Painter1 franchise
2026 filing · April 24, 2026Shares sales figures
Painter1 at a glance
A residential and commercial painting business handling interior and exterior projects. At the end of 2025 there were 45 Painter1 locations in the US, all franchised.
The business
- Franchisor
- STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1
- The company that sells the franchises
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $80K–$168K
- Fee, build-out and opening working capital
- Franchise fee
- $54,500
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 7%
- 7% of monthly gross sales, with a $700 monthly minimum
Where it is
- US locations, 2025
- 45
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 45
- Company-owned
- 0
From STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1’s 2026 filing; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Where it ranks
Painter1 among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | Painter1 | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $124,325 | Costs less than 83% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $54,500 | Higher than 81% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 7% | Higher than 70% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 45 | More than 63% of franchises |
How much a Painter1 franchise costs
Opening one Painter1 costs an estimated $80,270 to $168,380. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital. It is one of the low-cost franchises.
Source: STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1, 2026 filing, page 18
Painter1 franchise fee
The franchise fee is $54,500. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1, 2026 filing, page 8
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 7% of monthly gross sales, with a $700 monthly minimum. |
|---|
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1, 2026 filing, page 10
Sales and earnings
Shares figures Painter1 publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1, 2026 filing, page 45
SBA loans to Painter1 franchisees
Lenders approved 14 SBA 7(a) loans for Painter1 franchisees from 2019 to 2026, $2.61M in all. Of the 2 that have ended, 1 was paid in full and 1 was charged off. The other 12 haven’t ended yet.
A charged-off loan is one written off as uncollectible. See SBA franchise loans for how 7(a) and 504 loans work.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 loan data, as of September 30, 2026
How Painter1 compares
Of the 22 painting franchises on this site, Painter1 is the 5th cheapest to open and the 10th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | Painter1 | Typical painting brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $80K | $96K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $168K | $165K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $55K | $50K | $40K |
| Royalty | 7% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 45 | 42 | 21 |
| Change in franchised locations, 0 yrs | +25% | +20.2% | – |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 16 of 22 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 22 brands in painting franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 38 (+2) | 0 |
| 2024 | 42 (+4) | 0 |
| 2025 | 45 (+3) | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1, 2026 filing, page 52
Who owns Painter1?
Painter1 franchises are sold by STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1.
From STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1’s 2026 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 5. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | None. The filing says no bankruptcy has to be disclosed. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1, 2026 filing, litigation on page 5, bankruptcy on page 8
Painter1 filings
The figures on this page come from STRATIFY, LLC dba PAINTER1’s 2026 filing, issued April 24, 2026, on record with the Minnesota Department of Commerce.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 filing | April 24, 2026 | Minnesota | Costs, fees and locations, 2023–2025 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other painting franchises
All painting franchises
Painter1 is also on these lists: home service franchises.