Painting Contractor Home Business

Very few people with busy lives relish the thought of painting their exterior-interior of their household, apartment or condo. People like to hire a painting contractor, even though most of us have the ability to carry through with the task, very few people relish the idea of doing this type of job themselves. Winter weather can punish or even damage the exterior of a building or home. You will find many homeowners will want to spruce-up both indoors and out.

As tenants move out, many apartment owners may be looking for painters to work on contract and get the place in shape. Working for an experienced painting contractor yourself will also help you learn the business while earning money and putting together your own base of operation. This is a home business that can be expanded with junior labour at minimum wage, while you spend time contacting clients and writing estimates. A painting contractor will also need to purchase supplies, oversee jobs, and follow up with their clients.

Minimal equipment and investment is required to set up this business, as it is one of the easiest, and certainly cheapest home-based jobs to get started in. As with most other business ideas and opportunities listed on homejobsite.com, advertising may be your only major and ongoing expense. Your repeat or referral business will naturally affect profitability, so be sure to take care to stay in budget and complete all jobs on time in a professional manner.

The equipment you will need is obviously dependant on the type of job you are doing on any particular day. Items such as a ladder and brushes and rollers may seem apparent, but do not forget about sanding materials, drywall compound, drop sheets for the paint, and possibly even a power paint gun. All materials can be stored in your garage, as this is a home-based job opportunity that is easy to start and expand upon. If you do not have a garage, or it is full, you can rent a cold storage locker usually cheap, and write off the cost as a tax deduction.

Your painting business as it pertains to your success, and how you evaluate it, will be dependant specifically on providing a good estimate for any job you wish to acquire. Aside from calculating how much paint and time it will take to complete the job, you may have to factor in travelling time and fuel costs. But alternatively if you over estimate, you may lose out on you’re bid to someone else. If a previous customer has referred you to a job, relax and make a reasonable offer for your service.

When calculating the actual cost or your estimate, or that of which you will charge your customer, you must first obtain the wholesale cost of your paint and materials. Typically you will then mark it up 30 to 40% and apply it to your estimate as the retail cost of the job. The time to complete the job is a very important factor, so you may want to add another 50% on top of the first estimate of retail cost. Your profit margin with any home-based job or business is of great importance. So do not cut yourself short by any means, but try to stay competitive and focussed on your goal.

Become a Licensed Painting Contractor