Build a painting scope you can price
In short
House painting costs depend on the area being painted, surface condition, preparation, paint system, number of coats and access. A walls-only interior repaint and a full exterior repaint with scaffolding are different jobs. We have not verified current independent data for a national installed price range. Get a written quote for your property, with labour, materials, access equipment and GST where applicable included, rather than budgeting from bedroom count alone.
Step 1
Identify what changes the painting price
Ask the painter to inspect the surfaces before offering a firm price. Floor area or bedroom count can describe the size of the home, but neither specifies the walls, ceilings, trim or exterior surfaces to be painted.
If a price is given per square metre, ask which area it measures and which work it includes. A rate for walls cannot be applied to the home's floor area without knowing the painter's pricing method.
Painting scope and price questions
| Cost factor | What to have priced |
|---|---|
| Interior surfaces | List walls, ceilings, doors, frames and skirting boards separately. State whether the home will be furnished or empty. |
| Exterior surfaces | Identify weatherboards, render, brickwork, eaves and trim. Specify whether fences, decks, gutters or the roof are included. |
| Preparation and repairs | Define cleaning, loose-paint removal, filling, sanding and priming. Separate painting preparation from repairs to damaged building materials. |
| Paint and coats | Name the product range, colour and sheen for each surface. Record preparation coats and finishing coats separately. |
| Height and access | Have high ceilings, upper-storey walls, slopes and tight boundaries assessed. Ask whether scaffolding or other access equipment is included. |
| Protection and clean-up | Confirm who moves furniture, protects floors and gardens, removes waste and returns rooms to use. |
Step 2
Agree on preparation and the paint system
The paint system means the preparation products and finishing paint used together on a surface. Ask the painter to explain their choice for existing paint, bare timber, plaster or masonry. The manufacturer's instructions determine suitable preparation, coverage and application; a premium brand name alone does not specify the work.
Photograph peeling areas, cracks, stains and damp patches. Ask what must be repaired before painting and who will do it. Dulux identifies proper surface preparation as essential to a lasting finish. Reducing the preparation allowance can leave two quotes covering substantially different work.
For older paintwork, discuss lead assessment before any disturbance. NSW EPA identifies paint in homes built before 1970 as a potential lead source and recommends a professional trained in safe lead work when lead is present. Testing, containment and safe waste handling should be scoped separately where needed.
Step 3
Send measurements and photos with your brief
For each room, provide its length, width and wall height, photos of all walls, and close-ups of damaged areas. Count doors and windows and list the surfaces to include. For an exterior, photograph each side from ground level, identify the wall material and storeys, and explain any access restrictions. The painter should confirm measurements and conditions on site.
Worked measurement example: a rectangular room 4 m long, 3 m wide and 2.4 m high has 33.6 m² of wall area before subtracting openings: (4 + 3 + 4 + 3) × 2.4. Its ceiling adds 12 m² if included. Doors and trim need their own scope.
Dulux's calculator uses a guide rate of 16 m² per litre and two finishing coats. Under those assumptions, 33.6 m² of walls would require 4.2 litres of finishing paint before allowing for openings or actual conditions. This illustrates quantity only, not an installed price or a buying recommendation; use the selected product's coverage and the painter's assessment.
A second scope example is an upper-storey weatherboard exterior with peeling paint. Ask for the preparation, repairs and access equipment to be identified in its quote. The room calculation above cannot estimate that job's labour or total cost.
Step 4
Compare the total and agree how changes are priced
Send the same brief to several painters and compare their proposed work alongside the total. Ask whether the amount is a fixed quote for a defined scope or an estimate that may change. Consumer prices must include GST where applicable and unavoidable charges that can be calculated. Identify uncertain repair or access costs before accepting.
Check licence requirements with your state or territory regulator. In NSW, a contractor licence is required for residential painting and decorating work valued above $5,000 in labour and materials, including GST. That threshold is a NSW rule, not a national requirement.
Before booking, agree payment stages, room access, the expected schedule and how weather may affect exterior work. If further repairs or extra coats become necessary, get the scope and price of the change in writing before approving it. Keep the accepted quote and agree how missed areas or finish defects will be addressed at handover.
Sources and useful links
Sources checked 6 October 2026
- Dulux: paint calculator
Manufacturer's guide to quantities, checked 6 October 2026. Coverage varies by product and surface; it does not give installed painting prices.
- Dulux: surface preparation
Manufacturer's preparation guidance, not an independent comparison of paint brands.
- NSW Government: getting quotes for contractors
Guidance on consistent job briefs, named materials and written quotes for renovation work.
- NSW EPA: stay safe from lingering lead
Lead sources and assessment guidance. The page links to EPA advice on hiring professionals for lead-contaminated renovations.
- NSW Government: decorating work
NSW contractor licensing threshold, checked 6 October 2026. Other jurisdictions have different rules.
- ACCC: price displays
National consumer guidance on displaying total prices, GST and unavoidable fees.
- Business Queensland: preparing a business quote
Explains estimates, accepted quotes, exclusions and revisions. It is not a painting price survey.
