Starting a painting business is an exciting venture filled with creative potential and entrepreneurial opportunities. Whether you’re an experienced painter looking to become an entrepreneur, or someone who wants to pursue their passion for artistry, working in the painting trade has many benefits. There is competition within the painting industry, and learning how to differentiate yourself through your painting skills, techniques, and quality of work can help you stand out as a Painter Pro. With the growing population, there is a high demand for quality painting services to maintain the appearances of buildings, homes, and public spaces.
This comprehensive guide will help navigate you through the steps needed to launch a successful painting business – from laying the foundation of your brand identity, to building a business structure and online presence.
1. Mastering Your House Painting Skills
While you may already be a Painting Pro, there are always new skills and techniques to learn in the industry. Painting involves creativity, precision, and an eye for colour and design. It is important to keep up with new trends in the painting industry, and keep your skills polished in order to avoid mistakes while on the job. House painting skills are key for your success in your painting business, and customers may pay extra if your painting skills stand out.
Some house painting skills you may need are:
- Painting while on a height. You may be required to paint a ceiling or crown moulding
- Painting multiple even coats of colour
- How to apply primer
- Caulking
- How to use paint brushes, spray guns and paint rollers
- Interior house painting skills and techniques
- Exterior house painting skills and techniques
- How to use different kinds of paints (oil, acrylic, latex)
Be sure to check if there are any courses you can take to learn better techniques or if there is another Painter Pro that can teach you their tips and tricks. Starting your own painting business involves lots of learning, and homeowners will expect beautiful results.
2. Decide On Your Painting Services
While painting abilities vary and involve numerous techniques, you may find yourself drawn to a particular style or skill that you excel at. When starting your painting business, it’s essential to decide the type of painting services you aim to provide to your customers. By concentrating on a specific service, you can establish a reputation as a specialist in that area and refine your expertise within the painting industry. This may also assist you in coming up with a distinctive name for your painting business.
A few painting services you may consider offering are:
- Staining
- Wallpaper removal
- Interior painting
- Exterior painting
- Ceiling painting
- Power washing
- Metal door painting
- Deck and fence painting
- Trim painting
- Coating
- Stucco painting
- Repaints
Commercial Painting:
Commercial painting involves painting schools, office buildings, hospitals, shopping malls, and generally areas that are open to the public. The painting skills involved in commercial painting are more for aesthetic purposes, and the finished project needs to look clean and professionally done.
Residential Painting:
Residential painters are for the interior and exterior of homes, such as apartments, condominiums, townhouses, houses, and other residential properties. This painting service encompasses a range of services aimed at improving the appearance and protection of residential properties. It requires you to be very precise and meet the preferences and needs of homeowners.
Industrial Painting:
Industrial painting involves painting industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, factories, warehouses, and construction sites. This painting service is essential for protecting surfaces from rust, environmental damage, exposure to chemicals and hazardous materials, and corrosion. Industrial painting is focused on durability and long-lasting coats and requires more advanced equipment to ensure long-lasting protection. While aesthetics are not the biggest focus in industrial painting, it is always important to keep your paint jobs professional to maintain your painting business reputation.
3. Get the Right Licenses and Certifications for Your Painting Business
One of the most important things to do before starting your painting business is to obtain a business license. The specific type of license you need will vary depending on your province. This process typically involves registering your business with the appropriate authorities. Be sure to research specific licensing regulations and requirements for painting businesses in your area, permits you will need, contractor licenses, or any specific certifications that are related to the painting industry. Certain paints can be hazardous and highly flammable, such as epoxy, primers, latex paint, and acrylic paints. Working with chemicals every day can affect your respiratory system and it is crucial to know the limits of inhaling the paint fumes and how to remove paints from your bare skin.
When obtaining a license for your business, you may need to have this information handy:
- Your painting business name
- Physical address
- Ownership structure
- Tax number
By obtaining the necessary business license and permits, you can operate your painting business legally and build trust with customers while avoiding potential fines or penalties.
4. Name Your Painting Business
Crafting the perfect name for your painting business is a crucial step that sets the tone for your brand identity and communicates your work to potential customers. Think about your mission and the vision you see as a Painter Pro. Your painting business name may also depend on the type of services you are offering. For example, if you are specifically a house painter, your name could be “House Painting by (your name).” Since the painting industry is artistic and creative, aiming for a name that is memorable, unique and stands out among other Painter Pros is ideal. If you specialize in a particular style or technique of painting, it should reflect in your business name. Think of a name that sparks curiosity and leaves a lasting impression on your potential customers.
How to Register Your Painting Business in Canada
Before finalizing on your business name, conduct a thorough search to ensure that it is not already in use by another painting business or trademarked by another business. Once you have decided on a name, be sure to check with your local business registration office to find out the requirements and procedures you need to go through to have it registered. Some requirements may include a paying a fee or filling out a registration form.
You can check if your painting business name is taken by:
- Checking domain availability for your website and social media usernames
- Searching on Google if another painting business comes up
- Conduct a NUANS database search by region
- Look at Canada business registries
Trademark Your Painting Business
Trademarking your painting business name is vital for safeguarding your brand identity and reputation. By obtaining a trademark for your painting business name, logo, or slogan, you gain all the exclusive legal rights for that name within the area you work in. Having this protection will prevent other Painter Pros from using a similar name or logo that could cause confusion among customers and affect your business.
5. Get Insurance for Your Painting Business
Getting the right insurance for your painting business is a crucial step in protecting yourself, your employees, and your assets from potential risks and liabilities. Painting projects often involve working at heights, handling hazardous materials and paints, and interacting with clients and their personal properties. All of these pose potential risks. With the right insurance coverage, you can mitigate financial losses and legal liabilities in the event of accidents, property damage, or injuries occurring while on the job.
A few types of insurance you may want to consider for your painting business are:
- Commercial General Liability Insurance: This will cover any bodily harm or property damage claims, including injuries from your industrial painting equipment.
- Commercial Property Insurance: This will cover claims if you are painting in commercial properties such as office buildings, schools, or hospitals.
- Vehicle Insurance: You are most likely using a vehicle to get to your painting jobs. This insurance is essential for incidents such as breakdowns, accidents, as well any theft of painting equipment that you may store inside it.
- Health Insurance: Having health insurance is crucial for running a painting business to ensure the well-being of you and your employees. Painting involves working with hazardous materials and chemicals which can cause health issues.
- Errors and Omissions Insurance: As a Painter Pro, this insurance is essential when painting a customer’s personal residential property. If a customer feels you haven’t met their time deadline or the painting design is not correct, this type of insurance will help you with any claims if they are unhappy with your service.
- Employment Practices Liability Insurance: This insurance is essential if an employee you hired decides to file a lawsuit against you for any reason.
By investing in the right insurance for your painting business, you will gain peace of mind knowing that you are protected against any unforeseen accidents that could affect your reputation.
6. Set up a Business Bank Account
Setting up a dedicated business bank account for your painting business is essential to help separate your personal finances from your business finances. This is crucial for maintaining all your business records, tracking your expenses for things such as painting equipment and gas, and will simplify tax season preparation. Having a business bank account adds professionalism to your painting business and instills confidence in customers when conducting financial transactions.
7. Create a Price Guide
Now that you know which painting services you plan to offer, you can decide how you want to price them. To accurately price your work, you can:
- Visit the property or customer’s home to inspect the condition of the area and how big the job may be
- Estimate how many hours it will take you to complete the job and calculate it based on your hours as well as your employees hours
- Calculate how much material, paint, and supplies you will need to complete the job
- Figure out your desired profit
Decide on Payment Methods for Your Customers
Set up your desired payment method of how you want your customers to pay you for your painting services. Create an invoice for your clients after a job is done that outlines the work you did, the price, and any other important information.
You should also decide which payment methods you accept such as cash, cheques, credit, debit, or e-transfer.
8. Purchase Painting Equipment
Purchasing the right painting equipment is a very important task, as you want to use the best tools that will give you the desired results for the services you plan to offer. If you are offering residential painting services, the aesthetic and design is crucial, so certain brushes may be needed. For industrial painting, a larger brush or specific paint roller may be needed, as well as paint sprayers for large areas.
Some tools and supplies you may need for house painting are:
- Paint brushes in various sizes
- Paint rollers
- Drop cloths
- Wire brush
- Paint cans
- Scrapers
- Caulking gun
- Paint tape
- Ladder or stool
- Sandpaper
- Paint tray for mixing
For commercial or industrial painting jobs, additional equipment and tools you may need are:
- Industrial primer
- Pressure washer
- Caulk and compound
- Sprayers
- Extension pole
- Putty knife
- Scaffolding
While these are essential supplies needed for almost every paint job, the tools may vary depending on the project. If you are painting the exterior of a home, the type of paint will vary, as well as the paintbrushes used and the technique. Once you begin working at different jobs, you will start to understand what tools are needed and what works best for you to achieve the desired results for your customers.
9. Market Your Painting Business and Build an Online Presence
Having a marketing strategy for your painting business is essential to gain customers and build your reputation in the industry. Here are a few ways you can begin to advertise your painting business:
Social Media
Social media is one of the best ways to market your new painting business. Many viewers enjoy watching people paint, as the paint strokes can feel soothing and fun to watch. You can create a TikTok account and record yourself painting large walls, painting a specific design, or teaching a technique. This will not only boost your online presence but will help you build a following of interested viewers and potential customers.
You can also share before and after photos of your paint jobs for house painting, exterior painting, or aesthetically pleasing paint jobs on commercial properties. These are all great ways to show off your painting skills, the services you offer, and your expertise as a Painter Pro. The content you can share on social media for your artistic work is endless. Be sure to create a unique username that is consistent on all platforms, if possible, to avoid confusion and keep your painting business name uniform across the web.
Make a Website
Creating a website for your painting business is a great way to market your business. Your website can include your portfolio of past work, a section where customers can learn more about the services you offer, your contact information, and a description about you as a Painter Pro. Customers will be able to check your website to answer any questions before contacting you directly which can also save you time while at a job. Having a professional website enhances your credibility as a Painter Pro, provides a platform for you to showcase your expertise, and can make you stand out in the painting industry.
A few free website builders you can use are:
Start a Blog Page
On your website, you can include a blog page with blog posts sharing painting skill tips, a list of your favorite painting tools, or how to use different types of paints and equipment. Having written content on your website will help improve your SEO, boost your online visibility, attract organic traffic, and help you get more painting leads.
Create a Google My Business Listing
Claiming a Google My Business listing is crucial for advertising your painting business. You can include your contact information, your website URL, a description of the services you offer, images, links to your social media, and receive reviews once you begin working. Your Google My Business profile is something you need to keep updated with your hours of operation, respond to reviews, and add images after completing jobs that you are proud of.
Create a HomeStars Listing
Another way to market your painting business is to create a free HomeStars listing. HomeStars is the largest marketplace in Canada for home service professionals to get connected with homeowners. This platform will help you get started with attracting your first customers and boosting your online presence. HomeStars has a strong domain authority, and your painting business can be seen by hundreds of customers looking for a Painter Pro. On your HomeStars listing, you can include your contact information, address, images, social media links, list the services you offer, receive and request reviews, and add a link to your website.
10. Hire a Team or Work Solo
Once you have established the type of painting services you want to offer and develop your marketing structure, you can figure out if you need to hire a team or if you are able to work alone as a Painter Pro. Depending on the projects you take on, having a team of people will be necessary, but for smaller paint jobs you may be able to work solo.
For commercial painting jobs, you will need a team of people. The areas are large, and the project may span days or weeks. Assistance becomes essential, particularly when working at heights, operating large machinery and equipment, or handling hazardous paint materials.
For residential painting jobs, you may be able to work alone or with just a couple of other Painter Pros, depending on the size of the space and project.
When hiring employees, you will need to make sure they have the necessary licenses, certifications, and workplace safety training. You will also want to make sure that they reach your standard of work and technique on the artistic side of your job to maintain your painting business reputation.
Have a Uniform or Wear Company Colours
Being in the painting industry means you are in the art industry as well. Customers will want to use you for your creative eye and quality painting skills. As a Painter Pro, wearing a uniform that aligns with your business logo’s colours serves as a powerful marketing tool while working on-site. For commercial and industrial painting jobs, you and your team can wear a uniform with your painting business logo and name, or simply coordinate colours to help showcase you as a painting company that takes pride in their work, professionalism, and artistry.
11. Starting a Painting Business in Ontario
To begin working on your painting business, you will need to register your business name with the government of Ontario or on Ontario Business Central. You will also need to check if you need any specific licenses or permits within the province before you begin offering painting services. While it is not mandatory in Ontario, you may want to consider obtaining a 404C Painter and Decorator certificate if you plan to work on painting commercial properties. Most businesses in Ontario will also have to register with the federal government for a GST/HST tax account. Keep in mind that business renewals in Ontario are required every five years.
Once you have registered your painting business and figured out your ownership structure, you will receive a CRA Tax Account along with a Business Number (BN). This will be helpful when submitting tax forms as well as paying employees if you decide to hire a team. The Ontario government requires that you register your painting business name within the first 60 days of opening your business.
12. Starting a Painting Business in Alberta
Painting businesses in Alberta must register with the City of Calgary and register their business name. Painter Pros will need to get location approval for their business, to ensure you are operating legally and professionally. In Alberta, you need to have the proper licenses and certifications in order to work in the painting trade. You must have a valid Alberta business license and liability insurance.
To become a licensed painter in Alberta, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a valid Alberta driver’s license
- Complete an approved apprenticeship program or three years of relevant experience in the painting industry
- Pass the journeyman painter and decorator certification exam
- Get an Alberta Apprenticeship and Industry Training Board license
13. Starting a Painting Business in British Columbia
To start your painting business in BC, you must begin by registering your business name and look up the licenses and permits you may need to begin as a Painter Pro. In BC, you are required to register with the federal and provincial government on where you intend on operating your painting business. Be sure to get a Business Number (BN), register for GST/HST tax, and register for payroll deductions depending on if you decide to hire a team of other Painter Pros.
All painting businesses in BC must register for Provincial Sales Tax and register for a GST/HST account. Being diligent when registering for taxes for your painting business is very important to avoid legal issues and penalties.
Build Your Business With Digital Marketing Services
Starting your entrepreneurial journey in the painting business offers many opportunities for your personal success and working in your field of expertise. HomeStars is the largest online marketplace for homeowners to get connected with home service professionals. From establishing your brand identity to showcasing your skills and expertise, HomeStars provides a platform for connecting with customers and building a reputation for excellence in your industry. By leveraging the tools, insights, and community offered by HomeStars, you can position your business for success, and establish yourself as a trusted professional.
To get started, you can get in touch with us to ensure your painting business is being found by homeowners who are looking for a Painter Pro.
