American Painting Contractor

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December 1, 2025

How to AI

A contractor’s guide to the new technology

By Jessica Majno

Unless you’ve been completely off the grid for the past few years, you’ve heard about artificial intelligence, or AI. It’s in the news, on social media, and probably even in your group chats.

Some people say it’s going to change everything for the better. Others warn it could replace millions of jobs. The truth? It’s somewhere in between. What’s certain is that AI is here, it’s powerful, and it’s already reshaping how we work, communicate, and even think.

So what does that mean for painting contractors? Before we dive in, there are two big ideas to keep in mind:

First, AI isn’t going away: Whether you love it or hate it, this technology is here to stay. The companies that embrace it and learn how to use it will move faster, work smarter, and attract more customers. The ones that ignore it risk falling behind. You don’t have to become a tech company, but you do have to adapt.

Second, AI isn’t about replacing people, it’s about empowering them: Painting is a people business. It’s about trust, craftsmanship, and relationships. AI can’t swing a brush today, but it can help free up your time, improve communication, and make customers feel like they’re your only job. It’s not about replacing the human touch — it’s about giving you more time to use it.

That’s the real opportunity here: using technology to create better experiences for your customers and your team.

Let’s take a closer look at how.

What Is AI (and Why Should You Care)?

Let’s start with the basics. AI isn’t new. It’s been quietly running in the background of our lives for years. When Netflix suggests a movie, or Google finishes your search before you even finish typing, that’s using AI. Even your Roomba figuring out how to avoid the dog bowl? That’s AI too.

What’s different today is that AI has gotten a lot smarter and a lot more useful. The newest generation, called large language models (or LLMs), can actually write, talk, and create things. That’s the kind of AI behind tools like ChatGPT. These systems can draft emails, summarize reports, answer questions, and even write computer code. In other words, they’ve gone from quietly helping apps in the background to doing work that used to require a person

Here’s the simple version of how it works: AI reads what you type in and tries to predict what should come next — word by word, sentence by sentence. It’s trained on massive amounts of information (basically the entire internet), so it’s surprisingly good at sounding human and understanding context. But it’s still making educated predictions, not always “thinking” the way people do.

That’s why sometimes it nails an answer… and sometimes it makes things up. This is what people mean when they say AI can “hallucinate.” It doesn’t know facts — it just predicts what sounds right based on patterns it’s seen before. That’s also why it struggles with certain things, like:

Doing math or tracking numbers consistently
Working with large spreadsheets or pdfs
Pulling real-time info (like today’s paint prices)
Understanding images or floor plans

On the flip side, AI excels at:

Writing and editing text
Translating between languages
Summarizing long documents
Generating marketing ideas or job descriptions
Helping organize or visualize information

So, if you’ve ever asked ChatGPT to calculate the square footage of a wall and it gave you a weird answer, that’s not your fault. It’s just not built for that (yet). But if you ask it to write a paint estimate email or a safety meeting outline? That’s exactly where it shines.

The takeaway: AI isn’t a magical robot brain. It’s a really good assistant — one that can help with words, ideas, and communication — but still needs a human to steer the ship.

How to Get Started with AI

When most people hear “AI,” they immediately think ChatGPT. But adapting to this new era isn’t just about typing a few prompts into a chatbot. It’s about looking at how your business runs and asking: “Where could AI make things faster, easier, or better?”

Think of it less like buying a single new tool and more like learning a new way to build.

Start by experimenting with the tools themselves. It can be helpful to think about AI tools in two buckets: one is general purpose AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude that can be configured to do lots of different things – let’s call this “DIY AI”.That means you’re using the raw tool directly and giving it instructions (called prompts) to get results.

Play around. Try asking it to:

Write a customer follow-up email
Draft a job posting for a painter or estimator
Summarize a long contract
Brainstorm social-media post ideas

The goal isn’t perfection — it’s practice. The more you use it, the better you’ll understand what it’s good at (and where it falls short). And don’t forget — your customers are also using these tools now. The more familiar you are, the easier it’ll be to understand their expectations.

Here’s where things get interesting. A lot of the apps you already use — scheduling tools, accounting platforms, marketing software — are adding AI features behind the scenes. This is the second bucket of AI tools — new purpose-built software applying the capabilities of AI to different tasks. These aren’t just upgrades; they’re creating entirely new ways to work.

For example:

Jasper can help create website or ad copy in minutes.
Notion AI can organize meeting notes or create checklists automatically.
Descript can turn video or audio recordings into ready-to-edit transcripts.

And this list keeps growing — with new AI tools for everything from customer service chatbots to instant translation for Spanish-speaking crews.

The key takeaway? Don’t just “use ChatGPT.” Get curious about how AI is being built into the tools you already rely on. Just look for ways AI can save you time or make your business better.

Involve Your Team

Once you’ve played around with AI and seen what it can do, it’s time to bring it into your business for real. Start by picking one AI tool — something like ChatGPT Plus, Claude Pro, or Gemini Advanced — and pay for the full version. The paid tools give you more accurate results, faster responses, and access to features that can actually save time.

Put it on your phone and start using it during your day — when you’re walking a jobsite, talking with a customer, or reviewing a bid. The goal is to make AI feel like another tool on your belt, not some mystery thing on your laptop.

Then, get your team involved. Encourage your estimator, office manager, or crew leads to experiment with it too. Ask them to share how they’re using it — maybe one person finds it great for writing customer emails, another for drafting SOPs or training checklists. Make it an open conversation, not a top-down rule.

You don’t need to overhaul your whole company overnight. Pick one or two specific areas where AI can make life easier — like writing job proposals faster or creating templates for color-consult emails. Set a goal (“save two hours a week on admin”) and track the results. If it’s not saving time or improving quality, move on.

The biggest trap? Spending more time teaching the AI than just doing the task yourself. Always ask: Is this actually making us faster or better? If not, adjust. The point isn’t to use AI for everything — it’s to use it where it really counts.

Stay Alert

AI is changing fast. That means the way customers find you, talk to you, and hire you is changing too. Keep an eye on four areas that are already being reshaped by AI:

Marketing and Lead Generation: More homeowners are turning to AI assistants to find contractors. Instead of typing “painters near me” into a Google search, they’re asking ChatGPT or Gemini “Who’s the best painter in Dallas for kitchen cabinets?”

To stay visible, your website and reviews need to be crystal clear about what you do and where you do it. That’s part of a new trend called Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) — basically making sure AI tools can “read” and recommend your business correctly. Keep gathering reviews, post job photos, and make sure your service descriptions sound natural and detailed.

Customer Communication: Customers expect responses within minutes, not hours. AI chat tools can help handle routine questions, schedule estimates, or confirm appointments. You don’t have to automate everything, but even small improvements, like instant replies through your website, or text reminders, can set you apart.

Estimating and Visualization: This is one of the most exciting (and disruptive) areas. Homeowners now expect to see what a new color will look like before saying yes. AI-powered color visualization and instant estimating tools are getting better every month. If you can offer quick visuals and fast, accurate numbers, you’ll win more bids. Pay attention to what software providers are adding these features, because they’ll soon be standard.

Operations and Project Management: From scheduling crews to tracking materials, AI is making back-office work a lot easier. The estimating or project-management software you already use may be adding AI features, such as automatic job summaries, smarter scheduling, or reminders that keep projects moving. Stay in the loop on updates from your software vendors; the ones building for contractors are racing to make these tools better.

Making AI Work for You

Here’s the secret to getting real value from AI: You get out what you put in.

If you’ve ever tried asking ChatGPT to “write a proposal” or “make a post about painting,” you probably noticed the results can be hit or miss. That’s because AI only works as well as the directions you give it. Learning to “prompt” — meaning, how to talk to AI clearly — is the single biggest skill that separates frustration from success.

The good news? Prompting isn’t coding. It’s more like teaching a new employee how to do something right the first time.

Imagine you hired a super smart assistant who’s never worked in painting before. You wouldn’t just say, “Hey, write me a proposal.” You’d give them the details: who it’s for, what the job is, what tone to use, and what sections to include.

AI works the same way. The more context you give, the better your results.

Here’s a quick formula that works almost every time:

Role: Tell the AI who it’s supposed to be. Do you want it to act like a professional painting contractor, a friendly office manager, or a marketing writer? Defining the role helps the AI pick the right voice and expertise.

Context: Give it background. What’s the situation? Who’s the customer? What’s already happened? Assume the AI knows nothing about your company, so fill in the blanks.

Task: Be specific about what you need. Instead of saying “write about color trends,” say “write three short social posts about popular spring 2025 exterior colors for homeowners in the Pacific Northwest, under 200 characters each.”

Define success: Articulate what “good” looks like. Do you want it short and friendly? Detailed and professional? Should it include a call to action or skip the pricing? Tell it upfront, and you’ll save tons of editing later.

Example: A Follow-Up Email

Let’s say you want to follow up with a customer who got an estimate three days ago.

If you just say, “Write a follow-up email to a customer about their estimate.” You’ll likely get something generic like: “Hi! Just checking in to see if you received our estimate. Please let us know if you have any questions.”

Not terrible, but also not something you’d actually send.

Now try this version using the framework:

Role: You are the owner of a professional residential painting company who values customer relationships and clear communication.

Context: We sent an $8,500 estimate three days ago for painting the exterior of a 2,500 sq. ft. home — standard prep, prime, and two coats of Duration. The customer is reviewing 2–3 bids.

Task: Write a brief, friendly follow-up email checking in on the estimate and offering to answer questions.

Define success: Keep it under 150 words, warm but confident, and include a clear call to action.

The difference? Night and day. The second version gives you something polished that you’d actually send to a homeowner.

Setting up Projects

If you’re thinking, “Wow, that’s a lot of typing every time I use AI,” you’re not wrong. Nobody wants to re-explain who they are and what they do every single time they open ChatGPT.

The good news is: You don’t have to.

AI companies like OpenAI (ChatGPT), Google (Gemini), and Anthropic (Claude) have built tools to make AI feel less like a forgetful intern and more like a familiar coworker who already knows your business.

There are two main ways to do this: Custom GPTs (or “Gems” if you’re using Gemini) and Projects.

Think of a Custom GPT like having a specialized consultant on speed dial. You can “train” it with some basic instructions and resources, and then it becomes your go-to expert for that topic.

For example, you might create:

A Marketing GPT that helps write blog posts or social media captions in your brand voice
An HR GPT that drafts job postings or onboarding materials unique to your business
A Safety GPT that summarizes OSHA guidelines in plain English as well as your SOPs

Each time you talk to it, it remembers the general context (what it’s “good at”) but not the details of specific past chats (kind of like calling that busy expert who knows your industry but doesn’t recall every conversation you’ve ever had about your kids).

Now, if Custom GPTs are your specialists, Projects are your team notebooks — a shared workspace where you and AI can actually build on past work.

In a Project, AI remembers your previous conversations, keeps your notes and files in one place, and applies your custom instructions automatically. You can tell it, “We’re building a weekly customer email,” or “We’re writing job descriptions for painters,” and it will keep that context every time you open it, even if it’s six months later.

This makes Projects especially powerful for contractors who want to:

Create repeatable templates (like estimates, proposals, or job ads)
Draft ongoing marketing content or newsletters
Keep consistent tone and messaging across multiple jobs

Both ChatGPT and Claude offer Projects (you’ll find them in the sidebar). Once you start one, you can attach files (like a proposal template or a brand guide) and save your prompts so you don’t start from scratch each time.

Your AI Punch List

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations: you’re already ahead of most businesses. The goal right now is simple: build familiarity, get comfortable, and start building momentum.

Here’s a practical “hit list” to get you rolling:

Pick one AI tool and get your key team members subscribed. At around $20 a month per person, it’s a small investment for a big payoff. The paid versions are faster, smarter, and more capable. But more importantly, paying for it creates buy-in. When people invest in a tool, they’re more likely to actually use it. Make it part of your toolkit — right alongside your estimating software and job-site apps — not just a fun experiment.
Set up an AI note-taking system for meetings. Start capturing information automatically. Tools like Otter.ai can record, transcribe, and summarize conversations — whether you’re on a video call or walking a jobsite. Train your estimators and project managers to use it during customer meetings and site visits. You don’t need perfection — just a consistent system where notes, questions, and decisions are captured once and shared easily. No more “Wait, what did we decide at that walkthrough?” moments.
Create Projects for Repeated Documents: Identify two or three documents you create regularly — maybe job descriptions, social-media posts, purchase orders, or customer-update emails — and turn each into its own AI Project. Spend a little time setting these up right: add your tone, your formatting, a few examples, and your logo or sign-off style. Once they’re built, they’ll keep getting better as you refine them and they’ll save you hours every month by eliminating repetitive typing.
Tackle that one “someday” document: Every contractor has one — the thing you keep meaning to write but never do: the employee handbook, the crew safety guide, the customer-onboarding packet.
Use AI to break the ice: Give it your outline or notes and let it create the first draft. Even if you have to edit heavily, it gets you past the blank page — and that alone is worth it. You’ll learn a lot about how to prompt, and you’ll finally cross that project off your list.