Painting & Wall Covering Contractors NAICS 238320

        Painting & Wall Covering Contractors

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Industry Summary

The 38,000 painting and wall covering contractors in the US apply paint, stain, coatings, and wall coverings to walls, buildings, bridges, and other structures. Companies may specialize in a particular type of application, such as residential, industrial, or decorative painting. Other services include pressure washing, deck finishing, wood staining, drywall finishing, and exterior waterproofing/sealing.

Risk Of Injury And Illness

Workers are constantly working at heights that require ladders, scaffolding, lifts, or harnesses.

Dependence On The Construction Industry And Economy

Demand for painting and wall covering services is closely tied to the health of the construction industry, which is influenced by the state of the economy.


Recent Developments

Jul 16, 2025 - Remodelers’ Sentiment Drops
  • The NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI) reading for the second quarter of 2025 was 59, down four points from the first quarter, according to a July 2025 report by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Any RMI reading over 50 indicates that most remodelers feel market conditions are good. In the second quarter, the Current Conditions Index portion of the RMI fell five points to 66 compared to Q1 2025. The Future Indicators Index component of the RMI declined by four points to 51. While the RMI remained solidly in positive territory in Q2 2025, the NAHB noted that high interest rates and waning consumer confidence continue to pose challenges to the remodeling industry.
  • New single-family home sales fell 13.7% month-over-month and were down 6.3% year-over-year in May 2025, according to the US Census Bureau. May’s total new home sales reached 623,000 units. According to Dow Jones estimates, Wall Street analysts had expected May sales to reach 695,000. In recent quarterly reports, some homebuilders said high interest rates and weaker consumer confidence weighed on demand. As sales of new homes remain soft, inventories of unsold homes are increasing. At the end of May, there were 507,000 new homes for sale, up 15% compared to May 2024. The number of unsold new homes in May was the highest since the summer of 2022, after the Federal Reserve began increasing interest rates.
  • Apartment construction is increasingly shifting away from dense urban centers toward less populated and more affordable regions, according to the NAHB’s Q1 2025 Home Building Geography Index and reporting by Smart Cities Dive. Since 2016, large metro core counties have seen a 9.6 percentage-point drop in market share for apartment starts, hitting a low of 35.5%. The trend is fueled by affordability concerns, demographic shifts—especially the rise of older renters seeking suburban lifestyles—and project owners favoring lower-cost developments in exurbs and rural areas. Developers are pursuing projects farther out where land is cheaper and expansion is easier, though total activity in these areas remains relatively small.
  • North American construction and engineering spending in 2025 is expected to grow by 1% after increasing an estimated 7% in 2024, according to FMI’s third-quarter 2025 North American Engineering and Construction Outlook. Nonresidential building construction spending is forecast to rise 1% in 2025, led by growth in data centers (up 32% over 2024 spending), amusement and recreation (+6%), educational (+4%), and transportation (+4%). Nonresidential building construction spending will be tempered by weakness in warehouse (down 5% compared to 2024 spending), commercial (-4%), lodging (-3%), and manufacturing (0%). Amid high mortgage interest rates and a lack of affordability, single-family construction spending is forecast to rise by 1% in 2025. A recent jump in new apartment supply and unfavorable cost conditions will reduce multifamily spending by 9% in 2025.

Industry Revenue

Painting & Wall Covering Contractors


Industry Structure

Industry size & Structure

The average paint and wall covering contractor operates out of a single location, employs 6 workers, and generates about $899,700 annually.

    • The paint and wall covering contractor industry consists of about 38,000 establishments that employ about 210,300 workers and generate about $34 billion annually.
    • The industry is highly fragmented; the majority of firms are small, independent operators. Many painting and wall covering contractors are self-employed.
    • Large companies, such as the Brock Group, offer industrial painting as part of a larger portfolio of services.

                            Industry Forecast

                            Industry Forecast
                            Painting & Wall Covering Contractors Industry Growth
                            Source: Vertical IQ and Inforum

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