Painting business chart of accounts
Painting work runs on deposits from homeowners, paint bought job by job and access gear hired when walls get high. This chart gives those, and the brushes, rollers and waste that come with the trade, their own accounts beside the general chart.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
What this industry adds
- Repaint deposits received tracks the deposits homeowners pay when they accept a quote, so each one can be matched to the job's final invoice.
- Paint and coatings for jobs holds the paint, primer, sealer and filler bought or tinted for a particular job, which lets each job's paint cost sit beside its quote.
- Brushes, rollers and masking supplies is for the gear that wears out from job to job: roller covers, brushes, masking tape, plastic and drop sheets.
- Scaffold and lift hire records access equipment hired for high work, and Subcontracted painters records other painters brought in when a job needs more hands.
- Handling paint brings two more costs: getting rid of leftover paint and wash-up water, and the masks and gear painters wear while spraying or sanding. Paint waste disposal and Respirators and protective gear keep them separate.
Download the chart
The general accounts and this industry's accounts in one CSV file, in code order, which opens in any spreadsheet program.
Download the CSV fileThe accounts this chart adds
| Code | Account name | Type | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-1300 | Repaint deposits received | Liability | Deposits homeowners have paid on accepting a repaint quote, for painting that hasn't started yet |
| 5-1100 | Paint and coatings for jobs | Expense | Paint, primer, sealer, stain and filler bought or tinted for a particular job and applied there |
| 5-1200 | Scaffold and lift hire | Expense | Scaffolding, scissor lifts and boom lifts hired to reach high walls, eaves and ceilings on a job |
| 5-1300 | Subcontracted painters | Expense | Invoices from other painters engaged to help on bigger jobs or to take on part of one |
| 6-2100 | Brushes, rollers and masking supplies | Expense | Brushes, roller covers, masking tape, plastic sheeting and drop sheets that wear out or get used up across jobs |
| 6-2110 | Paint waste disposal | Expense | Charges for getting rid of leftover paint, empty tins and brush wash-up water through a waste or recycling service |
| 6-2120 | Respirators and protective gear | Expense | Respirator masks and filters, overalls, gloves and safety glasses for painters who spray, sand or strip paint |
Illustrative example only: these rows show the method and are not sourced data.
What goes in each column
- Code: A number that sorts the account into its group: 1 for assets, 2 for liabilities, 3 for equity, 4 for income, and 5 and 6 for expenses.
- Account name: The name that appears in your books and reports.
- Type: Asset, Liability, Equity, Income or Expense, which decides whether the account appears on the balance sheet or the profit and loss statement.
- What goes in it: The transactions to record against the account.
How to use it
- When a quote is accepted and the deposit comes in, enter it in Repaint deposits received under the customer's name and address. Your accountant can say when a deposit should come off the account and count as income.
- Take the job name or address from each paint store docket and use it when you code the invoice, so the paint lands on the right job.
- Charge scaffold and lift hire to the job that needed the access, rather than spreading it over the month's work.
- If you own your spray rigs, ladders or scaffold, record them in Equipment, and keep Scaffold and lift hire for access gear you rent.
- The chart is for the painting business's own income and costs. Ask your accountant whether the way you trade needs any other accounts.
The chart is a CSV file, which opens in a spreadsheet program. It is not set up for importing directly into any particular accounting software, so check the format your software expects before you load the accounts into it.
Related pages
Related terms
Sources
- Key financial terms
business.gov.au, Australian Government. Current at 15 October 2026, released 9 July 2024. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2020, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU. Licence: CC BY 3.0 AU.
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