If you are considering starting a commercial or residential painting business, you will only need a few basic inexpensive tools to get started. You can purchase other tools as more jobs come along and with your down payment. Here is a list of the most essential commercial painting tools needed to get started.
1.) Quality Cage Frame – Also known as a paint roller. Both Wooster and Purdy have heavy duty commercial grade cage frames that are sold at most professional paint stores.
2.) Extension Pole – Get a good medium sized fiberglass extension pole for rolling out walls and ceilings.
3.) Wall Sander – I always sand the walls and ceilings before I spread them. Clean cobwebs and everything that needs to be knocked down to smooth walls and ceilings.
4.) Roller Bucket – I use the Wooster Roller Bucket. It is tall, square and has a lid. It’s made of durable plastic and scales much better than a paint tray and washes out easily. It is essential.
5.) Cutting Bucket: I like to put some paint in a small plastic cutting bucket. There are small 1-gallon pails of drywall compound that, when empty, make a great chopping bucket and also have a lid. They will last for years.
6.) Stepladder: A regular 5-foot wooden stepladder works perfectly for most homes. If I need a 6 foot ladder, I have an aluminum one for that. Most of the time all I need is my 5ft foot and I’m only 5’6″ so there you have it.
7.) 16′ Extension Ladder – Ideal for ladders or ranch-style exterior work. I use my 16 foot extension ladder more than any other size. I also have 20′ and 24′ extension ladders, but couldn’t manage without my little 16 foot ladder. They are inexpensive, light to carry and can be easily moved around the room. I also have 9 x 12 on hand.
9.) Fluorescent Light: Painting interiors without a fluorescent light is next to impossible, especially on a cloudy day. Fluorescent lighting is a nice white light that is great for painting and shows colors in their true form.
10.) Tool Bucket – An empty 5 gallon bucket makes a great tool bucket. I keep my pliers, a hammer, razor blades, a caulking gun, etc., in my tool bin.
11.) Small Fan – I bought a $30 blower type fan made by Stanley Tools out of Walmart. It dries walls and ceilings quickly so you can get back to work cutting and moving around the room without getting wet.
12.) Drywall Compound – I hate Spackle. Flashes under the paint jobs. I use Sheetrock brand of 90 minute quick dry drywall compound found at Lowes or other hardware stores for about $11 a bag. It will last me all year. It is the powdered formula and is easy to mix right on the job with water and a small cut bucket. This way you don’t have to carry around a heavy 5 gallon stick that can also freeze over the winter and can accumulate a lot of chunks over time.
13.) Caulking Gun: I use painters caulking all the time to fill small gaps between woodwork, trim, and walls. Most paint stores have it on hand. I use the 35 year old indoor/outdoor type.
So there you have it. If you are considering starting your own painting business and want to know how much it will cost to start, then this list will help you. I’m guessing everything on the list comes to around $300. If you already have a stepladder and even a small extension ladder, this will cut down on the initial cost considerably.
