How To Start Your Own Painting Business
Are you a house painter and have decided to set up independently? Congratulation!
This objective is achievable but requires method and certain knowledge. To help you in your installation, we present the main stages of creating this type of business in this article.
Find everything you need to know to create a successful house painting business: market research, legal status, business plan, search for financing. Focus on the essential elements that will allow you to carry out your professional project.
Do A Market Study Before Setting Up As A House Painter

The decision to open a house painting business is not taken on a whim. Only once you know your motivation can you look into the market research prerequisite for any business creation project.

This study will allow you to refine your project and choose the right commercial positioning by gathering as much information as possible on the sector and its players.
house painting situation
First, get an idea of the situation in the house painting sector by gathering the following information:
- What is the turnover of the sector? Is it growing or declining? Has the price of services increased or decreased in recent years?
- Who are the main contractors? Individuals, companies, local authorities, architectural firms, project managers?
- What is the size and average duration of a construction site?
- Is the activity subject to particular seasonality?
Continue your market research by refining your research on the geographical area you want to set up.
To Estimate The Size Of The Local Market, Look At The Following Economic Indicators:
- Demographic statistics: local population size, age pyramid, disposable income
- Rate of households owning their home
- Number of housing starts and number of transactions in old real estate
Then study the companies in the sector:
- How many house painting companies are there in the local market?
- Are these small structures? Independents or franchises?
- How many people do they employ?
- What are their service offerings and prices?
- What is their economic situation: flourishing or close to recovery? Between the two?
Continue your market research by refining your research on the geographical area you want to set up.
Consider the importance of posted workers in the sector and the admittedly illegal but real competition from undeclared work or “black work”.
Also, estimate the market share held by your competitors and ask yourself if an original and differentiating positioning could enable you to acquire market share. One of the best ways to do this is to have a consultation with painter marketing boost.
Choose A Legal Form For Your Painting Business.
Creating a painting business without a diploma is impossible because this activity comes under the Chamber of Trades and Crafts.
Before setting up your account, you must, therefore:
- Possess a painter’s diploma (CAP painter coating applicator, BP painting coating applicator, Bac pro-planning-finishing of the building/painting, BTS planning finish, etc.) or, failing that, at least three years experience justified by a VAE (Validation of Acquired Experience).
- Take a pre-installation course with the Chamber of Trades and Crafts.
As far as the legal status of your house painting business is concerned, there are no restrictions.
You can become a self-employed house painter. It is even a status frequently chosen by people working alone for its flexibility and low rate of social charges.
If you are alone, you can also opt for a sole proprietorship (EI), a sole proprietorship with limited liability (EIRL), but also for a single-person limited liability company (EURL) or a single-person simplified joint-stock company (SASU).
People wishing to set up their house painting business with one or more partners and who wish to employ staff can have recourse to a limited liability company (SARL) or simplified joint stock company (SAS).
As you can see, there are many choices! Find out about the specificities of each legal form to choose the one that best corresponds to what you want for your business.
Indeed, the question of the choice of legal status should not be neglected because it will have important consequences: the company’s tax system (tax on the income of the manager or corporation tax), the social system of the manager (general social security system or the self-employed person’s system), whether or not there is liability limited to contributions.