How much does a painter cost?

The national average of painting a house can range from $2,500 for a small house to $20,000 for a three-bedroom home. The average cost of painting a house depends on many factors like the design, paint, décor and raw material.

The hourly cost rate of a painter in Australia ranges on average between $35 to $45. The basis of the standard is an eight-hour workday. The hourly rate can increase the overall cost of the painting project. The hourly rate is only favourable if the painter is fast.

The cost of painting a house can vary for two different houses with the same square footage. Painters consider several factors like the preparation work, the surface they paint, the sloping areas, the height of a building and even the total number of windows. Here are some of the different types of painting projects.

Exterior house painting

Many reasons motivate homeowners to paint the exterior of their homes. A fresh coat of paint improves the appearance of the home, and it adds value to a house. Most painters prefer to inspect the area they are painting before giving their quotation. The average cost of painting per square metre of a brick exterior is $15 to $45. Timber and weatherboard exteriors painting projects cost an average of $12 to $60 per square metre.

Exterior paint job on the front gable of a verandah. | Source: TWP Painting

With the above estimates, the cost of painting a brick exterior for a three-bedroom home ranges between $5,000 to $8,000. On the other hand, standard, two storeys, family houses built with timber or weatherboard can cost $8,000 to $20,000 for a painting project. Large mansions are more expensive to paint the exterior. The cost can run up to $45,000 per painting project.

Interior house painting

Painters consider a few factors when giving a quotation for interior painting. The factors include the cost of moving furniture, the raw materials for walls and ceilings, windows, preparation work, the height of ceilings, doors, reading nooks, feature walls and any decorative painting. Some painters include the kitchen and laundry areas in the quotation while others don’t. Homeowners should request for a breakdown of the cost, so they don’t end up with unpainted rooms.

The average cost of painting the interior is $18 to $30 per square metre. A painter can quote $18 per square metre for a simple room with a low ceiling, one window and one door. The rate of $30 per square metre is for challenging projects with multiple colours, decorative features, high ceilings, dirty wall, a lot of prep work or holes that need filling.

The average cost of painting the interior of a three-bedroom house with plasterboard walls is $5,000 to $8,000. The cost of painting one room can be $400 to $600. Painting several rooms at ago utilises the painter by painting one place as the other dries.

Interior navy blue wall with white trims. | Source: Explore Painting

Fence painting

Fence painting is similar to exterior painting. The cost of fence painting is $15 to $45 for brick and $15 to $60 for timber or weatherboards. Brick fences are more weather resistant compared to wood or weatherboards, which require a lot of prep work. The cost goes even higher when homeowners have to replace broken or rotten boards before the paintwork.

The impact of paint on a picket fence. | Source: Finest Finish Painting & Decorating

Roof painting

Roof paint is highly dependent on the slope of the roof and the type of surface. A three-bedroom home with a terracotta, tile or metal roof requires roughly $2,800 to $4,500 for a paint job. The condition of the roof determines how much prep work the painter will undertake.

Decorative painting

The cost of decorative art depends on the painter. Intricate the designs cost higher than simple designs. If more than one colour is needed, the price also increases.

The cost of painting can vary considerably from one state to the next. The average cost of living plays a significant role in different cities. The price can vary with $500 to $2,000 from one state to the next. Here are quotes Oneflare customers have received for the main types of painting jobs: 

Tip #1: Getting an accurate estimate for the painting job can be handy when it comes to budgeting. Painters offer a quotation depending on the customer requirements. The blueprints of a house can assist homeowners in identifying the square footage of the area in need of paint.

Tip #2: Ask your painter if they can do a site inspection. The condition of the house, location, and topography contribute to the final cost.

Tip #3: Painters often give a price per square metre. Multiply the value to the total surface area of the house to get an accurate estimate.

The first choice when hiring a painter is to find a local handyman to do the job. That’s a good idea for homeowners with a tight budget. Locally found painters may charge lower fees due to local ties. However, the quality of the job may not be satisfactory.

Homeowners who are looking to sell the house can hire a local small painting business to do the paint job. Small companies offer lower charges than large companies. However, large companies have large crews that can do painting jobs in a short while.

Homeowners should request the painter to show any certificates and licenses. They can also show bond insurance for large painting projects. Bonded painters have coverage in the event of damages during the project. You should get several quotations for comparison purposes before choosing a painter.

Working with a professional colour consultant like Dulux can be incredibly valuable for homeowners. Dulux colour consultants have received many positive reviews for their work, which can help ensure that your home improvement project is successful. This is particularly true when it comes to choosing paint colours for specific surfaces such as Aluminium window frames, Zincalume, treated pine, suede paint, and ceiling roses.

Hiring a colour consultant can also save homeowners time and money in certain situations. For example, when renovating a property for sale, creating a cohesive colour scheme throughout the home, or when the homeowner is unsure of what colours to choose. In these situations, a colour consultant can provide expert advice and help homeowners avoid costly mistakes in the long run.

Tip #1: There are several ways that homeowners can bring down the overall cost of the painting project. DIY some activities like doing the prep work, cleaning the surface, moving furniture and covering floors for interior painting. Prep work involves sanding down or removing old, warping paint, cleaning the walls and filling in small holes and scratches.

Tip #2: Moving the furniture during interior painting can save a lot of time and money. Covering the floors prevents damage during the painting of walls or ceilings. The painter can walk into the house and start painting immediately.

Tip #3: Homeowners who are looking to go further can buy the paint in wholesale stores. By buying paint in bulk, they enjoy discounts and lower prices.

Tip #4: A fresh coat of paint can increase the resell value of a house with an average of $25,000 to $50,000. It also makes a home look neat and has regular maintenance. A cost-benefit analysis can show whether the investment in paint is worthwhile in the long run. The right painter will give a house a fresh outlook without significant changes.

* The cost data is based on Oneflare and third-party sources