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

How much does it cost to paint a house? Depending on whether you want the interior or exterior of your home painted and how big the job is, professional house painting cost is usually between $4,000 and $20,000. Exterior painting of larger homes is at the higher end of the scale. When looking for quotes, keep in mind that most house painters charge per square metre for labour.

If you’re considering sprucing up your home with a lick of paint, the idea of DIY might sound like an affordable and easy path. However, painting your home is a mammoth task. Hiring a painter can relieve a considerable burden. A professional painter will prep, paint, and finish the job to a very high standard, without leaving messy brush strokes or unsightly mistakes.

If you’re wondering how much it will set you back to hire professional painters, there are a range of factors that affect the cost of house painting. In this article, we will explore:

• Cost to paint interior of house
• Exterior house painting cost
• What affects the cost of house painting?
• House paint prices, and
• How to get a house painting quote.

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How much does a painter cost?

How much do painters charge per day? Usually, house painters cost between $35 and $45 per hour. For an eight-hour workday, you can expect the cost of painters to be about $280 to $360. A painter’s hourly rate does not include the cost of materials and paint, which should be accounted for in your total cost.

External vs interior house painting cost

Generally, painters charge more for exterior painting than the cost of interior house painting. Exterior painting is about $15 to $60 per square metre, while house interior painting costs are usually between $20 to $40 per square metre.

Ask your local painter for a detailed house painting quote with a firm outline of what is and isn’t included. This will ensure you know whether the price covers any preparation work required, as well.

What factors affect the cost of a painter?

House painting costs are influenced by a range of factors. The final cost of painting services will be determined by:

• The surface area to be painted
• How many rooms are being painted
• Prices of paint (depends on quality, gloss, and amount needed)
• Existing condition of surfaces and whether repairs are needed
• The texture of the walls
• Length of time the job takes to complete
• Whether the painters need to move furniture
• How many windows and doors your home has
• How much prep work needs to be done
• The height of the building
• The height of your ceilings
• Whether it’s a multi-storey home or on a slope
• If you’re adding a feature wall or decorative painting

Two different painting jobs could cover the same surface area but have quite different costs involved due to any of these factors. Always request a total breakdown of the painters costs so you can make your budget stretch.

How much does house painting cost for different jobs?

The cost of painting a house will usually be based on the square metres of the property and is estimated on a case-by-case basis.

House painter costs by job

Here’s a list of estimated exterior and interior house painting costs:

• Cost to paint a room: $250 to $500
• Painting apartment cost for interior of  2-bedroom unit: $2,500 to $5,000
• Cost to paint house interior for a 4-bedroom house: $5,000 to $7,500
• Cost for exterior house painting for a 4-bedroom house: $3,000 to $5,000
• Exterior house painting cost for a 2-storey home: $5,500 to $20,000
• Roof painting: $2,800 to $7,000

Exterior painting of multi-storey homes is normally more expensive because of the scaffolding and other materials required for safety purposes.

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Cost interior house painting

How much does painting interior house cost? House interior painting costs as little as $250 or as much as $7,500 or more, depending on the size of your home and how many rooms you want painted.

A three-bedroom house with a kitchen and two bathrooms could cost between $4,000 and $7,500, while two bedrooms and the kitchen and dining area could set you back between $800 and $1,500. To have your interior hallway painted, you can expect to pay about $600 to $1,000, while a fresh coating of paint in your bathroom could set you back between $1,000 and $1,500.

Interior painters will usually supply a quote based on the number of square metres you need painted, at a price of about $20 to $40 per square metre.

How much to paint a room?

The cost to paint a room is typically between $250 and $500 plus. If you have more than one room to paint, then the price per room will become cheaper. The painting room cost also depends on the cost of paint, the surface to be painted, and the size of the rooms. Resurfacing holes and cracks prior to painting will also increase the overall price of painting a room.

How much to paint a bedroom?

You can expect to pay about $500 to $1,000 to have a bedroom and ceiling painted. Again, the price will come down if you’re having more rooms in your house painted.

Cost of ceiling painting

Painting a ceiling is no easy business and you’ll need to ensure you hire a painter with the right tools, materials, and experience for the job.

Ceilings can range considerably in height. If you have high ceilings and are planning to do the painting yourself, it could end up in the “too-hard basket”. Be sure to check the cost differences before you start a DIY project to ensure you’ve made the right choice for your home and budget. A professional painter could save you both time and money in the long run.

The process for painting a ceiling involves a little more than standard interior painting. You’ll need to protect all the floors under the ceiling and cover the furniture and flooring. Then you need to clean the ceiling and prep the surface, before you start painting.

Depending on the material of your ceiling, it could take some time to complete. Particularly if your ceiling is covered with a material like VJ boards or similar.

Ceiling painting price list estimates

Here’s a list of ceiling painting costs:

• Average single room ceiling: $400 to $600
• Larger living room ceiling: $500 to $800
• Three-bedroom ceilings: $2,500 to $3,500

All these prices are basic estimates, and you should ask a local painting expert for a house painting quote and an overview of your property to arrange a firm price.

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Cost to paint house exterior

How much to paint a house exterior? A standard house painting job for brickwork can work out between $15 and $45 per square metre, while timber can range up to $60 per square metre.

For a two-storey, three-bedroom brick home, you might pay between $5,000 and $8,500 for exterior house painting. A weatherboard home of the same size, could cost between $10,000 and $20,000, including prep work.

Exterior painting jobs are quick to complete and once the prep work is finished it may only take one or two days for your home to be freshly painted.

Cost of roof painting

How much does it cost to paint a house roof? Roof painting is one of those jobs people expect to be expensive. However, the ballpark for roof painting is usually between $3,500 and $7,000 for a three-bedroom home with either a terracotta, metal, or tile roofing material. If your roof is in poor condition and needs repointing, this can increase the price.

You might like: How much does Colorbond roofing cost?

How much paint do I need?

Whether you need the exterior or interior of your house painted, the process of painting properly is a detailed one. You’ll need to factor the prices of paint, before prepping, sanding, applying undercoat and then painting.

You can find paint cost calculators online to help you calculate the price of paints for your project. To calculate a rough estimate for yourself, you’ll need to know:

• The total surface area to be painted, excluding windows and doors
• The spreading rate of the paint (usually found on the paint labels)
• The number of coats to be applied

To find out how many litres of paint your project requires, divide the surface area by the spreading rate, and multiply it by the number of coats needed. For instance, a surface area of 42 square metres, divided by a spreading rate of 11 square metres per litre, multiplied by two coats, equals 7.6 litres of paint.

What should a house painting cost estimate include?

When getting house painting quotes, ensure painters provide you with an estimate that includes:

• Paint prices: If the painter is providing the materials, this will include paint. Be sure to calculate the right amount you will need based on the square metres of the area to be painted.
• Supplies: Painters will use a range of consumables, including brushes, drop sheets, tapes, trays, protective gear, and cleaning materials. Ensure these are covered in the quote as these extra costs can stack up quickly.
• Labour: Most professional painting companies will have multiple staff working on a project. Be sure that labour costs are accurately quoted with a completion timeframe. Finding out they need additional labour to finish the job after you have accepted a quote with a reasonable timeframe can increase costs, especially when there are multiple contractors involved.
• Hardware or scaffolding: If you have a multi-storey home or your property is on a slope, you might need to have scaffolding installed for your exterior paint job. If this is the case, be sure your quote includes this extra cost.

Whether you’re painting the interior or exterior of your home, a quality paint job will stand the test of time. Be sure to check out local suppliers and ask around for recommendations for highly regarded painting professionals in your area.

Getting a house painting quote

Still wondering how much does it cost to paint a house? If you need a free quote for painting a house, compare painter rates with Yellow Pages. When you’re hiring painters for your home renovation projects or a new build, remember that every painting provider is unique. Always ask to see a full breakdown of the inclusions for your house painting project and check the painter’s references and portfolio. It’s best to compare at least three house painter quotes to get a good idea of local market rates.

Be wary of hiring a cheap painter unless they have a good reputation. Hiring a house painter that covers all the essential steps when painting your home is imperative to getting a quality job done on your home.

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*All prices quoted were sourced at the time this cost guide was written and should only be used as an estimate.