Does It Cost More to Hire a Franchise Painting Company?

This is a question I get often:

“Are you more expensive because you’re part of a franchise?”

It’s a fair question—but the answer surprises most people.

Let’s unpack it:

Yes, like any franchise, we pay a royalty. On a $1,000 job, that royalty is around $30.

So does that make us $30 more expensive? Not even close.

Let’s take a closer look at the numbers:

🔹 Paint costs – Paint typically accounts for about 10% of a job’s total cost. Because CertaPro Painters is part of a national system approaching $1 billion in annual volume, our buying power is extraordinary. We routinely save 30% or more on materials compared to independent contractors. That’s roughly $30 saved right there on a $1,000 job—completely offsetting the franchise fee.

🔹 Marketing efficiency – There are 15 CertaPro locations in the Greater Philadelphia area. That means for every dollar I spend on marketing, I benefit from the ripple effect of $15 being spent across the region. Most contractors spend 10% on marketing; we spend just 7% for the same (or better) impact—saving us (and you) another 3% on the job.

🔹 Shared resources – Beyond paint and marketing, our franchise model provides access to:

• • Group insurance and recruiting savings
  • Shared answering services
  • A national training center just 8 minutes from the Main Line
  • Business systems that drive efficiency
  • A coast-to-coast network of 300+ CertaPro owners constantly sharing best practices

These aren’t just operational perks—they translate into real cost savings and elevated customer experiences.

So yes, we pay a franchise fee. But the cost efficiencies of our franchise model more than make up for it.

But here’s the twist… we’re not the cheapest.

If you got 10 quotes for a painting job—ranked from lowest to highest—we’d probably land around #3 or #4.

Why not the cheapest?

Because we invest in longevity. Our people. Our systems. Our quality. We’re built to last for decades, not just a summer.

Many of the companies priced below us will go one of two ways:

1. 1. Realize they’re not profitable and go out of business—leaving you with no warranty.
   2. Raise their prices to cover their real costs—and end up more expensive than us anyway. They may even come back at the end of the job asking for more money once they realize they underbid it.

We’re not here for one paint job. We’re here for customers for life—those who want fair prices, fantastic people, and confidence the company they hired will be here next year (and the year after that).

In an industry that can feel like the Wild West, we’re the unicorn—delivering value, consistency, and peace of mind.