Paintzen, launched in 2013, was designed to make it easy for consumers to choose paint, get a quote, and book a contractor. The service was acquired by PPG in January 2018 for $75 million and is available in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

The platform assists consumers from the beginning of their project, through color selection, services required, price quote, and booking a pro painter. It then continues through scheduling, payment, and delivering paint to the job site, allowing the job to begin an as little as 72 hours, said Meghan Stewart, Paintzen senior director, B2C. “Through a short, interactive series of questions, users select their location, type of property they want painted, room sizes and room quantity. The company’s proprietary algorithm instantly and accurately calculates the amount of paint needed based off the scope of the project,” she says.

While the PPG Services platform (discussed in previous newsletters) utilizes Paintzen technology, the two platforms serve a different customer base. “Paintzen exclusively serves residential customers looking to paint their home, apartment or single-family dwelling,” said Stewart. “It also works with interior designers, home stagers and those working on behalf of a homeowner or renter.” PPG Services, on the other hand, is intended for larger commercial projects and allows corporations to book contractors on a national scale from a central location.

If customers order the paint through Paintzen, it will default to PPG products, but it can also match color to other brands. If a customer prefers another brand, Paintzen advises them how much to order.

Similar to PPG Services, Paintzen sets prices and handles payment. “Pricing is based upon local PCA sanctioned rates and scopes of work, along with the paint and supplies needed to complete the job. In order to allow the customer to have a single point of contact, payments and payouts are handled through Paintzen as well,” said Stewart. “10% of payment is due upon booking, and the remaining 90% is paid the day the paint job begins. All jobs charge on the first day with the exception of California and New Jersey due to state laws.”

Painter Mike Ali, House of Color in New York City, says Paintzen helps him spend more time painting and less time looking for work. “Working with Paintzen makes my life easier because I don't have to chase down leads,” he says. “Before working with Paintzen I would spend hundreds of dollars a month on leads and rarely would I win the job. Now I don't have to spend hours writing quotes and competing with other contractors.”

Interested painters can apply at https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Paintzen/jobs.