Painter pricing in Melbourne
What painters charge in Melbourne (typically $50-$100/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Melbourne painter pricing
What painters should charge in Melbourne
Melbourne painters work across rental-turnover volume, premium-suburb full repaints, and Heritage Overlay restoration (lead paint, lime wash, traditional colour palette). Lead-paint compliance under WorkSafe Victoria and AS 4361 is required for any pre-1970 home. Standard residential painters charge A$45-A$85/hour or A$380-A$680/day; heritage-trained painters working with breathable mineral paint, lime wash, traditional Victorian colour palettes charge A$550-A$1,100/day. Premium suburbs (Toorak 3142, Brighton 3186, Hawthorn 3122, South Yarra 3141, Malvern 3144) carry a 30-50% premium. Owners Corporation common-property repainting needs OC approval (2-6 weeks).
Hourly rate
$50-$100
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
$35-$75
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common painter jobs in Melbourne
Real-world price ranges for the jobs local tradies quote every week. Use the table as a starting point for your own quotes and adjust for parts, access, and your overheads. All figures in AUD.
Single room interior repaint (3x4m)
What's included
Includes 2 coats, walls + ceiling, prep, masking. Excludes major plaster repair.
Interior repaint per square metre
What's included
Wall area only, 2 coats, standard quality paint. Doors and trim usually quoted separately.
Exterior repaint per square metre
What's included
Includes prep, undercoat, 2 coats. Scaffold or cherry-picker hire extra for double-storey.
Ceiling paint per square metre
What's included
Includes 2 coats, cutting in. Stipple or coffered ceilings cost more.
Door (full prep and paint, both sides)
What's included
Includes sanding, priming, 2 finish coats. Premium enamel adds cost.
Skirting and architrave (per linear m)
What's included
Includes prep, fill, 2 coats. Tight angles and detailed mouldings cost more.
Full 3-bed house interior
What's included
All walls, ceilings, trim. 5-7 day job for a 2-painter team. Premium finishes add 30-50%.
Full single-storey house exterior
What's included
Includes prep, primer, 2 top coats. Render repairs and wood replacement priced separately.
Roof paint (sheet metal, per sqm)
What's included
Includes prep, primer, top coat. Tile roofs need specialist coating systems.
Melbourne quote factors
What to factor into your Melbourne painter quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a painter in Melbourne. Temperate oceanic. Four-seasons-in-one-day variability. Mild winters (rarely below 5°C, occasional ground frost), hot summers (often 30°C+ with sudden 40°C+ heat events), low-medium rainfall (~650mm/year), cool changes bring 15-20°C drops. Wind exposure for Port Phillip Bay-side suburbs.
Premium suburb tier
Toorak (3142), Brighton (3186), Hawthorn (3122), Kew (3101), South Yarra (3141), Malvern (3144), Armadale (3143), Canterbury (3126), Camberwell (3124) command A$64-A$135/sqm for full interior 2-coat repaints. Outer suburbs A$36-A$71/sqm. State '2 coats minimum' on every quote, plus sanding, undercoat, premium-finish paint (Dulux Wash and Wear, Taubmans Endure, Resene SpaceCote) as separate lines.
Lead-paint compliance pre-1970
Pre-1970 Melbourne homes (Heritage Overlay Carlton 3053, Fitzroy 3065, Richmond 3121, South Melbourne 3205, Albert Park 3206, Port Melbourne 3207, plus Edwardian and California Bungalow middle ring) contain lead paint. WorkSafe Victoria and AS 4361 require lead-paint risk assessment, encapsulation or removal, and worker PPE. Quote lead-paint surcharge (A$21-A$64/sqm) on every pre-1970 surface. Print AS 4361 compliance on the quote.
Heritage colour palette and lime wash
Heritage Overlay terraces often need traditional Victorian colour palettes (Dulux Heritage range, Porter's Paints, Resene Heritage) and breathable mineral paint or lime wash on lime-mortar bluestone foundations. Quote heritage-specialist rate A$785-A$1,570/day with documented colour palette consultation. Premium clients pay readily for historical accuracy; build portfolio of past restorations.
Rental-turnover volume
Melbourne has ~700k rental properties. Landlords need 2-day to 5-day turnover repaints between tenants. Quote per-apartment (A$2,140-A$5,000 for 2-bed, A$3,570-A$7,860 for 3-bed) at landlord portfolio rates. Volume work; build relationships with 5-10 real estate agents and property managers. Common entry-level Dulux Wash and Wear or Wattyl ID Advanced.
Owners Corporation common-property
Apartment and townhouse common-property repainting (foyers, stairwells, balconies, external walls) needs OC approval (2-6 weeks), insurance certificates (A$1M-A$7M public liability), and often a competitive quote against the OC's preferred contractor. Quote OC approval lead time and certificate-of-insurance overhead as separate lines. Large OC tenders run A$35,700-A$357,150+ per block.
Melbourne weather variability
Melbourne's 'four seasons in one day' reputation hits exterior work hard. Cool changes drop temperature 15-20°C within hours; humidity, sun, and wind shift unpredictably. Quote weather contingency (10-15% buffer on exterior days) on the contract. Acrylic exterior paints (Dulux Weathershield, Taubmans All Weather, Wattyl Solagard) need 10°C+ and dry conditions for cure.
Sample quote
A real Melbourne painter quote you can copy
3-bedroom interior repaint, walls + ceilings + trim, premium finish. Replace the line items and rates with your own; the structure stays.
Prep (sand, fill, prime patches) across 180sqm wall area
Wall paint (2 coats, Dulux Wash & Wear Low Sheen, customer choice colours x3)
Ceiling paint (2 coats, white flat, 95sqm)
Skirting and architrave (240 linear m, 2 coats enamel)
Doors (8 doors, both sides, prep + 2 coats enamel)
Masking, drop sheets, daily site clean
FAQ
Melbourne painter pricing questions, answered
Common questions about painter pricing in Melbourne, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
A$36-A$71/sqm for outer-suburb 2-coat interior. A$64-A$135/sqm for premium suburbs (Toorak 3142, Brighton 3186, Hawthorn 3122, Kew 3101, South Yarra 3141, Canterbury 3126). State '2 coats minimum' on every quote. Add GST (10%). Heritage-specialist day rate A$785-A$1,570/day for traditional palettes.
Yes, on every pre-1970 home. WorkSafe Victoria and AS 4361 require lead-paint risk assessment, encapsulation or removal, and worker PPE. Quote lead-paint surcharge (A$21-A$64/sqm) on pre-1970 surfaces. Print AS 4361 compliance on the quote. Heritage Overlay terraces (Carlton, Fitzroy, Richmond, South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne) are almost always affected.
Yes, niche premium revenue. Heritage Overlay terraces often need traditional Victorian colour palettes (Dulux Heritage, Porter's Paints, Resene Heritage) and breathable mineral paint or lime wash. Quote heritage-specialist rate A$785-A$1,570/day with documented colour palette consultation. Premium clients pay readily; build portfolio of past restorations.
Yes. Melbourne has roughly 700k rental properties. Landlords need 2-day to 5-day turnover repaints between tenants. Quote per-property (A$2,140-A$5,000 for 2-bed, A$3,570-A$7,860 for 3-bed) at landlord portfolio rates. Volume work; build relationships with 5-10 real estate agents and property managers.
OC common-property work (foyers, stairwells, balconies, external walls) needs OC approval (2-6 weeks), insurance certificates (A$1M-A$7M public liability), and often a competitive quote against the OC's preferred contractor. Quote OC approval lead time and certificate-of-insurance overhead as separate lines. Large blocks A$35,700-A$357,150+.
Hourly rates are $50 to $115 in the US, £22-55 in the UK, A$71-100 in Australia, R150-450 in South Africa, and C$50-85 in Canada. Most painters prefer to quote per square metre or per room because it is more transparent and avoids scope-creep disputes.
The big variables are coat count, paint grade, and how much prep is included. A 'cheap' quote is usually one coat of builder's-grade paint over no prep. A premium quote is two coats of washable paint over proper prep. Compare what is in the line items, not just the total.
A 3-bedroom interior with a 2-painter team is 5-7 working days for walls, ceilings, and trim. Furniture-out is faster (4-5 days); furniture-in adds 1-2 days for masking and movement.
Usually no. Painters buy paint at trade pricing 15-30% below retail and pass some of that on. Bringing your own paint also voids most coverage warranties. The exception is if you want a specific designer brand the painter cannot source.
A 4L tin covers around 30-40sqm in one coat for smooth walls, less for textured or porous surfaces. Always buy enough for 2 coats plus 10% for touch-ups. Your painter should quote the total litres needed on the quote.
Keep going
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