Painting and Wall Covering Contractors

The US painting and wall covering contractors industry includes about 40,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $14 billion. Large companies include National Coatings, FD Thomas, and Long Painting. The industry is highly fragmented: most companies are small; over 70 percent have fewer than five employees. A large local firm may have 250 employees and generate $40 million in annual revenue.

The industry includes companies that primarily paint building interiors or exteriors or that install interior wall coverings. Work includes new construction as well as maintenance and repair projects. Painting on roads, roofs, and wood paneling work are not included.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Building construction, renovation, and maintenance drive demand. The profitability of individual companies depends on efficiency of operations. Large companies can have advantages in efficiency by working multiple projects concurrently. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing in unusual or difficult applications and providing superior customer service. The industry is labor-intensive: average annual revenue per worker is under $75,000.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Major services are painting the interiors and exteriors of buildings, and installing or removing wallpaper ("paperhanging"). Other services include wall surface preparation and repair. Painters use brushes, rollers, and/or sprayers to apply a base coat of primer and usually two coats of paint. Skilled contractors achieve special finishes by hand or by using paint with texture-creating ingredients like sand. Paperhangers apply sizing to walls and measure and cut wallpaper into long strips. ...