How I Built a Painting Business With a Honda Civic and a Dream

In 2016, I had one of those "if not now, when?" moments. I’d been working in construction for a while, but I always felt a calling to do something on my own. That year, I decided it was time to stop ignoring it—and start a painting business.

Was it easy? Absolutely not.

At the time, I was living in a tiny apartment in downtown Huntington Beach with barely enough space to store my tools, let alone start a company. I didn’t have a work truck. I didn’t have a crew. I had a white 2000 Honda Civic hatchback, a whole lot of determination, a patient girlfriend, and a dream that was just slightly larger than our apartment.

Once I strapped that 24-foot ladder to the top of that Civic (yes, the ladder was basically the same size as the car), I was officially in business. I also had a six-foot ladder, a budget sprayer, a 5-in-1 tool, some buckets, brushes, poles, and a head full of hustle.

By the time my contractor’s license became official in 2017, I had already built some local traction thanks to a website I had been working on for months. I even listed my home office in the heart of Huntington Beach—the exact area I wanted to focus on.

Somehow, it worked. The calls came in. At first, I was doing every job solo, which was definitely cost-effective, but eventually I hit the point where I needed help. I reached out to a couple of painters, and that changed everything. I was able to not only work on projects but start chasing bigger ones and growing the business.

I poured endless hours into making sure we stayed busy—marketing, estimating, job walks, client communication. There wasn’t a part of the business I wasn’t personally involved in.

Looking back, it’s wild to think how far we’ve come from that Civic and that first ladder. But I truly believe if you have a strong vision, grit, and you're willing to outwork the doubts, you can build something real.

Moral of the story? You don’t need a brand-new truck or a huge team to get started. You just need heart, hustle, and maybe a Civic (retired) that doesn’t mind carrying a little extra weight.

SEO Keywords

- Huntington Beach painting company

- Start a painting business

- Orange County painter story

- How to start a painting business with no money

- Painting business startup

- Contractor success story

- DIY painter origin story

- Beach City Painting

- Rock and Roll Painting

- Local painter in Huntington Beach