Trade Playbook

Painting & Finishing

No provincial trade licence required

Painting is the lowest-barrier construction business to start in Ontario — no licence, minimal equipment — but the industrial coatings niche (404D) is a credential-gated, higher-margin world of its own.

Where are you right now?

Learn it. Earn it. Own it. Pick the door that matches where you are.

Getting inBecome a painterHow people actually enter this trade: sponsors, registration, hours, and school.Open Getting certifiedFinish your ticketAlready an apprentice? The Last Mile guide: closing out hours, booking the exam, exam day.Open Comparing optionsWhat painters makePay by stage, the lanes that change the number, and the difference between a wage and a business rate.Open Going out on your ownStart a painting businessThe step-by-step from qualified tradesperson to incorporated, insured, bid-ready owner.Open Just lookingCommon questionsLicences, costs, timelines: the questions everyone asks, answered straight.Open

Painting & Finishing at a glance

Licence to do the work
Not required — 404C / 404D are voluntary
Path in
Lowest barrier in construction — on a crew immediately; apprenticeship optional
Regulated by
Municipality; AMPP/NACE for industrial coatings
Insurance baseline
$1M–$2M CGL for residential
Union route
IUPAT DC 46

The licensing layer, explained

Painter & Decorator (404C residential/commercial, 404D industrial) is a voluntary trade. No provincial licence is required for general painting. You need a business licence, WSIB, and insurance. Industrial coatings work requires AMPP/NACE/SSPC certifications and lead/hazard protocols.

Certifications in this trade

Insurance to expect

Generally lower-risk, but overspray, ladder work, and care/custody of client property still drive claims. $1M–$2M CGL is typical for residential; industrial coatings needs more.

Go to the source

The official pages that govern this trade. Bookmark these, they are the final word on requirements and fees.

Keep reading

404C Painter (Commercial & Residential)404D Painter (Industrial)IncorporationCRA RegistrationWSIB & ProvincialTrade LicensingInsuranceSafety ComplianceOperational SetupBid Readiness

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