How Painting Franchises Stay Profitable Year-Round
November 14, 2025
Seasonal slowdowns don’t have to stop your success. Discover how Klappenberger & Son franchisees plan ahead, market smarter, and stay profitable all year long.
Klappenberger & Son Franchise provides exceptional painting, handyman, and sometimes remodeling services. Founded by David Klappenberger of Severna Park Maryland, in 1989, the franchising didn’t start for another 25 years. With over 35 years of success, Klappenberger & Son has worked in some of the most important places in the world. In addition to working at places such as the Pentagon and Smithsonian, we also painted at the White House. Because of our successes, we wanted to pass the torch and share with others the secrets to having a successful home service business.
We have created a franchise that is turnkey and ready to roll!
I am not aware of any home service industry franchise taught by a founder with 35 years of experience. Before franchising, Klappenberger & Son was a well-established painting and handyman company in the Annapolis area, making roughly 2 million dollars annually.
In 2015, David complained out loud about fixing paint jobs from a local painting franchise. He said if he had a painting franchise, he would have a training system that would eliminate those silly mistakes. Someone behind the Sherwin-Williams desk challenged him, “Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is?”
Okay, I thought. “What does it take to open a franchise?”
Download our free guide to “How Much Do Painting Companies Make in 2023” and learn: Common Start Up Costs, Marketing That Works, How to Get Started Fast, Choosing Your Role In The Company, Competing In A Recession Resistant Industry.
I got a franchise attorney and started reading FDDs to see exactly what other painting and handyman companies were offering.
An FDD (franchise disclosure document) allows you to see everything. After all, I didn’t want my franchisees to make painting 101 mistakes. I also looked at the start-up costs, ongoing fees, royalty rates, and territory size, ensuring my franchise met or exceeded the best ones in each category.
The rest is just a bunch of legal details and getting the infrastructure in place to be ready to set the world on fire.
By the time we were legally able to sell franchises, I was confident that our franchise offered more than our competitors.
For example, our territories are 3-5 times larger.
Through training that lasts six weeks, not two weeks.
Fifty training videos targeting the techs that describe our best practices.
More videos called “What Went Wrong” describe mistakes I’ve made over the last 25 years.
A master class on how to sell painting jobs regardless of location or economy.
I could go on, but it sounds like a sales pitch.
Whether you live in Florida or Washington state, Klappenberger & Son offers more than other painting and handyman franchises. In addition to large territories, we provide six weeks of training—including two weeks right at your location—to set you up for success.
I bought a Klappenberger & Son franchise in 2017. Since then, I have purchased two more territories and have made more money than expected. The franchisor’s support and continued effort to help me grow my business would not have been possible without a large franchise.
– Alex Mironov
In addition to the ongoing support, we provide a full six weeks of one-on-one training. Most of our competitors only offer two short weeks.
Klappenberger & Son offers the largest territories of any painting and handyman franchise in the country. Large territories go fast!
In addition to having the lowest overall fees, we reward franchisees with lower royalties as their business grows. Royalty fees drop as gross revenues increase!
Since 1989, we have been the leader in painting and handyman services in the Mid-Atlantic. After 25 years as a successful independent company, the Klappenberger & Son Franchise was born. Now, through franchising, the company aims to grow nationwide steadily.
Besides painting and handyman, Klappenberger & Son offers a variety of services, including:
Whether you prefer to do mostly painting jobs or handyman jobs, the choice is up to you. Furthermore, franchisees do not have to provide any handyman services that they are not equipped to handle.
We’re looking for like-minded entrepreneurs to join our team and grow with us. Click here to see why you should choose a Klappenberger and Son Franchise.
The handyman industry is a 5 billion recession-resistant dollar industry. It’s not uncommon for both handyman franchises and independent companies to charge $100. per hour for services leaving great margins for companies.
Oddly enough, most painting franchises do not incorporate handyman services but limit the scope of work to just painting. We feel that incorporating handyman services in our services makes us a one-stop shop for both residential and commercial work.
Having the freedom to be a handyman and a painting franchise is a revenue-generating machine, but it doesn’t stop there.
Keeping your margins high with the lowest ongoing fees is our goal. We have compared the FDD of six other painting franchises and four other handyman franchises and found that all have higher ongoing fees than Klappenberger.
Download our free guide to “How Much Do Painting Companies Make in 2023” and learn: Common Start Up Costs, Marketing That Works, How to Get Started Fast, Choosing Your Role In The Company, Competing In A Recession Resistant Industry.
From SEO and pay-per-click advertising to Angie's List and billboards, we know how to market your Klappenberger & Son Painting business.
We want you to succeed. Your success is our success so we offer some of the lowest royalties in the painting franchise industry.
Moreover, our unrivaled support directly from the founder, David Klappenberger, sets our franchise apart from the others.
As a franchisor, I will not stop making improvements for my franchisees. Whether it is improving marketing material or the cost of paint, it is our job to make the franchisees as profitable as possible.
Furthermore, I understand that buying a franchise takes a tremendous leap of faith on your part. So my promise is simple. No matter if you are in training or your tenth year as a franchisee, I am here to help you and work you through the obstacles and challenges you are going through.
–David Klappenberger
HAVE AN INITIAL CONVERSATION with our Franchise Sales Director and discuss your background, territory availability, and the financial qualifications necessary to own a Klappenberger & Son Franchise. Download our informational brochure here.
COMPLETE THE LGA or “Let’s Get Acquainted” form online. Your application will be reviewed by our Franchise Sales Director and Klappenberger & Son Franchise corporate offices.
SCHEDULE A Q & A SESSION with our Franchise Sales Director. The initial call will provide you with an opportunity to ask questions and start kicking the tires.
DUE DILIGENCE & DISCOVERY DAY in Annapolis, Maryland. Your visit to Annapolis will give you a complete overview of what it is like to be an owner of a Klappenberger & Son Franchise. After that, we will thoroughly review the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) with you and answer any questions.
FINALLY, SIGN THE FRANCHISE AGREEMENT and pay your franchise fee. Now that you’re a Klappenberger & Son Franchisee, you will schedule your training program and plan your opening. Congratulations!
If you address the five questions laid out in our guide, we can help you find a business franchise opportunity that’s a good fit for you.
Learn about the following five topics and how they should shape your choice of franchise that you invest in:
Your answers to these questions in the guide should point you to a specific franchise industry.
Then, once you’ve chosen an industry, you need to compare the specific franchises within this industry, which is covered in the second half of this quick, easy to understand guide.
Learn why Item 6 in the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) is so important in finding the best franchise for you!
Fill out your name and email below to request your guide today. After you hit the “Request My Guide” button, you will receive the pdf from us in your inbox within 15-20 minutes.
Seasonal slowdowns don’t have to stop your success. Discover how Klappenberger & Son franchisees plan ahead, market smarter, and stay profitable all year long.
Want to know how successful franchisees keep their calendars full year-round? At Klappenberger & Son, our proven marketing funnel helps franchise owners attract the right customers, close more jobs, and build repeat business — without guessing what works.
https://youtu.be/squ5cDPDzhs At Klappenberger & Son, we know that running a great painting and home improvement business takes more than just skills and supplies — it takes structure and discipline. One of the most underrated tools for growth? Time budgeting. We’re not talking spreadsheets or accounting software here. We’re talking about
https://youtu.be/1L95bdcQboQ You’ve heard it before: exercise and sleep are important. But in a fast-paced industry like painting and home remodeling, where attention to detail, consistency, and attitude matter every single day, these habits become a business advantage. Discipline Starts With Daily Habits Doing something as small as 10 push-ups every
Phone: 410-787-7185
Email: dklappenberger@klappenbergerandson.com
Address: 902 Bluff View Dr. Myrtle Beach, SC 29579