How to Start a Painting Business

The short answer

Here is how to start a painting business in one paragraph: pick a lane, register and get a free EIN, clear licensing plus the federal lead paint rule, get insured, build the kit, price for margin, and quote fast enough to win the work. Per the BLS, no formal educational credential is required to become a painter: the barrier is compliance and pricing, not a diploma. Every number here was checked live against the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the EPA, the SBA, and the IRS on July 10, 2026.

The backdrop is steady and owner friendly: the BLS counts 342,200 painter jobs in 2024, projects 4 percent growth from 2024 to 2034 with about 28,100 openings a year, and reports 34 percent of painters are self-employed. The May 2025 BLS wage survey puts the median painter at $49,400 a year, about $23.75 an hour.

How to start a painting business in 8 steps

Work them in order: compliance gates the first bid.

1. Pick your lane and validate demand

   Residential repaints are the most common entry point: small jobs, short sales cycles, referrals that compound. Count aging housing stock, property managers, and builders who sub out paint before you commit.

2. Write a one-page plan and startup budget

   Answer four questions: what you paint, who buys it, what it costs to open, and the revenue that makes year one worth it. List startup costs honestly, sprayer to van to insurance, then reverse-engineer the revenue target into jobs a month.

3. Register the entity and get a free EIN

   Per the SBA, a sole proprietorship is easiest but leaves you personally liable for business debts, while an LLC protects personal assets like your van, house, and savings in most cases. Ladders, sprayers, and other people’s homes are why many painters pick the LLC. Then get an EIN directly from the IRS: it is free, issued online in minutes, and required once you hire.

4. Confirm state and local licensing

   Licensing is set state by state: some states require a contractor license or registration above a dollar threshold, others regulate only specialty trades, and many cities add a local license. Check your state contractor board and your city or county license office before you bid.

5. Get EPA RRP certified for pre-1978 homes

   Per the EPA, anyone paid to do work that disturbs paint in homes built before 1978 must hold RRP firm certification, and that includes sole proprietorships. The EPA reports about three-quarters of US homes built before 1978 still contain some lead-based paint, so if you repaint older homes, certification is not optional.

6. Buy the right insurance

   General liability comes first: it covers the overspray on a neighbor’s car, the ladder through a window, and the property manager who will not let an uninsured painter on site. Most states require workers’ compensation the day you hire; add commercial auto for the van.

7. Build your kit and open a supplier account

   The starter kit: an airless sprayer, ladders, brushes and rollers, drop cloths, masking film, a respirator, and a van or trailer. Buy quality on daily-use tools and rent the rest. Open a supplier account for contractor pricing and same-day product.

8. Price for margin and quote fast

   Price every job off burdened labor (the BLS May 2025 median of $23.75 an hour is what a painter earns, not what an hour costs you), materials at supplier prices, and overhead, then add margin. Homeowners hire the first clear, itemized estimate that lands, so send yours the same day. Our roundup of the best estimating apps for painters compares the tools built for that speed.

Price your first paint job from a photo, free →

First customers and a full calendar

Claim a free Google Business Profile, ask past employers and general contractors for overflow work, and put a yard sign on every finished job. The free painting estimate template gives quotes an itemized, professional layout, and setting markup to price jobs for profit keeps them from leaking margin. Half of learning how to start a painting business is keeping the calendar full without giving away the spread.

Quote your first jobs with SimplyWise

Most of learning how to start a painting business is compliance. Winning work is speed. The SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a photo of the job into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds, so you price the repaint on the walkthrough and send the quote from the driveway. It is free to try.

Try the Cost Estimator Free