How to Market Painting Services to HOAs and Property Managers

HOA and property management work can fill a painting calendar for years. Communities repaint on a schedule, and managers turn over units all year long. But these buyers do not search like homeowners. They work from reserve studies, board votes and vendor lists. Painters who learn that process get repeat work their competitors never see.

Start with the people who control the vendor list. In most communities that is the community association manager, not the board itself. Find the management companies in your area, then call or visit each office and ask how they add painting vendors. Many managers also attend local chapter events of the Community Associations Institute, which is a good place to meet them in person. Next, build a vendor packet you can send the same day. Include your certificate of insurance, a W-9, your license number, proof of workers' comp, a list of past multi-unit or commercial jobs, and two or three references with phone numbers. Managers often must collect these before you can bid at all. When a repaint comes up, ask where it sits in the reserve study and request the full scope. Boards usually compare several bids side by side, so make yours easy to read. Break the price out by building or phase. List the prep steps, the product line and sheen, the warranty, and your schedule. Add a resident notice template and explain how you handle parking, signage, windows and pets. Boards worry about resident complaints more than almost anything, so show you have a plan. Color changes often go through an architectural review committee, so offer sample boards or a mockup on one door before the vote. For property managers, focus on unit turns. They need a crew that can repaint a vacant unit in a day or two with a standard color and sheen. Keep a spec sheet for each property and send photos when each unit is done. Time your follow-up to board meeting dates, not your own schedule. Ask when the next meeting is and offer to present for a few minutes.