What Do You Need to Start a Painting Company?

To start a painting company you need three things: a business license, insurance, and a plan for finding and selling paint jobs. You do not need equipment, employees, or painting experience. We get emails constantly asking about equipment, headcount, and experience requirements, and our answer is always the same: none. In this article we go over the real requirements of getting into this very profitable industry and dispel some myths for anyone considering it as a serious business.

How Do You Keep a New Painting Company Legal?

Business licensing

Wherever you operate, odds are you need a business license. In the U.S. this can be as easy as a trip to your local county clerk: file some paperwork, pay a fee, and you're registered. Fee schedules vary with the type of entity you establish (sole proprietor, LLC, corporation), so research the requirements ahead of time and bring the right documentation. In crowded areas, plan for a couple of hours of waiting in line.

Insurance

Depending on local laws, you'll likely need an insurance policy before you do business. Three types matter for painting companies:

• Liability insurance: protects you, your business, and your clients in the event of mishaps on the job.
• Workers' compensation: covers employees injured on the job, and is a legal requirement in virtually every state.
• Auto insurance: required for anyone driving a company vehicle.

Solicitor's license

Highly dependent on local ordinances. Many smaller areas don't require one, but if yours does, get it before doing any door-to-door marketing.

What Do You Need Before You Start Looking for Customers?

Beyond licensing and insurance, you need a plan for how you'll acquire customers and serve them. We give away the two most important materials for booking paint jobs fast: our estimating guide, with the formulas thousands of contractors use nationwide, and our proposal and contract template. Then learn how paint job pricing breaks down, and practice estimating on your own house or a friend's before you go looking for work. Being comfortable with the forms and pricing plays a major role in landing your first job.

How Do You Finish a Job With Zero Painting Experience?

Use subcontractors

This is the biggest myth we run into: most people think they need to spend thousands on equipment and materials. You don't. Before you go looking for customers, find a trustworthy subcontractor who can produce the jobs you sell. It's as easy as posting on Craigslist and running interviews. Ask applicants to bring photo examples of their work, and look for someone who has been around a while and is confident in their crew.

Three rules when hiring subs: verify they are properly licensed and insured (don't hire subs who aren't), file 1099 tax forms for them, and put a work agreement in writing; free contract examples online will help protect you. We recommend the subcontractor model because it protects your profit margins and lets you scale production quickly.

Roll up your sleeves on small jobs

If a customer just needs one room painted and you don't want to give the work to a sub, painting isn't rocket science. Instructional walkthroughs make it easy to learn what to buy and how to paint a room with no experience. One word of caution: large jobs, especially exteriors, can be very complicated if you've never done them. With zero exterior experience, don't practice on a customer's house. Sub those out.

Where Do You Go From There?

That really is all it takes to open a painting business. What comes next is improving how effectively you book jobs and how you handle production logistics: hiring and training managers, running a proven sales script, and using the systems that keep painting companies in seven-figure revenue year after year. That's exactly what we teach in the Painting Business Pro course, and our doors are always open if you have questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need painting experience to start a painting company?

No. You can sell the jobs and have licensed, insured subcontractors produce them. Many successful owners never pick up a brush.

Do I need to buy equipment to start a painting business?

No. If you use subcontractors, they bring their own equipment and materials. Only buy a small amount of materials if you choose to do a small job yourself.

What insurance does a painting company need?

Liability insurance, workers' compensation (legally required nearly everywhere if you have employees), and auto insurance for any company vehicle.

How do I find reliable subcontractors?

Post on Craigslist and interview candidates. Require photo examples of their work, confirm licensing and insurance, file 1099s, and sign a written work agreement.