friends and family for reviews. Post in local Facebook groups and Nextdoor. Price 10-20% below market for your first 5-10 jobs.

Step 8: Deliver exceptional service and collect reviews

Show up on time, protect floors, and clean up completely. Take before and after photos for your portfolio. Ask for Google reviews before you leave: you’ll likely get an 80% response in person versus a 20% later. 

Ask satisfied clients for referrals. A simple question like “Who else do you know who might need painting?” often yields names of neighbors or family who trust their recommendation.

Step 9: Set up systems for managing jobs and crew (as you grow)

Once booking multiple jobs weekly, track which painters are on which jobs, clock-in times, and job budgets. Homebase can help you handle crew scheduling, GPS time tracking, and team communication.

Step 10: Scale your painting business

Growth path: Solo painter (months 1-6), solo with occasional subcontractor (months 6-12), you plus one painter (year 2), small crew (years 2-3), multiple crews (years 3-5). Wait until you have more work than you can handle alone for 2-3 months before hiring.

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Starting a painting business with no experience

You can start a painting business without professional experience, but start strategically to avoid reputation-damaging disasters.

Gain basic skills first

Work for an established painting company for 3-6 months, even part-time so you get paid while learning. Volunteer to paint a friend’s room for practice. Watch YouTube tutorials on cutting in, rolling, and surface prep. Start with simple interior jobs like single-color rooms without trim.

What you need to know before your first paying job

Learn proper surface preparation (cleaning, sanding, patching holes). Master cutting in (painting clean lines along trim and ceilings without tape). Develop rolling technique for even coverage without roller marks. Understand paint coverage rates (one gallon covers 350-400 square feet). Know how to protect floors and furniture properly.

Start with easiest jobs

Interior painting is most beginner-friendly: single-color bedroom repaints, accent walls, small bathrooms, and ceiling painting.

Avoid these initially: exterior painting (requires more skill, safety equipment, and surface prep knowledge), multi-story homes (ladder safety concerns), commercial projects (higher expectations and stricter timelines), and cabinet painting (requires spray skill or very careful brushwork).

Learn on the job

Be honest with clients about building your business and offering competitive rates. Don’t claim expertise you don't have. Price fairly for your skill level—around 20-30% below established competitors initially.

Improve with each job by watching professional painting YouTube channels, asking paint store reps for technique advice, investing in quality brushes and rollers, and taking photos of your work to track improvement.

When to hire experienced painters

Once you have steady work but lack time or advanced skills, hire experienced painters as subcontractors (1099). They handle technical work while you manage client relationships. Pay $15-$25/hour or 40-50% of job value. Learn from watching them work.

Types of painting business and specializations

Not all painting work is the same. Understanding the different types helps you choose where to start and how to grow strategically.

• Residential interior painting: Interior work runs year-round and requires less equipment than exterior. Projects range from single rooms ($300-$600) to whole-house repaints ($3,000-$8,000). Lower equipment costs and easier to start, but also lower profit margins and more furniture moving.
• Residential exterior painting: Exterior jobs pay better—$3,000-$7,000 for typical homes. Higher profit per job and visible advertising when neighbors see your work. Downside: seasonal in most climates, physically demanding, and requires expensive equipment like tall ladders and power washers.
• Commercial painting: Offices, retail spaces, restaurants, and apartment complexes. Jobs run $5,000-$50,000+, often requiring night/weekend work to avoid disrupting business. Larger jobs and repeat contracts with property managers, but longer payment terms (30-60 days) and higher insurance requirements.
• Specialty painting: Cabinet refinishing ($2,000-$6,000 per kitchen), deck staining, decorative finishes, epoxy garage floors, and line striping. Less competition and higher margins, but requires specialized skills and a smaller market.

So which type of painting business should you choose? Start with residential interiors to learn skills and build reputation with minimal equipment investment. Add exterior once you’re more comfortable on ladders as it can provide a seasonal income boost. Move into commercial once you have a reliable crew and capacity for larger jobs.

Managing your painting crew and jobs

Running a painting company means managing people, schedules, and client expectations simultaneously. It’s harder than doing the painting yourself.

The challenge of managing painters

Your first hire changes everything. You’re responsible for their livelihood, their work reflects on your reputation, and you need steady jobs to keep them busy. As you add painters, coordination multiplies—who’s on which job? Did everyone show up? Is one job running over? Multi-day projects need consistent crews. Seasonal fluctuations mean summer brings too much work while winter leaves you scrambling.

Time tracking and payroll

Without accurate time tracking, you can’t calculate actual job costs, painters might inflate hours, and payroll becomes guesswork. Common payment structures: hourly ($15-$25/hour), per-job flat rate, or percentage (40-50% to subcontractors). Manual timesheets create opportunities for “timesheet inflation”—adding 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there.

Client communication and scheduling

Juggling multiple clients and crews gets complicated fast. You’re coordinating start dates, handling weather delays, and keeping clients informed. Clear communication about timelines and what’s happening each day prevents complaints and builds trust.

Where Homebase helps painting businesses

Homebase simplifies crew management with:

• Employee scheduling to show which painters are on which jobs with automatic reminders
• GPS time tracking to show when painters arrive at and leave job sites. 
• Job management to let you assign specific jobs to crew members with addresses and client details. 
• Team communication to send updates about job changes or delays directly to affected painters without group texts.

Tips for starting a successful painting business

• Avoid underpricing jobs: Calculate materials, labor hours at your target rate, overhead, and profit margin. Don’t compete on price alone—you’ll work yourself to death making no money.
• Never skip surface prep: Proper prep makes the difference between paint lasting 6 months versus 6 years. Clean, sand, patch, prime. Customers notice quality months later, and word spreads faster about bad work.
• Always carry insurance: One mistake without insurance could bankrupt you—damaged floors, broken windows, falls from ladders. General liability costs $40-$120 monthly and protects everything you’ve built.
• Master client communication: Return calls within 2 hours. Show up when you say you will. Text arrival time updates. Explain delays immediately. Communication matters more than painting skills for getting referrals.
• Don’t take jobs beyond your skill level: Turning down work you can't handle well protects your reputation. Better to decline cabinet refinishing than deliver poor results that generate bad reviews.
• Track job costs religiously: Know what every job actually costs—materials, labor hours, overhead—and compare it to your estimates. You’ll discover which job types lose money and which print cash. Double down on profitable work.
• Diversify marketing channels: Don’t depend on one source for all clients. Mix yard signs, Google Business Profile, Nextdoor posts, Facebook ads, and referral relationships with real estate agents and property managers.

Conclusion: Start your painting business today with Homebase

Starting a painting business comes down to three things: getting legal (licenses and insurance), getting equipment (quality brushes and tools), and getting clients (reviews and referrals).

Start small with your first 10 clients. Those reviews carry you further than any marketing budget. As you grow, Homebase helps manage crews with scheduling, GPS time tracking, and team communication—so you can focus on growth instead of spreadsheets.

Ready to get started? Register your business, get insured, and land your first client. The rest builds from there.

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