Painting contractors in
Honolulu, Hawaii.
A public directory of painting contractor businesses serving greater Honolulu. Market data, licensing requirements, and cost benchmarks — updated continuously from public sources.
Painting jobs in Honolulu
0 open jobs in Honolulu.
The controlled job pilot is not open yet.
Common Job Costs
Licensing Requirements
Licensing Requirements
Hawaii does not issue a dedicated standalone painter's license at the state level. Painting contractors must hold a C-33 Painting and Decorating specialty contractor license issued by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), Contractors License Board. Requirements include: proof of four years of journey-level experience in the trade, passing the Hawaii Law and Business exam (administered by PSI), a financial statement demonstrating solvency, and designation of a Qualifying Principal who meets experience standards. License renewal is biennial. Sole proprietors and partnerships must also meet bonding requirements. No journey worker state license is required for employees, but the RMO (Responsible Managing Officer) or RME (Responsible Managing Employee) must meet all experience and exam criteria.
Permit Requirements
In Honolulu, painting work on existing structures generally does not require a building permit unless it involves changes to the building envelope or is part of a larger permitted renovation. However, work on historic properties in designated historic districts (such as Chinatown or parts of Downtown Honolulu) may require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Division before any exterior color or surface changes. Commercial properties undergoing full interior repaints tied to a change of occupancy or tenant improvement may trigger permit requirements under DPP (Department of Planning and Permitting). Contractors should verify with the Honolulu DPP on a per-project basis.
Inspection Schedule
Standalone painting projects rarely require formal inspections. When painting is part of a permitted tenant improvement, renovation, or new construction project, inspections follow the overall project schedule set by the Honolulu DPP. In those cases, final inspections cover surface prep compliance, fire-rated coating applications (if specified), and VOC compliance. For historic district projects, inspections by the State Historic Preservation Division may occur at project start and completion. Lead paint abatement work on pre-1978 structures requires EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting) certified supervisors and documentation, which may be subject to EPA or state DOH inspection.
Insurance Minimums
Hawaii requires C-33 licensed painting contractors to carry a minimum of $25,000 in general liability insurance per occurrence and maintain a contractor's bond of at least $5,000 as a condition of licensure through the DCCA Contractors License Board. Most commercial clients and general contractors in Honolulu require higher coverage — typically $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate in general liability. Workers' compensation insurance is mandatory for any contractor with one or more employees under Hawaii state law (HRS Chapter 386). Sole proprietors with no employees may waive workers' comp but must file the appropriate exemption.
Compliance research unavailable
Source status: unavailable · 7/25/2026
Detailed instructions are withheld because the source is not available for verification.
Local market snapshot
Source: DoorBase, aggregated public ZIP-level data. Updated 7/17/2026.
How to Get Licensed
Confirm Eligibility
Verify that your Qualifying Principal (the owner, officer, or responsible managing employee who will carry the license) has at least four years of documented journey-level experience in painting and decorating. This experience must be verifiable through employer references, tax records, or sworn affidavits. Hawaii DCCA will scrutinize this — vague experience claims get rejected.
Register Your Business Entity
Before applying for a contractor's license, your business must be registered with the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division. Sole proprietors, partnerships, LLCs, and corporations are all eligible but each has different documentation requirements. Complete this step first — your license application will require your business registration number.
Obtain a Contractor's Bond
Secure a contractor's bond of at least $5,000 from a licensed surety company. The bond must name the State of Hawaii as the obligee. You'll need proof of this bond as part of your license application. Shop surety companies in advance — this is usually straightforward but takes a few days to process.
Secure General Liability Insurance
Obtain a general liability insurance policy with a minimum of $25,000 per occurrence from a licensed insurer. Request a certificate of insurance (COI) naming the Hawaii Contractors License Board. Note that commercial clients will typically require $1,000,000 per occurrence — consider getting a higher-limit policy from the start to avoid having to upgrade it for every bid.
Schedule and Pass the Hawaii Law and Business Exam
Register with PSI Exams (Hawaii's approved testing vendor) to sit for the Hawaii Law and Business examination. This exam covers state contractor law, business practices, and licensing requirements — it does not test painting trade knowledge specifically, but do not underestimate it. Study the Hawaii Contractor Reference Manual available through DCCA. Schedule your exam at a PSI testing center. A passing score of 70 or higher is required.
Submit the C-33 License Application
Complete and submit the C-33 Painting and Decorating Contractor application to the Hawaii DCCA Contractors License Board. Include: completed application form, filing fee (verify current fee on DCCA website, typically in the $200-$400 range), proof of bond, certificate of insurance, exam score confirmation, business registration documents, and experience documentation for your Qualifying Principal. Applications are reviewed by the board and processing can take 4 to 8 weeks.
Obtain Workers' Compensation Coverage
If you have any employees, Hawaii law (HRS Chapter 386) mandates workers' compensation insurance before they work a single day. Obtain coverage through a private insurer or the Hawaii Employers' Mutual Insurance Company (HEMIC). Sole proprietors with zero employees may file an exemption but should still carry it as a best practice. Keep proof of coverage current — it may be requested during the licensing process and will be required on most commercial job sites.
Renew Biennially
Hawaii contractor licenses renew every two years. DCCA will send renewal notices, but it is your responsibility to renew on time. Renewal requires updated proof of bond and insurance and payment of the renewal fee. Continuing education is not currently mandated for C-33 renewals, but confirm current requirements with DCCA at renewal time as requirements can change. Operating on an expired license carries the same penalties as operating without one.
About This Market
The painter market in Honolulu is active and layered. You've got three distinct demand pools running simultaneously: residential (condos, single-family homes, aging rental stock), commercial and retail, and the hospitality sector — hotels and resorts that cycle through interior refurbishment on rolling schedules. With approximately 153 licensed painting establishments operating in Hawaii according to Census data, competition exists but this isn't a saturated market. What drives costs here is the island premium: materials ship in, labor doesn't come cheap, and salt air plus UV intensity means exterior jobs eat more prep time and higher-grade coatings than you'd spec on the mainland. Clients who know the market expect to pay for that — clients who don't will need to be educated upfront. Budget for it.
To work this market, you need the C-33 license through Hawaii DCCA — no workarounds, no exceptions for unlicensed subs on anything above minor work. Get your Qualifying Principal through the PSI exam process early because scheduling can lag. If you're touching pre-1978 structures — and in Honolulu there are plenty of them — your supervisor needs EPA RRP certification or you're looking at federal penalties. Historic district work adds another layer; coordinate with the State Historic Preservation Division before you touch exterior surfaces on flagged properties. Commercial and hospitality clients move fast and expect proof of insurance above the state minimums, so carry at least a $1M policy before you knock on those doors. Work the spring season hard, build maintenance contracts with property managers and HOAs for year-round cash flow, and price your material escalation into every bid — shipping delays and cost spikes are a real variable on an island.
- Number of licensed painting establishments in Hawaii (153)U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns data for Hawaii
- C-33 license requirements, bond minimums, exam requirementsHawaii DCCA Contractors License Board (cca.hawaii.gov)
- Workers' compensation requirementsHawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 386; Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
- Lead paint RRP requirements and penalty amountsEPA RRP Rule, 40 CFR Part 745; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Historic district permit requirementsHawaii State Historic Preservation Division; City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting
- Cost ranges for painting services in HonoluluMarket estimate based on local contractor pricing; no BLS cost data available for this specific trade and market
- Typical insurance minimums for commercial workMarket estimate based on standard commercial contractor requirements in Hawaii; DCCA minimum requirements
- Exam administration and schedulingPSI Exams (psiexams.com); Hawaii DCCA Contractors License Board
- Permit requirements for painting in HonoluluCity and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (honoluludpp.org)
Frequently Asked Questions
What license does a painting contractor need to legally operate in Honolulu, HI?
You need a C-33 Painting and Decorating specialty contractor license issued by the Hawaii DCCA Contractors License Board. This requires four years of verifiable journey-level experience, passing the Hawaii Law and Business exam through PSI, and a financial solvency statement. There is no separate city-level license for Honolulu — the state C-33 covers you. Operating without it is a misdemeanor under HRS 444-22. Source: Hawaii DCCA Contractors License Board.
How much does exterior house painting cost in Honolulu?
Expect to pay between $3,500 and $9,000 for a standard single-family home exterior in Honolulu, depending on square footage, number of stories, surface condition, and coating spec. Island pricing runs 20 to 35 percent higher than national averages due to material shipping costs and the premium labor market. Homes with significant weathering, mold, or previous lead paint add prep costs. These are market estimates based on local contractor pricing data; BLS occupation-specific cost data is not available for this market.
Do painting contractors in Honolulu need permits for their work?
Most standalone residential and commercial painting projects do not require a building permit from the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP). Exceptions include painting tied to permitted renovations, changes of occupancy, or work on properties in designated historic districts where a Certificate of Appropriateness may be required from the State Historic Preservation Division. Always verify with Honolulu DPP before starting on any project that overlaps with permitted construction. Source: City and County of Honolulu DPP.
Is lead paint a concern for painting contractors working on older Honolulu properties?
Yes, and it's regulated at the federal level. Any contractor disturbing more than six square feet of interior or 20 square feet of exterior painted surfaces on a pre-1978 residential structure must comply with EPA RRP (Renovation, Repair and Painting) Rule requirements. This means an EPA-certified RRP firm, a certified renovator on site, and proper containment and documentation. Hawaii DOH also enforces lead paint regulations under state law. Violations carry civil penalties up to $37,500 per violation per day. Source: EPA RRP Rule (40 CFR Part 745); Hawaii DOH.
How competitive is the painting contractor market in Honolulu, and is there enough work?
According to U.S. Census data, approximately 153 licensed painting establishments operate across Hawaii. For an island economy with active residential real estate, a robust short-term rental market, and a hospitality sector that includes hundreds of hotel properties, that number leaves reasonable room for contractors who run clean operations. The competitive edge in Honolulu belongs to contractors with commercial or hospitality relationships, EPA RRP certification for older housing stock, and reliable crews — labor availability is a consistent constraint in this market. Estimate based on Census County Business Patterns data; BLS employment data not available for this specific market segment.
Painting contractors in Honolulu
No contractors listed yet.
Run your painting business on The Forge.
Apply to be listed on The Board for free. Manage leads, quotes, jobs, and follow-ups in one place, built for independent operators and growing crews.