Right, painter costs. Everyone asks this and to be honest there’s no straight answer.
I’ve dealt with painters for years and the pricing is completely random.
One guy quotes $3000, next guy quotes $6000, same job. Makes no sense.
Last month I needed my kitchen done. First painter walks in, doesn’t measure anything, says “four grand.”
Just like that. Second painter measures every single wall twice, asks what paint I want, quotes $3200. How does that work?
They charge however they feel like
Some do hourly. Some do daily. Some just make up numbers.
Hourly sounds fair until you realise they work really slowly on hourly jobs. Funny how that happens.
My hallway touch-up took four hours when it should’ve been one.
Daily rates are $300 to $600 depending on… well, depends on their mood I reckon.
Square meter pricing is $10 to $60 but I’ve seen quotes for $80 per square meter. For paint. Not gold leaf.
Regional differences that make no sense
Sydney painters want $110 an hour. Melbourne same. Brisbane’s $80-100. Perth’s around $100. Adelaide’s cheaper supposedly.
Why is Perth expensive when everything else is cheap there?
Makes no sense. Cost of living’s lower than Sydney but painters. charge almost the same.
Experience doesn’t always mean better
Some old painters charge heaps because they think they’re worth it. Some young guys undercharge then do a rush job.
Best painter I ever used was this guy who’d been doing it for 30 years, charged $75 an hour.
Worst painter was some fancy outfit that charged $120 an hour and left brush marks everywhere.
Location pricing is weird
Same painter will charge different rates for different suburbs.
Fair enough I suppose but feels like they’re taking advantage.
Had a painter quote me $4000 for my place in the suburbs. Mate lives in a fancy area, same sized house, same painter quoted him $5500. Exactly the same work.
Room costs are all over the place
They say average room is $1100. My bedroom cost $350. Living room was $800. Kitchen was $1400. Bathroom was $650. None of that averages to $1100.
Big rooms cost more obviously but some small rooms cost heaps because of all the cutting in around windows and doors.
Whole house pricing
Interior house painting is $3500 to $6000 they reckon. My place cost $5200. Neighbor’s identical house cost $7800 different painter. Same size, same condition, different price.
Exterior depends on stories and scaffolding mostly. Single story might be $4000, two story could be $8000 just because of the scaffolding.
DIY is harder than it looks
Tried painting my garage myself. What a disaster. Took me three weekends, looked terrible, ended up paying someone to fix it anyway.
Painters make it look easy but there’s technique involved. Surface prep, primer, proper brush work. I had none of that figured out.
Getting quotes is exhausting
You need at least three quotes but that means three different guys coming to your house, measuring different things, asking different questions.
One painter spends five minutes and gives you a number. Next one spends an hour examining every wall. Both could be right, both could be wrong.
Don’t go cheapest automatically but don’t go most expensive either. Middle quote is usually safest but not always.
Materials included or not
Some quotes include paint, some don’t. Some include brushes and drop sheets, some charge extra. Makes comparing quotes nearly impossible.
Had one painter quote $2800 including paint.
Another quoted $2200 plus materials. Materials ended up being $800 so second guy was actually more expensive.
Timing affects everything
Spring and autumn everyone wants painting done. Prices go up, availability goes down.
Got mine done in winter once. Cheaper price but took twice as long because of weather delays.
Summer’s too hot for exterior work apparently but I’ve seen painters working in 40-degree heat when they need the money.
Heritage and coastal complications
Live near the beach? Special paint needed. Costs more.
Heritage house? Council might have opinions about colors. More paperwork, more delays, more cost.
Insurance and licensing should be obvious
But you’d be surprised how many painters aren’t properly covered. Ask for proof, don’t just take their word.
Had a painter damage my floorboards once. No insurance. Guess who paid for new floors.
Word of mouth vs online reviews
Online reviews are mostly fake or managed. Better to ask people who’ve actually used them recently.
Problem is everyone’s experience is different. Painter who was great for your neighbor might be terrible for you.
My actual advice
Get multiple quotes, compare what’s included, check references and insurance.
Don’t stress about exact pricing guides because every job’s different.
Keep extra money aside for unexpected issues because there’s always unexpected issues.
Perth City Painters get mentioned sometimes. Don’t know them personally but they seem to be around consistently which is usually a good sign.
Why this whole thing is frustrating
There’s no standard pricing, no consistency, no way to know if you’re getting a fair deal without doing heaps of research.
Some painters are brilliant, some are hopeless, most are somewhere in between.
Price doesn’t always indicate quality.
Just pick someone who seems reliable, get it in writing, and hope for the best. That’s about all you can do in this industry.
