Phthalate acid esters (PAEs) are widely used in building materials, such as paints. In order to determine the pollution characteristics and exposure levels of PAEs to painters, 10 urine samples from painters and other 10 urine samples from general individuals were collected in Harbin, China. 14 phthalate metabolites in the urine samples were comparably analyzed. Urinary concentrations of metabolites with painters were higher than those with general population, in which the mMP, mBP and miBP are major metabolites. Furthermore, the concentrations of low molecular weight metabolites within the urine of the painters were significantly higher than those within the general individuals, indicating that painters exposed to low molecular weight PAEs during their working time. Finally, the daily intakes of PAEs were estimated, which were all lower than the reference dose by U.S. EPA, indicating that the exposure risk with PAEs for both painters and general population were in safe level.