Right, so interior painting costs.
Everyone wants to know but nobody wants to hear that it depends on about fifty different things.
Been getting asked this question for years at Perth City Painters and honestly, it’s like asking how long a piece of string is.
Your place might cost 8 grand, might cost 30 grand. Could be more if it’s a nightmare job.
Size matters obviously.
Most painters charge per square metre, somewhere around 15 to 45 bucks but that’s if everything goes smoothly. When does it ever go smoothly though?
Small place might be 6 to 10 grand if your lucky.
Average house, 3-4 bedrooms, probably looking at 15 to 25 thousand but could blow out depending on what we find when we start.
Paint choice affects it. Cheap stuff from the hardware store versus premium paint with all the fancy features. Textured paints cost heaps more, metallic finishes even worse.
Prep work – where budgets die
This is where things get expensive real quick.
Walls look fine until you start working on them, then you find all sorts of problems.
Cracks that need filling, surfaces that need sanding, old wallpaper that’s been painted over three times.
Had a job last month where the quote doubled because of prep work. Customer wasn’t happy but what do you do?
Can’t paint over rubbish and expect it to look good.
Two coats minimum for decent coverage.
More if your changing from dark to light colours. Multiple colours, patterns, different colours for trim work – all takes time and time costs money.
Location makes a difference too. Melbourne and Sydney painters charge more than country areas because everything costs more there.
DIY versus getting pros in
Look, DIY seems cheaper when your standing in Bunnings looking at paint prices. Buy some paint, couple of brushes, how hard can it be?
Takes forever though. What we’d do in three days takes most people three weekends, maybe more.
And that’s if they don’t stuff it up and have to start over.
All the gear adds up too.
Decent brushes, rollers, drop sheets, ladders, primer. Then there’s the time – your weekends gone for weeks.
Perth City Painters fixes heaps of DIY disasters. People think it’s easy until they try cutting around windows or getting walls smooth without brush marks.
Takes practice.
Good painters handle prep work properly. We know which surfaces need primer, how to fill holes so they don’t show through, how to get clean lines around trim.
What you get with professionals
Better finish mostly. Smooth walls, clean edges, no drips or missed spots. Faster too – we’ve got the right tools and know how to use them.
Most offer some kind of warranty. We do 10 years workmanship guarantee because we know our work lasts.
Finding painters who don’t suck
Get multiple quotes, at least three.
Prices vary heaps for the same job and sometimes there’s good reasons why.
Check reviews but take them with a grain of salt. Anyone can write fake reviews these days. Ask for recent references if your serious about hiring them.
Licensed and insured should be obvious but you’d be surprised how many aren’t. Last thing you want is problems if someone gets hurt on your property.
Rough costs but don’t hold me to them
Small place, couple bedrooms, 6 to 10 grand roughly.
Family home 3-4 bedrooms, 15 to 25 thousand. Big place with high ceilings and fancy details, could be 40 grand plus.
Every job’s different though. House built in the 70s with textured walls? More expensive.
New place with smooth walls in good condition? Cheaper.
Questions everyone asks
Three bedroom house costs what? Usually 4,500 to 8,000 depending on condition and what paint you want. Could be more if there’s lots of prep work.
One room versus whole house? Single room’s actually more expensive per square metre because we still need to bring all our gear, set up, clean up. Same overhead whether it’s one room or ten.
Best paint? Acrylic’s fine for most jobs. Low VOC if you care about that stuff. Don’t buy the cheapest but don’t need the most expensive either.
Can you negotiate? Maybe, if your flexible on timing or buying your own materials. Most painters have pretty set prices though.
What we see doing this every day
Prep work makes or breaks painting jobs.
People think it’s just about putting colour on walls but there’s so much more.
Surface prep, choosing right primer, applying paint evenly, cutting clean lines. All takes skill and practice.
We do everything from single rooms to whole house repaints. Heritage restoration too which is specialized work not many do properly.
Getting quotes that make sense
Be specific about what you want. How many coats, what colours, which areas. Otherwise quotes won’t compare properly.
Ask what’s included. Prep work? Moving furniture? Cleanup?
Some include everything, others charge extra for basics.
Timeline matters. Good painters are usually booked ahead. Available immediately might be a red flag.
Bottom line
Interior painting costs vary heaps. 15 to 45 per square metre for professional work but that’s just a rough guide.
DIY might save money upfront but factor in your time and skill level.
Good painters cost more but usually worth it.
Multiple quotes, check references, make sure they’re licensed. Don’t just go cheapest because after all you get what you pay for.
