How to Quote a Painting Job: Australian Painter's Pricing Guide

Painting quotes need to balance detail with speed. Price too vague and you lose on margin; price too slowly and you lose to whoever quotes first. Here's how to price painting work accurately for the Australian market.

What a painting quote should include

• Business name, ABN, contact details
• Quote number and date
• Expiry date: 14–30 days; paint products and labour costs move
• Client name and site address
• Itemised scope: each surface or area as a line item
• Number of coats specified: "2 coats" vs "coat and touch-up" is a material difference
• Paint product and specification: brand, sheen, colour where known
• Preparation work included
• GST
• Payment terms

Square metre rates (2025 Australian market)

Interior walls (new paint or repaint):

• Single colour, standard conditions: $12–$22/m²
• Feature walls, multiple colours: $20–$35/m²
• Ceilings: $14–$24/m²
• Trim (skirtings, architraves, door frames): $5–$12/linear metre
• Doors (supply and paint): $80–$180/door depending on type

Exterior walls:

• Render or brick (2 coats): $18–$35/m²
• Weatherboard (includes all prep): $22–$45/m² (higher due to prep time)
• Roof paint: $15–$30/m²

These are guide ranges. Location, access, ceiling height, surface condition, and paint specification all affect the real price.

What to charge for preparation

Prep is where painting jobs blow out. Quote it explicitly, not buried in the m² rate:

• Fill and sand walls (light): included in standard rate
• Extensive crack/hole repairs: hourly rate, typically $80–$120/hr
• Strip and scrape (weatherboards): $10–$20/m² additional
• Pressure wash (exterior): $300–$600 depending on area
• Prime bare surfaces: separate line item at cost + margin

Material costs

Mid-range acrylic for interior walls runs $50–$90 per 10L; premium exterior products $80–$150 per 10L. Coverage is typically 10–13m² per litre. Add 10–15% for wastage and touch-ups.

Charge materials at cost plus 20–30%. You're sourcing, transporting and managing the materials, which takes time and carries risk.

How to measure a painting job on site

For interior rooms: measure the perimeter × ceiling height for wall area, then deduct large openings (doors and windows) at 1.5m² each. Don't deduct small windows. The trim adds labour. Ceiling is floor area. This gives you a quick estimate you can do during a site visit without complicated calculations.

For exteriors: measure the building perimeter × wall height, add gable ends separately, deduct large door and window openings.

Exclusions that matter on a painting quote

• "Assumes surfaces in sound condition: additional quoted separately if significant repairs required"
• "Assumes clear site access: delays due to other trades at client's risk"
• "Client to supply paint colour selection prior to start date"
• "Furniture removal not included"
• "Does not include window cleaning after work"

How to price a house repaint

Homeowners often ask for a price on a whole house, not a single wall. The whole-job guide figures below help you sense-check a quote, while the square metre rates earlier in this guide are what you build the price from. Surface condition, number of coats and access are the main cost drivers.

What a repaint costs the client

• Average 3-bedroom interior repaint: $3,000–$8,000
• Full exterior repaint: $4,000–$12,000
• Single room: $400–$1,000

For per m² pricing by surface, use the interior and exterior rates in the square metre rates section above. Those are broken down by surface type, which is how a real quote is built.

What drives the price, and what to check on site

Each cost driver is something you can inspect during the site visit:

• Surface prep: patching, sanding, filling and undercoating is most of the labour, so bad surfaces cost more. Look closely at walls, ceilings and trim, and price extensive repairs as their own line.
• Number of coats: dark-to-light colour changes need extra coats. Ask what colour is on the wall now and what the client wants.
• Access and height: two-storey exteriors need scaffolding or elevated work, and ceilings and stairwells slow things down. Note the number of storeys and any stairwells.
• Paint quality: premium washable and weatherproof paints cost more but last longer. Agree the product line before you price.
• Detail: trims, doors, windows and feature walls add cutting-in time. Count the doors and windows and measure the trim.

How to measure and quote a repaint

1. Walls. For each interior room, multiply the perimeter by the ceiling height, then deduct large openings such as doors and windows at 1.5 m² each. Leave small windows in, because the trim adds labour.
2. Ceilings. The ceiling area is the floor area.
3. Exteriors. Measure the building perimeter by the wall height, add gable ends separately, and deduct large door and window openings.
4. Prep. Price prep explicitly, not buried in the m² rate.
5. Materials. Add paint at cost plus 20–30%, with 10–15% for wastage and touch-ups.

Worked example: one room

This is an example calculation using the guide rates above, with example room dimensions. It is not a quote for a real job. Take a room 4 m by 3 m with a 2.4 m ceiling, one door and one window:

• Wall area: perimeter 14 m × 2.4 m = 33.6 m², less 2 openings at 1.5 m² each = 30.6 m²
• Walls, single colour: 30.6 m² × $12–$22/m² = about $367–$673
• Ceiling: 12 m² × $14–$24/m² = $168–$288
• Walls plus ceiling: about $535–$961

That sits inside the $400–$1,000 single room guide above. Trim, doors and any prep are extra lines on top. If your own figure lands well outside the whole-job ranges, go back over the cost drivers: check the prep, the number of coats and the access before you send the quote.

What to specify on the quote

A good painting quote states the prep included, the number of coats, the paint brand or line, and what is excluded, such as major repairs. Be wary of quotes that look cheap because they skip prep or coats. If your quote names all four, the client can compare like with like and your price is easier to defend.

How much should I charge to paint a house?

As a guide, a 3-bedroom interior repaint runs about $3,000–$8,000 and a full exterior repaint about $4,000–$12,000. Build your own price from the surface rates above, add prep as its own line, and check it against those whole-job ranges.

What should a house painting quote include?

The prep work included, the number of coats, the paint brand or line, the price for each surface or area, and what is excluded. Add your ABN, the quote date, an expiry date, GST and payment terms.

How much does a full exterior repaint cost?

A full exterior repaint is roughly $4,000–$12,000. Two-storey exteriors need scaffolding or elevated work, and weatherboard rates are higher because of the prep time involved.

Related guides

• How to Write a Trade Quote in Australia
• How to Price a Job as a Tradie

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