Painting Business
Fresh coats, fresh profits — every 5-7 years they call again
Painting businesses provide interior and exterior painting services for residential and commercial properties. The business benefits from a built-in repaint cycle — every property needs repainting every 5-7 years. Commercial and new construction painting offer higher-volume project work.
Avg Revenue
$250K
Profit Margin
20%
Acquisition Multiple
1.5x - 2.5x
Startup Cost
$10K - $35K
Difficulty
2/5
How It Works
Estimate jobs based on square footage and complexity. Crews prep surfaces, apply primer and paint, and perform finishing work. Residential interior jobs average $2,000-$5,000, while exterior and commercial projects run $5,000-$30,000+. Growth comes from building a referral network and hiring crews.
Revenue Range
Real Acquisitions in This Category
SBA 7(a) change-of-ownership loans · NAICS 238320 · Painting and Wall Covering Contractors
Deal Size Distribution
Deal Flow Over Time
Financing Profile
Recent Comparable Deals
| Closed | State | Loan | Implied deal | Jobs | Franchise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | CO | $500K | $588K | 10 | — |
| Nov 2025 | CO | $4.5M | $5.3M | 10 | — |
| Nov 2025 | UT | $1.9M | $2.3M | 2 | — |
| Sep 2025 | MO | $400K | $471K | 7 | — |
| Sep 2025 | NJ | $374K | $440K | 5 | CertaPro Painters |
| Sep 2025 | MA | $2.5M | $2.9M | 14 | CertaPro Painters |
| Jul 2025 | FL | $835K | $982K | 2 | — |
| Jul 2025 | FL | $50K | $59K | 2 | — |
| Jul 2025 | TX | $75K | $88K | 1 | — |
| Jul 2025 | TX | $965K | $1.1M | 1 | — |
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA dataset, filtered to acquisitions (loans where business age is "Change of Ownership"). Implied deal size assumes an 85% loan-to-purchase ratio, a common SBA change-of-ownership structure. Charge-off rate shown only when 10+ loans have resolved (paid in full or charged off). Interest rates reflect last 24 months only. Actual deal values vary with equity injections, seller financing, and working capital terms.
Pros
- +Low startup costs — basic equipment and a vehicle
- +Built-in repaint cycle creates natural repeat business
- +Easy to learn and train new painters
- +Exterior and commercial work scale revenue significantly
Cons
- -Seasonal slowdowns in cold climates (exterior work)
- -Labor-intensive with slim margins on employee-operated jobs
- -Estimating accuracy directly impacts profitability
Best For
Detail-oriented operators who can estimate accurately and manage crews
Operating Costs
Labor is 40-50% of revenue, followed by paint and materials (15-20%), vehicle costs, insurance, and marketing.
SBA Financing Estimator
Adjust the deal — see if it cash flows after debt service
Estimates only. Excludes owner compensation, capex, working capital draws, and taxes. Margin assumes average occupancy and volume. Actual SBA terms vary by lender and borrower profile.
Where to Buy
Find painting businesses for sale nationwide
Browse painting company acquisition opportunities
Acquisition Score
Scores margin (30), entry multiple (25), SBA market depth (20), category risk (15), and deal momentum (10). Higher = better acquisition candidate.
Quick Facts
- Category
- service
- Difficulty
- 2/5
- Buy price
- $375K–$625K
Buyer's Toolkit
Essential tools to get started
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Largest business-for-sale marketplace in the US
SBA loans and business acquisition financing — get funded fast
ROBS financing — use retirement funds to buy a business tax-free
Bookkeeping for small business owners — hands-off financials
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