How Residential & Commercial Painting Services In Raleigh, NC, Differ
In North Carolina, the phrase commercial painting identifies the intent of the service location as a business instead of a personal residence. The location materials, logistics, approach, and challenges painters face differ from those of residential painting services, too.
Residential painting is often paired with interior and exterior terms, which describe whether the work is indoors or outdoors. However, in the paint industry and others, this distinction can embody the expertise, insurance costs, size of the company, and more.
Painters That Provide Both
As professional painters in Raleigh, NC, we can only speak directly to our market. However, the differences between residential and commercial painting are generally vastly the same across the US, with only subtle market variation.
The line between residential and commercial painters is often smeared. The lack of trade-specific licenses associated with either service leaves self-described painters using loose terms. Any painting company that wants to expand its services can offer either or both. To increase relevance and have an opportunity to serve all clients, painters will often market to both.
Dedicated Commercial Painters
Commercial painting is such a broad category, ranging from painting office buildings to small-business maintenance that includes paint. Based on its location alone, this type of painting technically qualifies as commercial; however, painting offices is very similar to house painting.
Larger, more technical commercial painting requires extensive product knowledge, a particular skillset, larger crew size, and heavier equipment. Large stadiums, complex epoxy floor coating, and similar applications require a dedicated commercial painter who is an expert at special commercial coatings.
Industrial Painting
Distinguishing commercial and industrial painting can often be challenging, too. To explain it as simply as possible, think of large city, or government work when considering industrial painting. Industrial painting incorporates new bridges, water tanks, large industrial plants, boilers, and industrial facilities and areas less accessible to the public.
Logistics & Accessibility
Outside of the location being a business or residence, the logistics are quite different between the two services. Commercial painting often requires working weekends and after-hours. Painters never gain full access to the building; typically, someone lets us in. Parking is also quite different, often including loading docks, elevators, and long walks. Paid parking for carports and downtown areas is also a factor.
Accessibility overall is a challenge for commercial painting services. It requires painters to be flexible and comfortable with much less control over the project’s logistics.
Paint Materials & Details
Commercial new construction projects contain engineer specs for the paint materials used, and painters must follow them carefully. However, simple commercial wall painting or storefronts, for example, have no restrictions.
Cheaper, lower-quality paints are often used when repainting a commercial interior here in Raleigh, NC. Unlike commercial new construction, repainting commercial buildings is far less technical than even residential painting. Commercial repaints are completed much quicker and require far less detailed work.
Residential painting requires much more detailed paintwork, including custom designs, intricate trim, and color variations. Due to the higher level of detail and customizations, interior residential painting services use far better paint materials that improve finish consistency, durability, and coverage.
Cost Differences Between Residential & Commercial Painting
The use of lower-grade paints and a faster process make commercial repaints more profitable than residential repaints. Additional doors, windows, and trim details add to home painting costs, but these additions also slow down the process.
Commercial painting also has far less competition. Most commercial jobs are annual refreshes, which include repainting the same color. Additionally, there is far less trim. Doors are often metal, interior windows are hardly ever painted, and baseboards are rubber or metal. So, a few doors and walls are the totality of most commercial interior repaints.
Unexpected Costs & Expenses
The advantage of working with homeowners and small businesses is that we get paid after completion. Working for other contractors is a considerable risk for the subcontractors, often having to wait 30 – 90 days for final payments. Some bad actors won’t pay their subs, which is why our business model has always been direct to consumers on jobs over 10k.
Floating high material and labor expenses are another consideration. Commercial projects demand the expertise and bankroll of large paint companies that can continue the work without getting paid for long periods of time. Some projects take over a year to complete and do not offer incremental payments.
In many ways, commercial painting has too many financial burdens of entry, limiting access to smaller companies and business owners. Residential painting, on the other hand, requires little to nothing to start, depending on what is being painted, and can be an easy summer or side hustle for extra cash.
Commercial Exterior Painting
So, we have not talked about commercial exterior repaints. These services include shopping malls, gas stations, high-rise buildings, hotels, apartments, and churches, to name a few.
Exterior commercial painting costs more than residential and for good reason. Insurance policy premiums are higher for exterior commercial painting, and the equipment needed is far more expensive and often includes man-lift rentals. All gas paint sprayer innovations come from the needs of commercial painters because there is usually limited access to electricity.
House Painting Requires Massive Attention to Detail
Every detail is measured when painting the inside of a house, from the amount of texture the paint roller leaves to limiting brush mark visibility. The more detail, the better the result.
Interior painting takes a lot of time and requires painters to multitask, often removing us from painting. Moving furniture and excessive drywall repairs also slow the process. The respect for someone’s home, belongings, and floor is much higher. So, overall, house painting, whether in or out, requires a slower approach.
Conclusion
Less detail and higher profit margins are why many painters who are not technically commercial painters are open to the opportunity. However, far more homes need painting than businesses, so there is a trade-off. The standard for full-service painters in Raleigh, NC, incorporates residential and light commercial work.
If you are a homeowner in the Triangle area, try not to get hung up or become apprehensive when you see a commercial or other painting service that doesn’t match your intent. Instead, look at the overall body of work and who the site speaks to. If most of their works are examples of projects that reflect your needs, you know you are in the right place.
