Where to Find Painting Jobs to Bid On – For Industrial Paint Contractors

If you run an industrial painting business, you already know: the real challenge isn’t the coatings or the square footage, it’s finding painting jobs that are worth bidding on.

While commercial painting contractors often rely on steady word-of-mouth or repeat business, industrial jobs tend to be larger, more technical, and far more competitive.

Whether you’re a solo professional painter or part of a team of professional painting contractors, landing steady industrial work starts with understanding where to look and how to approach the bidding process.

Let’s break down the best ways to find industrial painting projects to bid on, and where experienced contractors are winning painting contracts today.

1. Government Contracting Portals

Best for: Infrastructure painting and exterior coatings on public assets

From water towers and steel bridges to HVAC plants and military facilities, government agencies offer some of the most reliable industrial painting work. These opportunities are rarely advertised in the same spaces as commercial painting jobs, so you need to know where to look.

Top resources:

• SAM.gov: Your one-stop shop for federal painting contracts.
• State DOT and local procurement websites.
• Municipal utilities and water departments.

Many of these jobs require accurate bids, proper safety documentation, and bonding. Don’t let that scare you, being compliant can be a competitive edge over less-prepared painting companies.

2. Industrial Bidding Platforms

Best for: Industrial maintenance, plant shutdowns, and subcontractor roles

If your painting business offers high-end painting services like abrasive blasting, tank lining, or specialty coatings, platforms like these can help you source high-value painting jobs outside the typical commercial work environment.

Try these sites:

• Industrial Info Resources: great for tracking industrial capital projects.
• ConstructConnect, PlanHub, and Dodge Construction Central: These platforms offer detailed specs for industrial painting projects, often by square foot.

Many of the projects here require precision painting estimates. Be sure to calculate your labor costs, material costs, and overhead costs so your profit margin holds up against tight competition.

3. Work with General Contractors and EPC Firms

Best for: Large-scale projects needing skilled industrial subcontractors

Many general contractors and EPC firms handling large energy, manufacturing, or infrastructure builds hire painting contractors as part of their overall project scope. The key? Get on their radar before the painting work starts.

Action Steps:

• Build relationships on LinkedIn.
• Email your company profile and past project experience.
• Ask to be added to their preferred vendor list.

This approach works for both interior painting and exterior paint jobs, depending on the project scope. The goal is to show you’re an experienced painter who understands industrial timelines and safety protocols.

4. Plant Turnarounds & Scheduled Maintenance

Best for: Repeatable high-volume industrial painting jobs

Industrial facilities like refineries, chemical plants, and factories all schedule “turnarounds”—planned shutdowns for maintenance, inspection, and updates. These are great times to land painting contracts, especially for tank interiors, structural steel, and caulking work.

Where to find them:

• Follow industry news for your region.
• Use platforms like Industrial Info Resources to track upcoming turnarounds.
• Cold-call plant maintenance managers or property managers and ask for their shutdown calendar.

These projects often demand strict prep work, so be ready to discuss your surface preparation standards and the type of paint or coatings you’ll use. It helps to mention specific suppliers like Sherwin Williams if you use their industrial product lines.

5. Direct Outreach to Facilities

Best for: Long-term contracts and unlisted maintenance jobs

Sometimes, the best jobs aren’t posted anywhere. Many factories and warehouses work with the same painting contractors for years—unless someone better comes along.

Here’s how to stand out:

• Identify industrial facilities in your service area.
• Offer a free walk-through to evaluate paint degradation.
• Send a sample template bid with square footage, gallon of paint estimates, and a simple project scope.

You don’t have to lead with a hard sell. A well-prepared bid and an offer to repaint problem areas can build trust and open doors to recurring painting work.

6. Industry Associations & Trade Shows

Best for: Growing visibility in the painting industry

Joining associations like AMPP (formerly NACE/SSPC) gives you access to networking, exclusive bid boards, and training to stay ahead of new coatings technologies. These organizations often list painting jobs and host networking events that put you in front of property managers and general contractors alike.

Other options:

• Local trade shows for industrial maintenance or construction
• LinkedIn groups for painting services and industrial trades
• Subcontractor directories for large commercial painting projects (when relevant)

Even if you’re not focused on commercial painting, the visibility can still lead to opportunities in adjacent industries that require industrial expertise.

Final Thoughts

The industrial painting industry is highly specialized—and so are the opportunities. Whether you’re working on a drywall-coated manufacturing line or applying a high-performance epoxy in a processing plant, finding the right painting jobs requires consistency, strategy, and professionalism.

Take time each week to explore the resources above and refine your painting bids. Track your labor costs, price per square foot, and your overhead costs to ensure each painting project supports your long-term growth—not just your short-term revenue.

And if you’re serious about scaling, start investing in systems that make your bidding process faster and more competitive. Good contractors win bids, but great ones build pipelines.

Join our network of vetted Industrial Paint Contractor and get into our bid pool.

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