Start a CertaPro Painters Franchise in 2025

2025 Franchise 500 Rank: #157 Ranked #163 last year

Initial investment: $171K - $321K

Units as of 2025: 307 17% over 3 years

The FirstService company was started in 1989 by Jay S. Hennick. It began as a swimming pool management company. In the 1990s, it gave birth to various residential service franchises, referred to as FirstService Brands. In 1992, FirstService started a new company, CertaPro Painters, with the sole aim of making residential and commercial painting services more convenient for homeowners and business owners alike.

CertaPro Painters provides interior and exterior painting services for many people all throughout the U.S. and Canada. There are hundreds of CertaPro franchisor owners and territories throughout North America.

Why You May Want to Open a CertaPro Painters Franchise

From beginning to end, your clients may appreciate your work. CertaPro Painters keeps in contact with clients to update them on the progress of the project. Painters also typically stay close to the estimation given. This way, clients know what to expect in the final payment. By opening a CertaPro Painters franchise, you may grab the attention of local businesses while being supported by the resources of a national chain. CertaPro Paintersstays to finish the job.

When working at your client's property, CertaPro Painters strives to always take care of it like it's their own. Crews are expected to take time to shift furniture carefully, tape drop cloths and put other precautionary things in place while painting houses. When finished, CertaPro Painters removes all the debris, leaving projects better than when they began.

CertaPro Painters is so confident in their work that franchises typically offer a two-year guarantee against lousy workmanship. If clients find that their paint is peeling, blistering, or chipping, they may contact CertaPro Painters, and the team will be happy to take a look at it. When clients hire CertaPro Painters, they are generally guaranteed peace of mind since most teams are certified and insured according to local requirements.

What Might Make a CertPro Painters a Good Choice?

CertaPro Painters is one of the biggest painting companies in North America, and only owns 2% of the market. This may allow for the expansion of the company for franchisees that are backed by a widely recognized brand.

When you open a CertaPro Painters franchise, you may gain marketing materials with CertaPro Painters trademarks, operation manuals, a business format, a website, and other technological assets necessary to start a painting business.

How to Open a CertaPro Painters Franchise

To be a part of the CertaPro Painters team, you should make sure you are financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. Additionally, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees.

Franchise agreements are for ten years and can be re-upped for a sum at the end of the contract if both parties wish to remain in business with each other. As a franchisee, you are given an assigned territory that other franchisees cannot work in. This territory applies to residential painting; commercial painting may not be exclusive to set territories.

Getting started with CertaPro Painters is fairly simple. The process includes in-person training, interviews, and a series of webinars that cover everything from customer service and business operations to team leadership and goal setting. In addition, franchisees are required to attend more training regarding clientele, location, and business skills.

If you meet all the requirements, you may be approved and awarded a franchise license. CertaPro Painters is ready to support you in your journey.

Company Overview

About CertaPro Painters

Industry	Home Improvement
Related Categories	Painting, Miscellaneous Maintenance Businesses
Founded	1992
Parent Company	FirstService Brands
Leadership	Adam Biedenbender, VP of Franchise Business Development
Corporate Address	2621 Van Buren Ave., #5 Audubon, PA 19403
Social	Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest

Business Overview

Franchising Since	1992 (33 years)
# of employees at HQ	87
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises throughout the US. This company is offering new franchises in the following international regions: Canada
# of Units	307 (as of 2025)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a CertaPro Painters franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$65,000
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$171,000 - $320,500
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$250,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$85,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	20% off franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	4%-6%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%-3%
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

In-House Financing	CertaPro Painters offers in-house financing to cover the following: franchise fee
Third Party Financing	CertaPro Painters has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: franchise fee, startup costs, equipment, inventory, accounts receivable, payroll

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	40 hours
Classroom Training	80 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Field Operations Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Co-op Advertising Ad Templates National Media Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	No
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	Yes
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes