Government fees to open a painting business in Vancouver come to about $424–$523 in the first year: $30 for the name, $40 to register, and $277–$376 for the city licence, plus a $77 application fee.
What Vancouver charges a painting business
Vancouver has two categories that fit: Building Repair & Maintenance at $277, or General Contractor at $376. Which one applies depends on the work you describe on the form.
| Fee | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| BC Registries — name request | $30 | Up to three names |
| BC Registries — sole proprietorship | $40 | Or $350 to incorporate |
| City of Vancouver — business licence | $277–$376 | Every year |
| City of Vancouver — application fee | $77 | One time |
| First-year total | $424–$523 | As a sole proprietor |
Read off By-law 14479, the 2026 business licence fee schedule on 22 September 2026: the fee schedule, alongside City of Vancouver: get a business licence. City fees change every year. We confirm your exact figure before anything is filed and pass it through at cost.
When the Vancouver licence renews
A Vancouver licence runs the calendar year. It expires on 31 December no matter when you bought it, so a licence bought in October is renewed in January. Pay late and the city adds $47 or 10% of the licence, whichever is more.
Running it from home in Vancouver
Most new painting businesses start from a spare room and a driveway. Vancouver’s rules for that:
- No more than three customers at your home at one time.
- Customers only between 8am and 8pm on weekdays, 10am to 8pm on weekends and holidays.
- Up to two staff who do not live there may work on site at once.
- The business may use up to a third of the home’s floor area, or 46 m², whichever is less.
From City of Vancouver home-based business rules. A licence can be refused over one of these after you have paid, so we read them before we file.
Taking jobs outside Vancouver
A painting business works on buildings, so it fits the Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licence. It costs $300 for twelve months, is not pro-rated, and covers Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Delta and New Westminster on one licence. You buy it on top of your Vancouver licence, from Vancouver.
It pays for itself the day you take a job in a second city. Without it, each city wants its own licence. How the Metro West licence works.
| City | Licence for a painting business | Application |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | $277–$376 | $77 |
| Burnaby | $378 first year, $133 after | $55 |
| Surrey | $377 | $50 |
| Richmond | $166 | — |
Richmond is the lowest of the four at $166. The full rules for each city are on the city guides: Vancouver · Burnaby · Surrey · Richmond.
What a painting business needs in BC
House painting needs no provincial ticket in BC. Red Seal exists, but it is voluntary for home repaints. You need the business registered, a city licence, and liability insurance. Exterior work at height can bring WorkSafeBC rules, and homes built before 1990 call for lead-safe prep.
The full guide, with gear costs and the seven steps: how to start a painting business in BC.
What painting work goes for in Vancouver
The 2026 market range for painting work in Metro Vancouver is $40–$100 an hour on site. That comes from the engine behind our public calculators. Your prices are yours to set. Heritage homes repaint often, and pre-sale repaints follow the listing market.
See painting prices in VancouverOpen the pricing calculator
Open in Vancouver in about 10 business days of build work
We build the customer side first: a website people find, online booking, and payments. Then the Vancouver licence and the registration get filed for you. Launch is $497 as a sole proprietor, $997 as a company, and includes your first 3 months of Standing. BC Registries and the City of Vancouver set their own approval times.
+ applicable government registration & licensing fees, billed at cost — we quote your exact figure before filing.
Painting business in Vancouver: questions
How much does it cost to start a painting business in Vancouver?
Government fees come to about $424–$523 in the first year: $30 for the name request, $40 to register a sole proprietorship, and $277–$376 for the City of Vancouver business licence, plus a $77 application fee. Insurance and equipment are on top.
When does a Vancouver business licence renew?
A Vancouver licence runs the calendar year. It expires on 31 December no matter when you bought it, so a licence bought in October is renewed in January. Pay late and the city adds $47 or 10% of the licence, whichever is more.
Can I work in other cities on a Vancouver licence?
Not on the city licence alone. A painting business can add the Metro West Inter-Municipal Business Licence for $300 a year, which covers Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Delta and New Westminster.
Can I run a painting business from home in Vancouver?
Yes, as a home-based business, within the city's rules. No more than three customers at your home at one time. Customers only between 8am and 8pm on weekdays, 10am to 8pm on weekends and holidays.