One painter says 6,000 dollars, the next says 14,000 dollars for what looks like the same job. The difference is almost never the paint. It is the prep, the access, the number of coats and the surface.
The quick answer: per m2, per room and whole-house
Cost per square metre (labour and paint)
- Interior walls only: 18 to 38 dollars per m2
- Interior walls, ceilings and trim: 30 to 55 dollars per m2
- Exterior, single storey: 25 to 45 dollars per m2
- Exterior, double storey or difficult access: 40 to 70 dollars per m2
Cost per room (interior)
- Small bedroom or study (walls only): 350 to 650 dollars
- Standard bedroom (walls, ceiling, trim): 600 to 1,100 dollars
- Living or open-plan area: 900 to 1,800 dollars
- Hallway and stairwell (high, awkward): 700 to 1,600 dollars
Whole-house prices
- Interior repaint, 3-bed single-storey: 6,000 to 11,000 dollars
- Interior repaint, 4-bed double-storey: 9,000 to 18,000 dollars
- Exterior, single-storey brick or render: 6,000 to 12,000 dollars
- Exterior, single-storey weatherboard: 8,000 to 16,000 dollars
- Exterior, double-storey: 12,000 to 25,000 dollars and up
- Full interior and exterior, 3-4 bed house: 15,000 to 35,000 dollars
What actually drives the cost
Preparation is the real job
Painting is 70 to 80 per cent prep. Filling, sanding, washing down, masking and priming all happen before a finish coat. Cheap quotes almost always cut prep, and that is where a paint job fails in two years instead of ten.
Number of coats
A like-for-like repaint often needs two coats; a dramatic colour change needs three; bare substrates add a primer coat.
Height and access
Double-storey exteriors, raked ceilings and stairwell voids bring in scaffolding and a slower pace, adding 30 to 60 per cent over the equivalent ground-level area.
Surface: weatherboard vs brick and render
Weatherboard has more surface area and needs scraping and spot-priming, so it sits at the top of the range. Render and face brick soak up more paint. Previously painted sound render is usually the cheapest to recoat.
Painter day rates in 2026
Priced by time, expect roughly 350 to 550 dollars per painter per day, higher in Sydney and Melbourne. Confirm whether paint is included, because materials on a whole-house job can run 800 to 2,500 dollars.
How to compare quotes without getting burned
- Get the scope in writing: coats, surfaces, walls only or walls plus ceilings and trim.
- Ask what prep is included.
- Watch the extreme low bid — usually one coat, minimal prep, or both.
See current ranges for painting quotes in Sydney or Melbourne.
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