How to Become a Licensed House Painter

Getting involved in a new business or career of any kind takes strategic planning. Becoming a house painter is no different and requires a licensing process just like any other trade profession. The process will ensure that you know everything about painting homes that you need to in order to be an effective and professional painter. Here are some tips on how to become a licensed house painter.

Instructions

How to Become a Licensed House Painter

1. Decide the type of house painting specialization you plan to pursue. For example, if you will do interior painting or exterior painting or both, then you can decide what type of equipment will be needed and what knowledge you need to excel. There is a big difference between painting the interior and exterior of a house. For exterior painting, you will need ladders and scaffolding that reach the second and third stories of the homes. If you do interior painting, you will need smaller ladders to reach ceilings. In addition, the types of paints for each are different as are the necessary safety materials. Familiarizing yourself with the particulars of each type of painting will help you determine which --- or both --- you can do best.

2. Obain a professional license to launch your business. You can get this from your state's department of business and regulation (or your specific state equivalent) and is found under the contracting and/or construction area. Once you pass the examination, the state will require you to purchase insurance to ensure that both you and your clients are covered in the event of an accident. It is illegal to operate a contracting business of any kind (which painting is) without a state-sanctioned license, so you must pursue this before getting your business off the ground.

3. Paint costs are yet another consideration as you begin to amass materials and clients. You have to be competitive to obtain new business, but you have to find a long lasting paint that is affordable so that you do not have such high material costs. Along with paint costs, you may find you need an inventory of carpenter's putty, primers and stains. You should have a place in mind where you can receive discounts on all of the materials needed.

4. Calculate how much you will charge per hour or per job. This is important to know if you want to make a living painting houses. If you are a bit slower at painting or just starting out, you may need to have a higher rate than a company that has been in business longer. Check out some of the other companies in your area to see what they charge for a job and how they determine the cost.

5. Read some publications or articles about interior and exterior painting. You want to be informed about everything pertaining to the business. See resource box for an article pertaining to historic home painting for ideas on what you should know before taking a job of this type.

6. Take note of the difference in insurance for exterior versus interior painting. If there is a difference, you have to figure out a way to work that into your overhead budget. Moreover, if you will have employees, you will need workers compensation insurance as well as liability insurance for the business.

7. Paint your own home and see if this is the type of work that you want to do everyday. If it is, then you have to decide what you will do when the weather does not permit painting the exterior. Do you have a backup plan for those months when work slows down? This is vital to the survival of your business, so having a plan in place can alleviate some of the monetary stress that can occur during slower periods of the year.

Tips & Warnings

• Take your time and study every angle associated with house painting.

References

• What People Look for in a Painter

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Historic Interior Home Painting