How Much Does It Cost to Start a Painting Business?
Last updated: May 2026
National Average
Low
$5,000
Medium
$25,000
High
$80,000
A residential and commercial painting contractor providing interior and exterior painting, staining, and surface preparation services.
Time to Launch
1-4 weeks
Profit Margins
25-45%
Break-Even Timeline
1-3 months
Interactive Cost Calculator
Select a state below to see state-adjusted costs.
Startup Cost Calculator
Painting Business in Nationally
Budget:
$5,000
$5,000
$2,500
$300
$500
$2,000
$4,000
$800
Options
Employees:
Startup Costs
$20,100
Monthly Costs
$4,000
First Year Total
$68,100
Startup Costs by State
| State | Low | Medium | High | LLC Fee | Sales Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | $3,850 | $19,250 | $61,600 | $50 | 7.0% |
| West Virginia | $3,850 | $19,250 | $61,600 | $100 | 6.0% |
| Oklahoma | $4,000 | $20,000 | $64,000 | $100 | 4.5% |
| Alabama | $4,050 | $20,250 | $64,800 | $200 | 4.0% |
| Arkansas | $4,050 | $20,250 | $64,800 | $45 | 6.5% |
| North Dakota | $4,100 | $20,500 | $65,600 | $135 | 5.0% |
| Iowa | $4,150 | $20,750 | $66,400 | $50 | 6.0% |
| Kansas | $4,150 | $20,750 | $66,400 | $160 | 6.5% |
| Missouri | $4,150 | $20,750 | $66,400 | $50 | 4.2% |
| South Dakota | $4,150 | $20,750 | $66,400 | $150 | 4.2% |
| Kentucky | $4,200 | $21,000 | $67,200 | $40 | 6.0% |
| Louisiana | $4,200 | $21,000 | $67,200 | $100 | 5.0% |
| Wyoming | $4,200 | $21,000 | $67,200 | $100 | 4.0% |
| Nebraska | $4,250 | $21,250 | $68,000 | $105 | 5.5% |
| Indiana | $4,300 | $21,500 | $68,800 | $95 | 7.0% |
| Michigan | $4,400 | $22,000 | $70,400 | $50 | 6.0% |
| Ohio | $4,400 | $22,000 | $70,400 | $99 | 5.8% |
| New Mexico | $4,500 | $22,500 | $72,000 | $50 | 4.9% |
| South Carolina | $4,500 | $22,500 | $72,000 | $110 | 6.0% |
| Wisconsin | $4,550 | $22,750 | $72,800 | $130 | 5.0% |
| Tennessee | $4,600 | $23,000 | $73,600 | $300 | 7.0% |
| Texas | $4,600 | $23,000 | $73,600 | $300 | 6.3% |
| Georgia | $4,700 | $23,500 | $75,200 | $100 | 4.0% |
| Minnesota | $4,700 | $23,500 | $75,200 | $155 | 6.9% |
| Illinois | $4,750 | $23,750 | $76,000 | $150 | 6.3% |
| Idaho | $4,800 | $24,000 | $76,800 | $100 | 6.0% |
| North Carolina | $4,800 | $24,000 | $76,800 | $125 | 4.8% |
| Pennsylvania | $4,800 | $24,000 | $76,800 | $125 | 6.0% |
| Montana | $4,850 | $24,250 | $77,600 | $35 | 0.0% |
| Utah | $5,000 | $25,000 | $80,000 | $54 | 6.1% |
| Delaware | $5,200 | $26,000 | $83,200 | $110 | 0.0% |
| Nevada | $5,250 | $26,250 | $84,000 | $425 | 6.8% |
| Virginia | $5,350 | $26,750 | $85,600 | $100 | 5.3% |
| Vermont | $5,450 | $27,250 | $87,200 | $125 | 6.0% |
| Arizona | $5,500 | $27,500 | $88,000 | $50 | 5.6% |
| Colorado | $5,500 | $27,500 | $88,000 | $50 | 2.9% |
| Florida | $5,600 | $28,000 | $89,600 | $125 | 6.0% |
| Oregon | $5,600 | $28,000 | $89,600 | $100 | 0.0% |
| Rhode Island | $5,600 | $28,000 | $89,600 | $150 | 7.0% |
| Maine | $5,700 | $28,500 | $91,200 | $175 | 5.5% |
| New Hampshire | $5,850 | $29,250 | $93,600 | $102 | 0.0% |
| Washington | $5,900 | $29,500 | $94,400 | $200 | 6.5% |
| Connecticut | $5,950 | $29,750 | $95,200 | $120 | 6.3% |
| Maryland | $6,050 | $30,250 | $96,800 | $100 | 6.0% |
| New Jersey | $6,250 | $31,250 | $100,000 | $125 | 6.6% |
| Alaska | $6,350 | $31,750 | $101,600 | $250 | 0.0% |
| New York | $6,950 | $34,750 | $111,200 | $200 | 4.0% |
| California | $7,600 | $38,000 | $121,600 | $70 | 7.3% |
| Massachusetts | $7,700 | $38,500 | $123,200 | $500 | 6.3% |
| Hawaii | $9,650 | $48,250 | $154,400 | $50 | 4.0% |
Cheapest & Most Expensive States
5 Cheapest States
- Mississippi$19,250
- West Virginia$19,250
- Oklahoma$20,000
- Alabama$20,250
- Arkansas$20,250
5 Most Expensive States
- Hawaii$48,250
- Massachusetts$38,500
- California$38,000
- New York$34,750
- Alaska$31,750
Frequently Asked Questions
Starting a painting business is one of the lowest-overhead trades to launch. A solo painter with basic equipment and a personal vehicle can launch in the low five figures. A two-to-three painter crew with a van, professional equipment, and a marketing budget requires meaningfully more — well into the mid five figures. A larger painting company with multiple crews requires materially more capital. Use the calculator on this page to model your specific scenario.
Residential painting is typically priced per square foot for interior work or as a flat-rate per-room price. Exterior whole-home jobs are bid as flat-rate contracts. Labor-only rates are billed per painter per hour. Commercial painting rates tend to be higher than residential. Quality painters in premium markets command a meaningful premium over budget operators.
Requirements vary significantly. California, Louisiana, and some other states require a painting contractor license (C-33 in California). Most states only require a business license and general liability insurance. EPA RRP certification is required federally for work in older buildings (https://www.epa.gov/lead/lead-renovation-repair-and-painting-program). Check your state's contractor board requirements.
Top channels: yard signs on every job site (free neighborhood advertising), Google Business Profile for 'house painter near me' searches, referral programs that pay a meaningful per-referral incentive on each booked job, door hangers in target neighborhoods after completing nearby jobs, and Angi and Thumbtack for new business early on.
Painting businesses achieve some of the strongest net profit margins in home services. Labor and materials together consume the bulk of contract value, leaving healthy margins for the operator. A solo painter completing several rooms per day at typical residential rates grosses a strong middle-class to upper-middle-class income.
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