Coverage built for overspray, ladders, and lead-safe work
One drifting spray job or a fall from an extension ladder can cost more than the contract was worth. We connect you with specialists who understand painting-specific risk — interior, exterior, and lead-safe crews alike.
What licensing boards & lead-paint rules require
We make sure your coverage meets the bar — and issue the certificates and filings you need to prove it.
- State painting contractor license — proof of general liability is often required to hold or renew itRequired
- EPA Lead-Safe Certification (RRP) to disturb paint in any home or child care facility built before 1978Required
- Workers' comp for crews working ladders and scaffolding, required in nearly every stateRequired
Licensed Painting Contractor Specialists Nationwide
A specialist who knows your state's licensing rules and can issue the certificates and filings you need.
What painters need to be covered
Painting looks low-risk from the outside, but overspray drifting onto a neighbor's car, a fall from height, and lead-paint rules on older homes all carry real exposure that a generic contractor quote rarely prices correctly. The right policy is built around how paint crews actually work, not a one-size-fits-all trade template.
General Liability
Covers third-party bodily injury, property damage, and advertising injury claims — the foundational policy nearly every business carries.
Workers' Compensation
Pays medical bills and lost wages when an employee is injured on the job. Required in most states once you have employees.
Commercial Auto
Covers vehicles used for business — liability, collision, and physical damage for owned, hired, and non-owned autos.
Inland Marine
Covers tools, equipment, and goods while in transit or away from your primary location — beyond standard property limits.
Commercial Umbrella
Extends the limits of your underlying liability policies for large claims that could otherwise threaten the business.
Commercial Property
Protects your building, inventory, equipment, and furnishings against fire, theft, storms, and other covered losses.
Where painters get exposed
These are the scenarios our specialists see most often in your industry — and the coverage that responds when they happen.
Protect against these risksOverspray on a neighbor's car or property
Wind-drifted spray from an exterior job is one of the most common painting claims — a single incident can mean repainting a client's car. General liability covers the third-party property damage.
Falls from ladders and scaffolding
Ladders are one of OSHA's most frequently cited standards on job sites, and painting crews spend entire days on them. Workers' comp covers medical costs and lost wages if a painter falls.
Lead-paint violations on pre-1978 homes
Disturbing paint without EPA Lead-Safe (RRP) certification on an older home creates real regulatory and liability exposure — a claim from an exposed family is a different scale of risk than a paint touch-up dispute.
Peeling or failure discovered after the job
The wrong primer or a rushed prep job can mean paint fails months after you've been paid. Completed-operations coverage under general liability responds to damage claims that surface after the invoice date.
Why painters can't skip coverage
- Many state licensing boards require proof of active general liability insurance to issue or renew a painting contractor license.
- Disturbing paint in a pre-1978 home or child care facility without EPA Lead-Safe (RRP) certification is a federal violation, independent of any insurance claim it might also trigger.
- Property managers and GCs increasingly require a certificate of insurance before a paint crew is allowed on a multi-unit or commercial site.
By the numbers
Homes built before 1978
EPA lead-safe cert required for
2,405
OSHA ladder-violation citations (FY25)
85+
Specialists in our network
Painters insurance FAQ
They're separate things. EPA RRP certification is a federal requirement for disturbing paint in pre-1978 housing, independent of insurance — but if a lead-exposure claim follows from uncertified work, your general liability coverage (and the size of the claim) depends on whether you were operating compliantly.
Get matched with a painting contractor specialist
Share a few details and a licensed agent who understands painters will reach out with tailored options. No cost, no obligation.
- Takes about 2 minutes
- One specialist, start to finish
- We compare multiple A-rated carriers
- Licensed to serve clients in your state