Painting contractors · United States
How to Start a House Painting Business (Costs, the License Line, and Room Pricing)
Price the room, the paint, and the license line before you accept a whole house.
- 38,280NAICS 238320 establishments, Census 2023
- 75.1%of those have fewer than 5 employees (28,745 ÷ 38,280)
- $1,000California minor-work line, from January 1, 2025
- $72/mogeneral liability in the Insureon painter sample
Decision summary
- The 2022 NAICS index file lists “House painting” and “Painting (except roof) contractors” under 238320. Roof painting is a separate index line.
- Census County Business Patterns 2023, legal form
-: 38,280 establishments and 208,201 employees in 238320. The employment cell carries noise flag G. 28,745 establishments have fewer than 5 employees, which is 75.1% (28,745 ÷ 38,280). Read from cbp23us.zip on November 6, 2026. - California’s Contractors State License Board, press release December 30, 2024, says the minor-work threshold is $1,000 from January 1, 2025. CSLB. Painting is construction work. The line is one state, not a national rule.
- Insureon’s painter page, updated November 4, 2026, says painters pay on average $72 a month for general liability. Insureon. The page includes sign painting, paperhanging, and house painting. The method note uses the median.
On this page
0. One room
- Measure walls you will paint. A ceiling and trim are extra minutes.
- Interior walls and a roof coating are different index lines. This page prices the house walls.
- If you are in California and not licensed, add labor and paint before you accept the room.
House painting startup costs
A national startup total is not on this page. No gallon, brush, or sprayer shelf price opened on November 6, 2026. Insurance and California’s minor-work line are the figures that were read.
| Line | Figure | Where it came from |
|---|---|---|
| California minor-work total | $1,000 | Labor, materials, and all other items, from January 1, 2025. No building permit and no employees. Advertising must say the person is not licensed. |
| General liability, monthly average | $72 | Insureon painters, updated November 4, 2026. The page also prints $862 a year. Limits: $1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate, $500 deductible. Method note: median. |
| Workers’ compensation, monthly average | $190 | Same page. A separate policy. Do not add it to the $72. |
| Commercial auto, monthly average | $295 | Same page. A separate policy. |
The license line
California is the statute page that was opened. Every other state is Not yet researched. The CSLB release of December 30, 2024 says a person who is not licensed may complete projects up to $1,000 if they hire no one and the work needs no building permit. A permit, a worker, or a bid over $1,000 requires a license. Penalties listed there include administrative fines of up to $15,000. A down payment should not exceed 10 percent of the contract price. Do not copy the $1,000 onto another state.
Insurance
Insureon’s painter page lists general liability at $72 a month, a business owner’s policy at $109, workers’ compensation at $190, and commercial auto at $295. Updated November 4, 2026. The opening sentence runs from sign painting to paperhanging and house painting. Lead-paint removal is a different index line and was not priced here. Get the quote for the surfaces you will paint.
Does the room pay?
Profit on one room is the price minus paid minutes minus paint. Profit for the month also has to clear the van, insurance, and any license fee. The establishment count does not set the price. No average weekly income was opened. Type zero for the drive only when you are already on site.
Price one room
Type the price, the minutes on the room, the minutes driving, and what you spend on paint for that room. Empty stays unknown.
10. A helper
In California, employing anyone removes the minor-work exemption even under $1,000. Add a helper when the license covers the work and the contribution still covers the wage. The section number is an outline label, not a crew size.
First 90 days
- Days 1–14: measure rooms you can paint without a permit question you have not opened.
- Days 15–45: if you are in California and not licensed, keep each project under $1,000, with no employees and no permit. Price insurance.
- Days 46–90: time real rooms in the tool. Buy a sprayer only after those rooms cover paint, minutes, and the month’s fixed costs.
When to stop
Turn down a room when the minutes and the paint use up the price, or when the total crosses a license line you have not met. The tool hides the break-even count when the room does not cover its variable cost. A roof coating stays off this offer.
Questions people ask
How do you start a house painting business?
Start with rooms whose walls you can measure, and add labor and paint before you accept the job. The 2022 NAICS index lists house painting and painting contractors, except roof painting, under 238320. Roof painting is a different index line. A gallon price was not opened on November 6, 2026.
How much does it cost to start a painting business?
This page does not have a national startup total. Insureon’s painter page, updated November 4, 2026, says painters pay on average $72 a month for general liability. California’s minor-work line, effective January 1, 2025, is $1,000 for labor, materials, and all other items, and only when the job needs no permit and you employ no one. Ladders, brushes, and a vehicle are separate quotes.
How much do house painters make?
On this page, a room pays when the price covers paid minutes and paint, and the month’s rooms cover the fixed costs you type. The tool prints a break-even room count only when that contribution is positive. No national weekly income was opened. A Bureau of Labor Statistics wage page returned HTTP 403 on November 6, 2026.
How many painting businesses are there?
Census County Business Patterns 2023 counts 38,280 employer establishments and 208,201 employees in NAICS 238320. The employment cell carries noise flag G. 28,745 establishments have fewer than 5 employees, which is 28,745 ÷ 38,280, or 75.1%. The index also puts bridge painting, paperhanging, and paint stripping in that code, so 38,280 is not house painters alone.
Do I need a painting license?
California’s Contractors State License Board says that as of January 1, 2025, a person who is not licensed may do a project under $1,000, including labor, materials, and all other items, only if the work needs no building permit and the person employs no one. Advertising for that work has to say the person is not licensed. Painting a room that needs a permit, or a bid over $1,000, is outside that line. Other states are not yet researched.
How much is painter insurance?
Insureon’s painter page, updated November 4, 2026, says customers pay on average $72 a month for general liability, $109 a month for a business owner’s policy, $190 a month for workers’ compensation, and $295 a month for commercial auto. The method note uses the median of painters who apply for quotes. The page runs from sign painting to paperhanging and house painting. The general-liability sample is $1 million per occurrence, $2 million aggregate, and a $500 deductible.
Is roof painting the same business?
The index lists roof painting, spraying, or coating under a different code from house painting. This page prices interior or house walls. A roof stays off the offer until it has its own price and its own insurance.
How do you price painting a room?
Type the price, the minutes on the room, the paid drive minutes, a loaded hourly rate, and the paint for that room. Empty stays unknown. In California, add labor and materials and compare the total with $1,000 if you are not licensed. Break-even rooms appear only when the contribution is positive.
When should I hire a helper?
In California, employing anyone removes the minor-work exemption even under $1,000. Hire when the license covers the work and the contribution still covers the wage. The tool does not print a headcount.
Still open
- 38,280 is all of NAICS 238320, including paperhanging and bridge painting, not house painters alone.
- No gallon or sprayer shelf price was opened.
- No 50-state license table. California is the statute page that was read.
- No Bureau of Labor Statistics wage was opened.