60 min · 30 video lectures · quizzes · assignments · workbook
Most painters who move into commercial work price too low, skip compliance paperwork, and run out of cash between draw payments. This course fixes all three. Built by operators for operators, every lecture maps directly to a tab in the Commercial Painting Contracting Ops Kit — so you learn the concept, then immediately apply it in your workbook.
We start with a fast-setup walkthrough of the kit and show you how your business settings flow into every downstream calculation. From there you master commercial estimating: measuring square footage, specifying the right coating system, stacking labor and material costs, and adding a margin that actually survives job-site surprises.
Section three is all about winning and onboarding — proposal structure, follow-up cadence, and the signed-contract checklist that protects you before a single can of paint is opened. Section four covers field operations: the Paint and VOC Calculator, EPA RRP lead-safe compliance, crew dispatch, daily punch-out, and quality control walkthroughs that prevent expensive callbacks.
Money and bookkeeping comes next — how to run your Income and Expenses tab, issue draw invoices tied to your Job Tracker, track true job-level profitability, and read a simple P&L without an accountant. We close with recurring revenue: maintenance contracts, strata and property-management relationships, and the scaling moves that take you from one crew to a multi-van operation.
You will leave with a fully configured kit, a repeatable bid process, a compliant lead-safe log, and a clear picture of where your money goes on every job. No fluff, no filler — just the systems a working commercial painter actually needs.
What you'll learn
You'll be able to configure the Ops Kit for your company and use it as your daily command center
You'll be able to build accurate commercial estimates using labor hours, material quantities, and VOC-compliant product specs
You'll be able to write and present a professional proposal that wins bids without racing to the bottom on price
You'll be able to run EPA RRP lead-safe documentation correctly and pass a compliance audit
You'll be able to dispatch and track crews using the Job Tracker without losing visibility on any active site
You'll be able to calculate true job-level profit by reconciling your Income and Expenses tab against each contract
You'll be able to issue draw invoices on schedule and manage cash flow across overlapping jobs
You'll be able to build recurring revenue through maintenance agreements with property managers and strata corporations
Course curriculum
Section 1: Welcome & Kit Setup
Welcome — How This Course and Kit Work Together
Start Here Tab — Business Settings in 60 Seconds
Navigating the Five Tabs — What Each Sheet Does
Commercial vs. Residential — Key Differences That Change Everything
Compliance Landscape — EPA RRP, VOC Rules, and Insurance Basics
Section 2: Estimating, VOC Compliance & Pricing Commercial Jobs