Pricing

What painting actually costs, and why quotes differ.

The same 3-bedroom job gets quoted thousands apart. That’s rarely dishonesty, it’s three painters pricing three different scopes. Here’s roughly where the numbers sit, what moves them, and how we make ours something you can actually compare.

Get my itemised quote Call 02 6686 0000

Try it yourself

Work out the scope, then price it, in two steps.

First the condition aid points you at the honest scope; then the estimator gives an indicative band and decodes what a real quote should itemise. Neither is a quote, both end in a walkthrough.

Refresh, repaint or strip?

Tell us the surface, and we’ll point you at the honest scope, so a higher quote stops looking like a rip-off when the work actually needs it. Not a diagnosis.

How does the existing paint look?Years since last paintedInterior or exterior?Built before 1970?Heritage-listed or character overlay?

Estimate your repaint range

A few quick inputs return an indicative supply-and-install band, and decode what a real quote for that job should itemise. Not a quote.

How much are we painting?Interior, exterior or both?Storeys / accessCondition of the surfacesPaint gradeBuilt before 1970? (lead-paint risk)Heritage-listed or character overlay?Your state

Indicative supply-and-install range

The dollar isn't the red flag, a one-line quote is.

Here is the indicative band for that scope. What matters more than the number is whether the quote behind it itemises the work below.

A real quote for this job itemises:

Prep depth, The biggest single lever. Sound walls need a wash and light sand; failing paint needs stripping, filling and spot-priming first.
Number of coats, Two is standard. Dark-to-light changes and problem walls need three, and a tinted primer underneath.
Paint grade, Trade white vs a named premium line (e.g. Dulux Wash & Wear) is a real cost difference, and a real lifespan difference.
Ceiling height + access, Cathedral ceilings, stairwells, and two-storey exteriors needing scaffold over ladders all add labour.
Colour change, Staying in the same family is cheap. A bold or dark-to-light change adds a coat and sometimes a primer.
Surface + condition, Render, steel and pre-1970 lead-painted surfaces each need a specific system, and lead-safe prep is a costed step, never skipped.

What a painter’s quote should include →

Ask your painter:

?Is washing and primer included, and which primer for my surfaces?
?How many coats, and in what product (named, not “trade white”)?
?Is the warranty split into paint vs workmanship, in writing?

And what a real warranty actually splits into:

Layer 01

Our workmanship

7 years, peeling, blistering, lifting and fade. Excludes physical damage and water ingress from elsewhere.

Layer 02

Dulux / manufacturer

5–25 years depending on the product. Read the manufacturer PDF, we name the product on your quote.

Layer 03

Statutory (ACL)

Reasonable workmanship for a reasonable period under Australian Consumer Law. Always applies.

How painting warranties work →

Licensing for your state:

Do I need a licensed painter? →

Get this quoted properly

Indicative supply-and-install range only, not a quote. Your figure depends on a site walkthrough, surface condition and the colour change.

We don’t store your numbers, this runs entirely in your browser.

Indicative ranges

3-bedroom home, Northern Rivers, 2026.

Indicative ranges AU 2026

Cheap quote (no prep, 1 coat)	$2,800 – $4,500
Mid-tier (light prep, 2 coats, mid paint)	$5,500 – $8,500
Premium (full prep, branded paint, 2–3 coats)	$9k – $14k
Heritage / lead-paint / two-storey	$15k – $30k+
Exterior (weatherboard or render, 3BR)	$8k – $22k

Indicative only, not a quote. Your figure is tied to your surfaces, prep depth and colour change. Cathedral ceilings, heritage finishes and lead-paint testing push toward the top of the range.

What moves the number

Six things that decide where your quote lands.

None of them show in the finished wall. All of them decide what you pay, and how long it lasts.

Prep depth

The biggest single lever. Sound walls need a wash and light sand; failing paint needs stripping, filling and spot-priming first.

Number of coats

Two is standard. Dark-to-light changes and problem walls need three, and a tinted primer underneath.

Paint grade

Trade white vs a named premium line (e.g. Dulux Wash & Wear) is a real cost difference, and a real lifespan difference.

Ceiling height + access

Cathedral ceilings, stairwells, and two-storey exteriors needing scaffold over ladders all add labour.

Colour change

Staying in the same family is cheap. A bold or dark-to-light change adds a coat and sometimes a primer.

Surface + condition

Render, steel and pre-1970 lead-painted surfaces each need a specific system, and lead-safe prep is a costed step, never skipped.

How our quote is built

Every quote splits into the same seven lines.

So the figure you’re comparing is tied to a scope you can read, not a single number with nothing behind it.

Chapter 3 · Pricing Why the quote is split into seven lines Filming soon · 4–6 min

Dan walks the itemised seven-line quote, what each line buys, and how to compare it against a one-number text.

The 7-line quote

1 Wash + clean. Sugar-soap removes oils and residue, without it, paint lifts.
2 Sanding + filling. Nail holes, cracks, surface roughness. Finish quality lives here.
3 Masking + drop sheets. Floors, fixtures, edges. Skip it and you pay in cleanup.
4 Primer (surface-specific). New plaster, old enamel and steel each need a different primer.
5 Number of coats. Two is standard. One means you’ll see the old colour through it.
6 Paint brand + product. Named on the quote, Dulux Wash & Wear, not “trade white”.
7 Cut-in + edges. Ceilings, skirting, architraves, visible for the next 10 years.

If a quote doesn’t show these lines, you can’t compare it, and you don’t know what’s been cut.

What you get from us

✓Itemised quote, 7 lines
✓Primer always specified
✓Paint brand + product named
✓Licence + insurance on request
✓References in your suburb
✓Quote on letterhead

Cowboy tells

✕“No prep needed”
✕No primer line in the quote
✕Cash discount, no invoice
✕“Whatever paint you like”
✕No insurance certificate
✕Quote by text, “$4,500 the house”

Which job do you need?

We’ll tell you the smaller one if that’s the honest answer.

Option A

Patch + touch-up

Fix marks and problem walls, colour-matched from the original tin.

Right when: paint is sound, you have the tin.
Wrong when: faded everywhere, colour change wanted.

$300 – $1,500

Most common

Room refresh

Repaint specific rooms with light prep, walls, ceilings, sometimes trim.

Right when: a few rooms tired, budget-aware.
Wrong when: whole-house overhaul needed.

$1,800 – $5,500

Option C

Full repaint

Interior + exterior, full prep, new colour scheme.

Right when: pre-sale, post-reno, paint failing.
Wrong when: paint mostly sound.

$9k – $30k+

Option D

Strip-back + repaint

Remove failed coating to a sound substrate, then rebuild the paint system from primer up.

Right when: paint is flaking, bubbling or bare in patches.
Wrong when: the existing coating is still well-bonded.

$12k – $35k+

Option E

Specialist, lead-safe / heritage

Pre-1970 lead-safe prep or heritage-correct systems, tested and documented before a brush is lifted.

Right when: pre-1970 home with disturbance, or a heritage-listed property.
Wrong when: post-1970 build with no heritage controls.

Tested first, then quoted

Pricing questions

What people ask about painting prices.

How much does it cost to paint a house in Australia?

Indicatively, for a 3-bedroom interior: a cheap no-prep, single-coat job runs $2,800–$4,500; mid-tier with light prep and two coats $5,500–$8,500; premium with full prep and branded paint $9,000–$14,000. Exteriors run $8,000–$22,000, and heritage or two-storey work higher. The number depends on prep depth, coats, paint grade and access, which is why we itemise all of it.

Why are painting quotes so far apart for the same job?

Because the painters are pricing different scopes, not the same job at different prices. The gap between a cheap and a premium quote is almost entirely prep depth, primer, number of coats and paint quality, the invisible parts that decide whether the finish lasts two years or ten.

Do you give fixed quotes or estimates?

We give a fixed, itemised quote on letterhead after a walkthrough, split into seven lines so you can see exactly what each part costs. The ranges on this page are indicative only; your quote is specific to your surfaces, with NSW 284 551C on it.

Is the cheapest quote ever the right one?

Sometimes, if it’s priced the same scope as everyone else and just has lower overheads. The danger is a low number that’s low because it left out the prep, the primer or the second coat. Read the lines, not the total.

Read deeper before you compare quotes

Guide

How much does house painting cost? →

Guide

What a painter’s quote should include →

Guide

Why prep is most of the job →

Get started

Get a fixed, itemised quote, no surprise number.

Tell us what you need painted. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote you can actually read.

✓ Dulux Accredited✓ Master Painters NSW✓ Licensed & insured✓ 127 five-star reviews✓ 7-year workmanship