Painting Company Shirts: What It Costs to Outfit Your Crew and Client Gifts

Every painting company owner asks the same first question before anything else: what does this actually cost. Here are the real numbers, from base pricing per piece through a full crew budget.

Base Pricing by Piece (VIP Plan)

Piece	Brand	VIP base
Cotton crew tee	Bear Grips Airlume	$19.88
Performance tee	Sport-Tek	$23.86
Long sleeve cotton shirt	Bella+Canvas	$29.88
Cotton pique polo	Gildan	$34.88
Comfort soft hoodie	Bear Grips	$36.88
Champion performance hoodie	Champion	$45.88
Snapback hat (embroidered)	Yupoong	$29.86
Classic rope hat (printed)	Richardson	$29.86

Free Plan vs VIP: Why the Plan You Pick Changes Your Margin

The free plan costs $0/month, lists up to 3 live products, and carries a higher base price per item. Self-Service VIP runs $59/month, unlocks up to 200 live products, and drops the base price by $4-$11 per item depending on the piece, which is the difference shown throughout this guide. Done-For-You VIP runs $105/month and adds a full white-glove service on top: someone builds and manages the shop for you.

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Setting Retail Price and Margin

A few working examples at typical retail pricing, VIP base:

• Tee. Base $19.88, retail $28, margin about $8.
• Polo. Base $34.88, retail $48, margin about $13.
• Hoodie. Base $36.88, retail $55, margin about $18.

The default recommended profit is $10 per item, but nothing stops an owner from setting their own retail price and keeping more.

A Real Painting Company Crew-of-Six Starter Budget

Item	Qty	Cost each	Total
Job-site tee	6	$19.88	$119.28
Snapback hat	6	$29.86	$179.16

Total to outfit a six-person crew with one tee and one hat each: $298.44, no bulk minimum, no closet full of the wrong sizes.

Pricing Client-Facing Gifts and Referral Merch

A hat or tee handed to a repeat customer costs around $25-$30 at VIP base and builds referral goodwill for a fraction of a paid ad campaign.

Frequently Asked Questions

Whats the cheapest piece to start with?

The Bear Grips Airlume cotton tee at $19.88 VIP base. It sets up a comfortable $26-$28 retail zone.

Does adding more logo colors raise the price?

No. There is no color-count surcharge.

Are there setup fees?

No setup fees on any piece in the catalog.

How does the profit math actually work for the owner?

The owner sets the retail price above the base cost and keeps the difference. Bear Grips handles printing, packing, and free shipping to the customer.