How To Start A House Painting Business

1 / 5
Hang your bucket on the side of the ladder nearest your paintin' arm for easiest access.
Hang your bucket on the side of the ladder nearest your paintin' arm for easiest access.
2 / 5
 A wide grasp on the rungs provides the most controlled lift. Brace the lower rung on your thigh for best leverage and you'll be able to ease your ladder up against the house.
 A wide grasp on the rungs provides the most controlled lift. Brace the lower rung on your thigh for best leverage and you'll be able to ease your ladder up against the house.
3 / 5
Use a wire hook to hang the bucket of paint on your ladder.
Use a wire hook to hang the bucket of paint on your ladder.
4 / 5
 If you tote your equipment in boxes ... you can stand on the containers as you work!
 If you tote your equipment in boxes ... you can stand on the containers as you work!
5 / 5
Haul your ladders on a car-top ladder ... and don't forget a red flag on the back if they're longer than the vehicle.
Haul your ladders on a car-top ladder ... and don't forget a red flag on the back if they're longer than the vehicle.

If you really want to help “Keep America Beautiful”… start a house painting business! You’ll find, as I did, that the venture can bring you a good income and many fringe benefits: outdoor work, varied location, a choice of hours and plenty of chances to meet new and interesting people. You’ll also have the satisfaction of performing a valuable service. A home, after all, is a lifetime investment which its owner wants to protect.

How to Get House Painting Jobs

Of all the good, inexpensive ways to hustle house painting jobs, the best is word of mouth: One satisfied customer tells another … and the system goes to work for you as soon as you’ve got a first assignment in a given neighborhood. A nearby homeowner sees you in action, approaches casually, asks a few questions … and just minutes later you may be across the street at his place, looking over a potential job. One paint crew will often get two or three homes to do, all in the same block.

First, though, you’ve got to get that original contact. Use as many free sources of publicity as possible … for instance, the community bulletin boards in supermarkets and laundromats.

Your hand-printed bulletin board notices should be worded to appeal to a particular neighborhood. “Student seeks house-painting jobs” is often a good approach (people seem to think that student labor comes cheap). An offer of “free estimates” is also attractive, since it assures the potential customer that he won’t be ripped off. On the bottom of the note write the phrase “House Painter” and your phone number, vertically, eight or ten times and cut between the slips. Tear off a few to make business look good.

  • Published on Jul 1, 1974
Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368