Small-batch powder coating workshop

Local garages and car enthusiasts, metal fabricators, furniture makers, builders and homeowners with railings, gates or garden furniture.

Price per item or per batch, based on size, prep work and colour. Repeat trade customers bring steady work, while one-off private jobs usually pay more per piece.

• Careful, practical hands-on work
• Surface preparation and finishing
• Quoting jobs and keeping to deadlines

• Check planning permission and the landlord's lease terms for a unit used for spraying and curing
• Powder dust and fumes: check requirements for ventilation, extraction, PPE and fire risk with your local authority and insurer
• Public liability insurance, plus employer's liability once you hire anyone
• Check how to dispose of waste powder and chemical pre-treatment waste correctly, and whether you need waste registration
• Oven running costs and high electricity use can eat into margins, so price jobs carefully

Estimates suggest startup costs are typically around £8,000 to £35,000, depending on your unit, your spray booth and curing oven, and your equipment. Oven running costs and electricity use are worth pricing into jobs from the start.

Check planning permission and your landlord's lease terms for spraying and curing. Check ventilation, extraction, PPE and fire risk with your local authority and insurer, plus waste disposal and whether you need waste registration.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue is typically around £1,500 to £7,000, depending on job volume and how you price work. High electricity use from the oven can eat into margins, so price jobs carefully.