Painting Cost Calculator
Calculate house painting costs in Australia. Estimate pricing for interior and exterior painting by room count and house size.
What this trades cost calculator estimates
This calculator gives you an indicative Australian price for the most common trades jobs — labour plus standard materials, GST included, adjusted by your city. Typical trades jobs estimated here range from about $300 to $18,000 before any travel surcharge or after-hours rate. It is designed as a sanity-check before you accept a written quote, not as a substitute for one. For pricing on non-standard jobs, scope a few photos and a clear job description into a free task post and let verified Australian tradies quote on the actual work.
Typical job pricing
- Single Room (walls + ceiling) — $300-$800 (1 day)
- 2 Rooms — $550-$1,400 (1-2 days)
- 3 Rooms — $800-$2,000 (2-3 days)
- Whole Interior - 2 Bed House/Unit — $2,000-$5,000 (3-5 days)
- Whole Interior - 3 Bed House — $3,500-$7,000 (4-7 days)
- Whole Interior - 4+ Bed House — $5,000-$12,000 (5-10 days)
- Exterior - Small House/Unit — $3,000-$6,000 (3-5 days)
- Exterior - Medium House — $5,000-$10,000 (5-8 days)
What pushes the price up or down
- Your city. Sydney and Melbourne run 10-25% above national average; regional Queensland and South Australia run below.
- Access. Inner-city parking, narrow lanes, multi-storey access, stairs and limited site space all add labour time.
- Urgency. Same-day, after-hours and weekend rates run 30-80% above standard call-out pricing.
- Materials. Premium brands and like-for-like replacements vs upgrades can move the price band substantially.
- Compliance. Licensed work (gas, electrical, structural plumbing) may require a certificate of compliance which carries its own fee.
How to use this estimate
- Pick the closest job to yours from the list above for a baseline range.
- Add 10-20% if the job is urgent, after-hours or in an inner-city suburb with tight access.
- Subtract 5-10% if you are flexible on timing and live in a regional or outer suburb where supply is good.
- Compare three written quotes against the estimate. Anything more than 30% outside the band is worth questioning before you sign.
Tips before you book
- Interior painting typically costs $20-$50 per square metre
- Exterior painting costs more due to scaffolding and weather prep
- Premium paints cost more upfront but last 8-12 years vs 3-5 for budget paint
- Get colours sampled on your wall before committing to large areas
- Ask if the quote includes preparation, primer, and number of coats
Get real quotes
Estimates use base Australian pricing and are adjusted up or down by your city's cost-of-living index. For real, no-obligation written quotes from verified, ABN-checked tradess in your suburb, post your task free on TaskerAsker. You will typically receive up to three quotes within a few hours and can compare price, reviews, availability and profile in one place.
Related cost guides & tools
- Full trades cost guide
- Trades service hub
- Trades city-by-city cost chart
- What a complete trades quote should include
- Browse all cost calculators
- Plumber cost calculator
- Electrician cost calculator
- Handyman cost calculator
- Cleaner cost calculator
- Gardener cost calculator
- Bathroom renovation calculator
- Kitchen renovation calculator
- All Australian tradie cost guides
- Hiring a tradie — full checklist
- Find tradies by suburb and postcode
- Post your job free for written quotes
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this trades cost calculator?
This trades calculator uses indicative Australian pricing averaged from completed jobs across capital cities, then adjusts up or down for your city's cost-of-living index. It is a benchmark, not a quote — exact pricing depends on the scope of work, access, materials supplied, after-hours surcharges and your specific suburb. Use the result to sanity-check any written quote before you sign.
Why does the same job cost more in Sydney than in Adelaide?
Tradies pass through their own overheads — vehicle, insurance, fuel, compliance — and capital-city overheads vary by 25% or more. Sydney and Melbourne sit highest, regional QLD and SA tend to be lowest. The calculator applies a city multiplier so the estimate reflects local pricing rather than a single national average.
Is GST included in these estimates?
Estimates are presented inclusive of 10% GST, which is how a written quote should also be presented for residential work in Australia. Always check that any quote you receive states whether the price is GST-inclusive — "plus GST" at the bottom can shift a quote by 10% before you compare apples-to-apples.
Will I get a real quote here, or just an estimate?
This page only produces an estimate. To receive real, no-obligation quotes from verified, ABN-checked Australian tradies in your suburb, post your task for free. You will typically receive up to three written quotes within a few hours, and you are never obliged to accept any of them.
What is NOT included in these prices?
These ranges cover the labour and standard materials for the job described. They typically exclude after-hours and weekend surcharges, parking and tolls, rubbish removal beyond a small bag, scaffolding or boom-lift hire, council permits, certificates of compliance, structural making-good and any premium fixtures or fittings you select. A good written quote always itemises these separately.