Paint finishes aren’t the only thing that should be smooth. With over 50 years in the industry and access to 60+ trusted carriers, Pepper, Johnstone & Company helps painting businesses protect their operations with custom coverage built for residential and commercial work.
Comprehensive Painter Insurance
from Pepper, Johnstone & Company
Whether you're restoring historic exteriors or finishing commercial interiors, running a painting business means managing risk at every job. From ladder falls to overspray claims, even a small error can become a major liability.
Painters see the big picture—your insurance agent should, too.
At Pepper, Johnstone & Company, we create insurance programs tailored to the realities that painting contractors face every day. With access to more than 60 insurance companies, we help you find the right painting contractor insurance to protect your business from job site hazards, claims, and costly delays.
Why Insurance Matters for Painting Businesses
Paint might be your medium, but risk is just as big a part of the job. Slippery floors, hazardous chemicals, and work done on ladders or scaffolding all add up to serious liability. Accidents can happen fast in homes, apartments, or office buildings alike.
Without painting insurance coverage, your business could be on the hook for:
- Injuries to employees or bystanders
- Damage to flooring, furniture, or adjacent surfaces
- Legal claims tied to overspray or product defects
- Theft of sprayers, ladders, and tools
- Employee disputes or cyber threats from online scheduling tools
A comprehensive insurance plan helps painting contractors focus on the work instead of the what-ifs.
Essential Coverage Options for Painting Contractors
Residential and commercial painters alike benefit from a multi-policy approach that includes:
General Liability Insurance
This foundational painting insurance coverage protects against third-party bodily injury or property damage claims, like spilling paint on a client’s floors or overspraying a nearby vehicle.
Workers’ Compensation Insurance
Workers’ comp covers medical bills and lost wages for painters injured on the job, such as ladder falls or exposure to fumes. It’s required in most states.
Commercial Property Insurance
Protects your office, specified storage areas, and business-owned items like scaffolding, sprayers, and finishing materials.
Commercial Umbrella Insurance
Provides an extra layer of liability protection if a claim exceeds the limits of your general liability or workers’ comp policies.
Commercial Auto Insurance
Covers work vehicles used to transport equipment and crew. It includes liability and physical damage coverage for the vehicle and any permanently attached equipment.
Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)
Covers claims of discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, or wage disputes from current or former employees.
Fiduciary Liability Insurance
Protects your painting business from claims related to the mismanagement of benefit or retirement plans.
Crime Insurance
Covers internal theft, fraud, or dishonest acts committed by employees.
Specialized Insurance Coverage for Painting Jobs
Painting contractors often work on the move and store tools in vehicles or temporary locations. These policies help fill common gaps:
Builders’ Risk Insurance
Builders’ risk insurance covers materials and in-progress painting work during construction or renovation. It helps protect against weather damage, theft, and jobsite vandalism before the project is complete.
Inland Marine Insurance
Inland marine insurance protects sprayers, ladders, pressure washers, and other tools in transit or stored in your work vehicles. This fills a critical gap not covered by standard commercial auto policies.
Surety Bonds
Surety bonds provide financial assurance that your painting company will meet contract requirements. These are often required for commercial bids or municipal jobs.
Protect More Than Just the Job Site
Painting contractors have to juggle more than rollers and brushes. That’s why we help businesses plan for risks like:
- Stolen gear from parked vans
- Cyber threats targeting scheduling or billing systems
- Slip-and-fall accidents inside client homes or businesses
- Lawsuits from subcontractor disputes
- Delays caused by damaged paint inventory
Pepper, Johnstone & Company helps you stay protected from the jobsite to the office, no matter how your painting business grows.
Why Choose Pepper, Johnstone & Company
As an independent insurance agency, we’re not locked into one carrier. Instead, we compare policies from over 60 top-rated insurance companies to help you find the best painting business insurance for your needs.
More than that, we act as your risk management partner. We understand how to obtain liability insurance if you're a painter and how to structure it to meet licensing and project requirements—without paying for coverage you don’t need.
Frequently Asked Questions About Insurance for Painting Businesses
What small business owners need to know
Most painters need general liability, workers’ comp, inland marine, and commercial auto insurance. Depending on the size and scope of your projects, you may also need builders’ risk, umbrella, and surety bonds. We’ll help you build the right coverage plan.
It’s easy with an independent agency like Pepper, Johnstone & Company. We’ll review your operations and compare quotes across dozens of carriers to find the most affordable and effective painting contractor insurance for your business.
Yes, if you have general liability coverages. These coverages can help pay for damage caused by overspray, drips, or accidental spills that affect third-party property. This includes paint that unintentionally lands on a neighboring structure, parked vehicles, or landscaping, which can result in costly claims.
At Pepper, Johnstone & Company, we can help you review your policy details to confirm the types of accidents your coverage includes.
Premiums vary depending on your business size, crew count, annual revenue, and past claims. A small residential painter may pay under $150/month, while larger operations with crews and vehicles will have more robust insurance requirements. We provide painting business insurance quotes tailored to your needs.
Not under standard commercial auto insurance or commercial property insurance policies. You’ll need inland marine insurance, sometimes referred to as tools and equipment insurance, to protect your sprayers, ladders, and tools while in transit or stored in vehicles.
Yes, if you’re bidding on public jobs or commercial contracts. Surety bonds demonstrate that your business can meet its contractual obligations and are often required to pull permits or win larger bids.
What do people think about us?
We’re trusted by painters who bring color and quality to every job.
on Google
I started a company in January 2019 & the team at Pepper Johnstone helped me from the beginning. We serve mid-cap to large public companies in Alabama, Colorado and Texas. And, Bryan has been critical in helping us meet and maintain the required commercial insurance policies and coverage levels. Key reasons that I've been so pleased primarily include their high level of technical competence and timely responsiveness on new or changing insurance coverage requests. They do a great job & I can highly recommend them.
— Russ L.
on Google
We are very pleased with our services that Pepper, Johnstone and Company provide for us! Both with business and personal needs, we feel like we are receiving excellent resources. We truly would not trust anyone else for our insurance needs!
— Lauren M.
on Google
Thankful for the opportunity to work with Pepper, Johnston’s and Co. They helped us add basic insurance needs for our newly formed LLC. The responsiveness, willingness to answer numerous questions, and guide us through multiple options was greatly appreciated. I’d like to especially thank Meredith Baswell of their staff who helped us through the process. I’d recommend you seek their advice and input on commercial and personal insurance options.
— Kevin G.
on Google
This is the best insurance agency hands down. We have our home, car, and business insurance through them. Julie has always gone above and beyond to help us. We wouldn’t use anyone else.
— Laura D.
on Google
Pepper Johnstone has handled my personal and business insurance needs for years. They do good work and their staff is amazing! They are independent agents so they have access to several different lines of insurance to meet the needs of their clients. I highly recommend them.
— Jeremiah H.
on Google
Pepper, Johnstone is a very professional and responsive insurance company. They were able to assist me with a full suite insurance solution very promptly and at a great value. Most importantly, I felt completely comfortable that I was being handled by true professionals. Bryan Johnstone is great at his job and I would recommend him highly to anyone who needs insurance advice for themselves or their business.
— Troy R.
Insurance Articles
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Let’s Build Your Painting Contractor Insurance Plan
Get the coverage your business needs—and none you don’t. Call Pepper, Johnstone & Company at 866-865-3499 or request a quote online to explore painting company insurance options that match your budget and your goals.