# How much does it cost to start a painting business?

ProfitDrawer's painting business guide gives an example budget of about $550 to $5,050. The biggest lines are a paint sprayer ($0 to $1,200), ladders and planks ($150 to $900), general liability insurance for the first months ($100 to $800) and lead-safe training if you work on pre-1978 homes ($0 to $500). Paint itself is usually bought per job and charged to the customer, so it is not in the list. These are example ranges; your costs will differ.

**Example budget (your costs will differ):**

| Item | Low | High |
|---|---|---|
| Brushes, rollers, poles, trays, tape, drop cloths | $150 | $500 |
| Ladders and planks | $150 | $900 |
| Paint sprayer | $0 | $1,200 |
| Business registration and local license | $50 | $500 |
| General liability insurance (first months) | $100 | $800 |
| Lead-safe training (if you work on pre-1978 homes) | $0 | $500 |
| Marketing (yard signs, flyers, local ads) | $50 | $500 |
| Phone and software for the first months | $50 | $150 |
| **Total** | **$550** | **$5,050** |

Interior residential work needs the least equipment, so it keeps the total near the low end. Exterior work adds more ladder work, and cabinet refinishing often needs a sprayer.

Price each job from labor, paint, supplies, driving and overhead. In the guide's worked example, an 8 hour repaint of a 12 x 12 bedroom at $35 an hour, with $90 of paint, $20 of supplies, $14 of driving and $15 of overhead, costs $419; adding 20% to the cost (a 20% markup) gives $502.80, rounded up to $505. Put your own numbers into the free startup cost calculator.

- Source: [How to Start a Painting Business (ProfitDrawer guide)](https://profitdrawer.com/guides/how-to-start-a-painting-business.html)
- Updated: 2026-10-29
- Published: 2026-10-29
- Category: Start a business
- Canonical: https://profitdrawer.com/answers/how-much-does-it-cost-to-start-a-painting-business.html
- Publisher: ProfitDrawer (https://profitdrawer.com)