How to Start a Painting Business

Starting a painting business can be one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a professional painter.

If you do it right, you get the biggest reward of being your own boss: the freedom and control to design your own path. You can set your schedule, choose what projects to do, build a team with the same work ethic, and create a work environment aligned with your values. 

But having your own painting business is far from being all glamor and rewards. If you’ve been working as a professional painter for a while and want to transition into entrepreneurship, you should know that it requires money, skills, commitment, planning, and strategy – a lot of everything – to thrive in the modern marketplace.  

While knowing your way around a paintbrush and mastering painting techniques are necessary, starting a painting business requires more than excellent painting skills.

You should also know how to market your painting services, handle clients, manage your finances, and ensure quality work on every project. Knowing how to write job ads or work a balance sheet is also a helpful skill. 

But the good news is that you don’t need to have everything figured out right now. With the proper guidance, you can set your painting business up for long-term success, even if you’re still figuring most of it out as you go (as we all do). 

This step-by-step guide on starting a painting company will cover the essentials of forming and growing a business, from getting permits to setting up your workflows and landing your first client. We’ll also throw in a few tips on scaling your painting business once it’s operational. 

Now, let’s dive right into the first steps. 

Step 1: The Starting Point

Before starting a painting business, you must understand whether or not you’re ready for your own painting business and are equipped with the skills and know-how to successfully run one. Here’s how this might look: 

Painting Skills 

Your reputation in the painting industry and with customers lies in this particular skill. Painting mastery (or at least a very solid foundation in painting) is required if you want to meet your future clients’ expectations. Clients expect prompt, professional, high-quality work, whether for a small bathroom repainting work or a large commercial building exterior project. 

Painting contractors are expected to master a wide range of techniques, such as surface preparation, basic brushwork, paint application techniques, and complex finishes, and should be able to pick the right type of paint for many different surfaces and conditions.

Industry Knowledge

Staying updated on industry trends and learning how the market works can help position you as a knowledgeable and credible painting business owner. When you have a good understanding of what your clients want, you can make better business decisions and compete against more established painting companies.  

For example, the Painting Contractors Association regularly publishes articles on industry news and trends on its website and online magazine. Aside from free and paid training videos, it also has a podcast that covers a wide range of painting topics to help painting newbies and pros.  

Financial Readiness

Starting a painting business requires money, of course. You must prepare for the upfront costs of painting tools and equipment, licensing, and marketing. Here’s a breakdown of some major expenses you need to prepare for: 

• Painting tools and equipment: If you’re wondering, “What equipment do I need to start a painting business?” you’ll need paintbrushes, rollers, sprayers, tarps, drop cloths, ladders, scaffolding, sanding tools, scrapers, paint trays, buckets, mixing sticks, safety equipment (masks, goggles, and gloves).
• Vehicle and transportation costs: You may be able to use your personal vehicle to visit job sites. Another option is leasing or purchasing a van or truck to transport you, your team, and/or your equipment. Include expenses for fuel, maintenance, and vehicle insurance in any ongoing expense calculations. 
• Permits, licensing, and insurance: You’ll need a business license in your city or state and a contractor license to work on larger commercial projects. There’s also liability insurance, worker’s compensation insurance (if hiring employees), and bonding costs for government contracts to consider as well. 
• Marketing and branding: You might use some or all of these marketing materials:  business cards, flyers, logo design, website development, SEO, social media ads, Google Business profile, etc. 
• Office and admin costs: Phone service, internet, office supplies for admin work, project management tools, and invoicing software.
• Employee or subcontractor costs: Wages or subcontractor payments, benefits, and payroll taxes. 

With all these costs in mind, determine whether you can cover your start-up expenses in the early stages before you can start earning from your painting projects. 

Customer Service and Networking Skills 

Your customer service and networking skills are just as essential as your painting skills. Happy clients can result in repeat business or referrals, while a bad experience can taint your brand for years with one-star online reviews.

With service-based businesses like painting, it’s important to make clients feel comfortable around you and your team, and happy with their decision to let you paint their property.

If you do great work, you should be easily able to generate new business through word-of-mouth referrals. Meanwhile, networking skills allow you to build relationships with other contractors, construction companies, real estate agents, and interior designers and position your business as a trusted and reliable service provider. This network can be beneficial when you need to source materials or (more importantly) get a client referral. 

Commitment and Self-Discipline

A painting business needs self-discipline and a high level of commitment. Being your own boss means being responsible for everything, from looking for new clients and creating proposals to turning the client’s vision into reality. 

But success takes time, effort, and money. Staying committed means enduring the slow periods, braving the challenging times, maintaining a high standard of work, and putting in the work to keep the business going. Without a boss to keep you in check, you’ll need the discipline to manage your time, finances, and cash flow efficiently.  

Step 2: Plan and Launch Your Painting Business

Any business needs a well-thought-out plan if you want to avoid pitfalls and set yourself up for long-term success. It helps ensure you identify profitable opportunities and build a business that grows and thrives. Here’s how to do it:

Understand Your Market 

Learn about the demand for painting services in your area. Are there underserved areas or industries? This can help you decide whether to focus on residential or commercial projects. Doing so will also identify potential clients and competitors. 

Specialize in a Niche

Set your painting business apart by defining your business niche.

Will you be working on residential, commercial, or industrial painting projects? Will you offer additional services like wallpapering, drywall repair, or pressure washing? Will you be specializing in affordable solutions or high-end finishes? The services you offer and the clients you offer them to can have a significant impact on your branding and marketing efforts and on your long-term chances of success in your local market.

Create a Business Plan

This roadmap for your painting business should clearly define your goals, marketing strategies, and financial projections. It gives an overview of your painting business, your market analysis, a list of the specific services to be provided, your financial plan, and your organizational structure.  

Choose Your Business Structure

This will determine everything affecting your painting business, such as taxes and liabilities. A Sole Proprietorship is the easiest to set up. However, a major disadvantage is its inability to limit liability. Liability covers not only your painting business but also your personal assets. 

This is why a Limited Liability Company (LLC) is ideal for most small businesses. An LLC allows you to protect your personal assets from lawsuits and other efforts to punish your business for nonperformance.

If you want to start your painting business with a partner, set up a partnership. This means sharing not only profits but also debt, losses, and responsibilities for any legal action taken against your business. 

A corporation is more complex and is recommended for larger painting businesses. Most corporations have a C-corp corporate tax status and pay corporate and individual taxes. However, an S-corp corporate tax status is an alternative to an LLC and is available to small businesses with no more than 100 shareholders. 

Set a Budget for Startup Costs 

Estimate your costs for tools, equipment, licensing and permits, marketing, and other ongoing expenses.

Secure Additional Financing

In addition to your startup budget, you may need more funding to cover the early expenses of your painting business. Common financing options include small business loans, business credit cards, and investor funding. 

Get the Required Licenses, Permits, and Insurance

Avoid fines and ensure your painting business runs smoothly –  a business license, contractor license, and general liability insurance are all generally necessary to operate a compliant painting business anywhere in the United States.

Step 3: Set Up Your Business’ Operations

Setting up your painting business operations ensures you deliver your services professionally and efficiently. When you establish your systems early, you can reduce your administrative stress and logistics headaches. Here are the key steps to set up yours: 

Organize Your Workflows

Use project management or painting contractor software to handle multiple painting projects and track job progress.

Create painting business templates to save time on making proposals, estimates, quotes, contracts, and invoices. Establish workflows for standard painting job processes like surface preparation, clean-up, and follow-up. 

Have a Scheduling System for Your Painting Jobs

Use a shared digital calendar for meetings, client consultations, and painting jobs. Leave buffer time for when projects run longer than planned.

Consider using a dedicated appointment scheduling tool to streamline client bookings. 

Schedule and pay your team, eliminate time fraud, track project progress, and do much more with Workyard

See how it works

Price Your Painting Jobs Accurately

Research pricing for painting jobs in your area by type and scope of work. Develop your own system to estimate painting jobs using spreadsheets or digital tools.

Be Financially Organized

Track income, profit, and expenses using bookkeeping software and set up an invoicing system. Have different payment options to make it easier for clients to pay. 

Strengthen Client Relationships 

Use a CRM system to track client information, communication, and job history. Keep clients engaged to increase the chances of referrals and repeat business. 

Hire the Right People 

Base your hiring decision not just on technical skills but also on character. Check for dependability and commitment to making painting a career and helping your painting business flourish, whether the candidate has no experience or is a seasoned professional. 

Pay Employees Accurately and On Time

Use automated time and attendance trackers for easy monitoring and payroll software to manage wages, benefits, and tax deductions. 

Set Up Safety and Compliance Procedures

Develop safety protocols following the  Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines for handling chemicals and use of equipment.

Train your employees to properly use protective equipment and ensure you have the necessary insurance coverage for your business and employees. 

Step 4: Market and Grow Your Painting Business

Once your painting business is up and running, you’ll need to start promoting it to attract clients. Your success in any marketing efforts will set up your business for faster growth and sustainable long-term success. 

Build Your Professional Online Presence

Build your professional online presence: Create a website detailing your painting services while also highlighting completed projects and client testimonials. Ensure your website is search-friendly and uses relevant keywords. Set up your Google Business Profile to help your painting business appear in Google Maps and local search results.  

Promote Your Painting Business on Social Media

Share photos of completed painting jobs and painting tips on your social media platforms. Use relevant hashtags or run targeted ads to reach homeowners or business owners looking for painting contractors. 

Get Client Reviews and Testimonials

Ask happy and satisfied clients to leave a Google Business Profile review or a rating on your Facebook page. Word of mouth is also one of the best and most effective ways to market a painting business, so encourage your clients to spread the word. Network in your area by partnering with other designers, contractors, and real estate agents. 

Offer Special Discounts and Promotions

Attract your first clients by offering discounts on their painting projects. You can also offer special package deals for those who want multiple services or pitch your services around holidays or off-peak seasons. 

Step 5: Manage and Scale Your Painting Business

Delivering quality work each time while ensuring your business runs like a well-oiled machine is a challenging feat. But this is crucial if you want a healthy cash flow and scale your painting business.

To keep your painting business financially strong, here’s what you need to do: 

Streamline Your Operations

Use project management tools to help run multiple projects and manage responsibilities efficiently. Create standard operating procedures for daily tasks in the office and on-site. Automate administrative work such as scheduling, client management, and invoicing to save valuable hours. 

Pay your team, eliminate time fraud, track project progress, and do much more with Workyard

See how it works

Hire Reliable Employees

As the demand for your painting services increases, you must hire more employees. Start by getting part-time crews or subcontractors with the right skills, experience, and work ethic. Delegate responsibilities as they grow with your company. Roll out training programs regularly to ensure your team meets your standards. 

Maintain Strong Customer Relationships

Use a CRM system for better organization and to ensure no follow-ups or requests are overlooked. Keep gathering client feedback to improve or enhance your services and processes. You can even offer loyalty incentives or special rates to clients who regularly get your services. 

Specialize in High-Demand Niches to Meet Growing Client Needs

To attract new clients and grow your revenue, you can specialize in high-demand niches, such as faux finishing, concrete staining, and commercial and eco-friendly painting projects. 

Keep Generating New Leads

Invest in local marketing techniques such as distributing flyers and business cards. Participate in community or trade events to introduce your business to potential clients and promote your services. 

Making your painting business more visible online through basic local SEO with Google and Yelp for your area can also be a big boost. 

You can also focus on growing your referral network and building professional relationships with people and companies in your industry. 

Manage Your Finances

Make sure you have enough cash flow to pay for overheads, materials, and payroll. Using bookkeeping software can make this task more efficient and accurate.

To scale your business, you must also create financial projections and develop strategies to ensure you have enough funding.

Getting a line of credit or a small business loan can be an option if cash is temporarily tight.  

Final Thoughts

If you want to take the next step in your career as a painting contractor, starting a painting business can be a good, rewarding, and profitable decision.

Every step in this painting business guide can help you in this effort, as we’ve explored creating a sound business plan, setting up an efficient operation, promoting your painting services correctly, and staying on top of your finances. 

But while following these steps to a tee can help ensure your entrepreneurial success, having the right tools to manage your day-to-day and scale your business can be just as important. 

Enter Workyard, a powerful solution designed to streamline your painting business. With features to simplify timekeeping, scheduling, progress tracking, job costing, reporting, field communication, and labor compliance, Workyard lets you focus on what you do best—your craft. 

No more time-consuming paperwork or inaccurate project costs. Workyard ensures you run an organized and profitable business with all painting projects on track, productive team members, and accurate financials. 

Workyard is the best partner for your painting business, whether you’re just starting out or planning to expand. Turn your painting business into a streamlined success. Try Workyard today for free. 

For more information on small business software, check out these resources. You can also find out more about specific state labor laws that apply to employees hours and payroll records:

The 8 Best Time and Attendance Software Solutions for 2024

The 7 Best Roofing Software (Apps and More) for 2024

The 7 Best Calendar Apps for Teams in 2024

A No-Nonsense Review of OnTheClock

Tennessee Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2025)

Maryland Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2025)

New Jersey Labor Laws: A Complete Guide to Wages, Breaks, Overtime, and More (2025)