Picture hanging: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering picture hanging

Picture hanging is a layout and finish job where the customer judges the spacing, the level and whether the walls look clean afterward. Win it by planning the layout with the customer before you put any hole in the wall.

What customers ask

  • Can you lay out the gallery wall?
  • Will the hooks hold heavy frames?
  • Will the walls be damaged?
  • Can you patch the holes?
  • How do I move a frame later?
  • How long will it take?

How to win the job

  • On the call, ask for the number of frames, the sizes, the wall type and the room, and whether the customer has a layout in mind.
  • Lay out the frames on the floor with the customer before you mark the wall, and agree on the spacing.
  • Check each hanging point for studs, wires and pipes, and show the customer the mark before drilling.
  • Quote the hooks, anchors, rails and any patching as separate lines, so the customer sees the scope.
  • Level each frame, then step back with the customer to check the overall layout before you leave.
  • Clean the marks and dust, and leave the customer a sheet with the hook types and the spacing used.

What to put on your profile

  • Post photos of gallery walls with the layout visible and the frames level
  • List the wall types you hang on, such as plaster, brick and tile
  • State the hanging systems you use, including rails and picture ledges
  • Show a sample layout sketch with the spacing noted and the details blurred

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • Offer a rail or picture ledge system when the customer wants to rearrange art often
  • Suggest a mirror or shelf hang for the same room
  • Recommend a patch and touch-up visit after the customer moves the layout

Licenses and permits

Picture hanging is not commonly a licensed trade. Refer the work if you cannot rule out wiring or pipes behind a hanging point, or if a job turns into cutting or opening walls. Check with your state or local licensing agency and your local building office before taking on that kind of wall work.

Questions

Do I need a license to hang pictures?

Hanging pictures is not commonly licensed. Check with your state or local licensing agency if the work includes structural changes or wall openings.

What do I do if the wall cracks when I drill?

Stop, photograph the crack, and tell the customer in writing. Do not keep drilling, and quote the repair as a separate line.

Should I warranty the hanging?

Warrant the hanging work in writing, and say how you will fix a frame that falls because of your hook choice.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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