Painter pricing in Montreal
What painters charge in Montreal (typically C$35-C$85/hr), the local factors that move the rate, and a sample quote you can use as a starting point.
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Montreal painter pricing
What painters should charge in Montreal
Montreal painters serve Plateau and Mile End triplex interiors, Westmount and Outremont heritage greystone, NDG family homes, Verdun and Saint-Henri gentrified renos, plus the iconic exterior wrought-iron staircase repaint market unique to the Plateau and Rosemont triplexes. Brutal winter (80-100 freeze-thaw cycles, road salt spray) destroys exterior coatings annually; staircase repaint is recurring revenue. RBQ licence required for any work above CAD $25,000 contract value. GST 5% + QST 9.975% on separate lines; bilingual quotes mandatory for commercial.
Hourly rate
C$35-C$85
per hour, weekday daytime
Call-out fee
C$25-C$53
within standard radius
After-hours
1.5-2x
evening, weekend, holiday
Job pricing
What to charge for common painter jobs in Montreal
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 CAD.
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.
Montreal quote factors
What to factor into your Montreal painter quote
Local context that should shape what you quote as a painter in Montreal. Harsh humid continental, brutal winters. Cold snowy winters (December-March, often -15°C to -30°C with windchill, occasional -35°C, heavy snow ~210cm/year, Canada's snowiest large city), warm humid summers (July-August, 28°C+ with high humidity, occasional 35°C heatwaves), heavy rainfall (~1,000mm/year). Freeze-thaw cycles 80-100/year (more than Toronto). Ice storm risk (1998 ice storm crippled Montreal for weeks).
Premium enclaves vs standard Montreal
Westmount (H3Y/H3Z), Outremont (H2V), Mount Royal Town (H3P/H3R), Hampstead (H3X) interior 2-coat painting runs CAD $50-$110/sqm. Plateau (H2J/H2T/H2W), Mile End (H2T), Saint-Henri (H4C), Verdun (H4G/H4H) gentrified zones $35-$75/sqm. Standard Rosemont, NDG (H4A/H4B), Hochelaga (H1V/H1W), Villeray (H2N/H2R) $25-$55/sqm. State 2 coats minimum on every quote.
Exterior wrought-iron staircase specialty
Plateau, Mile End, Rosemont, Verdun triplexes have iconic wrought-iron exterior staircases (escaliers extérieurs) designed in the 1920s-30s. Road salt, snow, and 80-100 annual freeze-thaw cycles destroy coatings every 2-4 years. Quote staircase repaint at CAD $700-$1,800 per staircase including wire-brushing, rust treatment (Tremclad/POR-15 primer), and 2 coats of direct-to-metal enamel. Bundle whole-block contracts; triplex owners on the same street often coordinate.
Heritage interior plaster prep
Pre-1940 Plateau, Outremont, Westmount, Mile End buildings have original lime-plaster walls with hairline cracking, paint buildup (often 5-10 coat layers), and lead-based paint in any pre-1978 finish. Quote skim-coat repair (CAD $25-$65/sqm) and EPA RRP-equivalent lead-paint protocol on every heritage interior job. Health Canada's Lead-Containing Products Regulations apply; commercial painters must follow safe work procedures.
Winter scheduling and humidity control
Montreal winter (December-March, indoor humidity often below 20% with forced-air heating) and summer humidity peaks (July-August, often above 70% indoors without AC) both affect paint drying and finish quality. Quote winter humidification or summer dehumidification as a project-prep line (CAD $250-$800 per job). Most exterior work is suspended November to April; quote outside that window or factor in heated enclosure costs (CAD $1,500-$5,000 per project).
RBQ licence threshold + bilingual quote
RBQ licence subcategory 4.2 (painting and decorating) is mandatory for any contract above CAD $25,000. Print RBQ licence number on every quote above the threshold. Bilingual quote and invoice are mandatory for commercial customers under Bill 101 + Bill 96. GST 5% + QST 9.975% on separate lines. Quebec consumer protection requires written contracts above CAD $1,200 with cancellation rights.
Triplex multi-unit volume
Plateau, Mile End, Rosemont, Verdun, Saint-Henri triplexes drive 3-unit-at-once repaint contracts when ownership changes or before listing. Quote whole-triplex interior repaint at CAD $9,500-$22,000 for 3 standard units, with portfolio rates 10-15% below per-unit pricing. Build relationships with co-ownership syndicates and property managers for recurring revenue across multi-property portfolios.
Sample quote
A real Montreal 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
Montreal painter pricing questions, answered
Common questions about painter pricing in Montreal, with answers framed for tradies pricing their own work.
Interior 2-coat: CAD $25-$55/sqm for standard Montreal (Rosemont, NDG, Hochelaga, Villeray). $35-$75/sqm for Plateau, Mile End, Saint-Henri, Verdun. $50-$110/sqm for premium enclaves (Westmount, Outremont, Mount Royal Town, Hampstead). State 2 coats minimum on every quote and itemise prep work separately.
Yes, it's a recurring Montreal niche. Plateau, Mile End, Rosemont, Verdun triplexes have iconic wrought-iron exterior staircases destroyed every 2-4 years by road salt and 80-100 annual freeze-thaw cycles. Quote staircase repaint at CAD $700-$1,800 per staircase including wire-brushing, rust treatment (Tremclad/POR-15 primer), and 2 coats of direct-to-metal enamel. Bundle whole-block contracts.
Yes, for any contract above CAD $25,000. RBQ licence subcategory 4.2 (painting and decorating) is the relevant licence. Print the RBQ licence number on every quote above the threshold. Smaller jobs technically don't require RBQ, but commercial customers and insurance carriers increasingly demand it across all jobs.
Pre-1940 Plateau, Outremont, Westmount, Mile End buildings have original lime-plaster walls with hairline cracking, paint buildup, and lead-based paint in pre-1978 finishes. Quote skim-coat repair (CAD $25-$65/sqm) and Health Canada lead-paint safe work procedures as separate lines. Skipping skim-coat is the #1 callback driver on heritage interiors.
Most exterior work is suspended November to April due to cold, snow, and 80-100 freeze-thaw cycles. Quote outside that window or factor in heated enclosure costs (CAD $1,500-$5,000 per exterior project). Interior winter work needs humidification (indoor humidity often below 20% with forced-air heating). Summer humidity peaks (above 70% indoors) need dehumidification; quote either as a $250-$800 prep line.
Hourly rates are $35 to $80 in the US, £22-55 in the UK, A$50-100 in Australia, R150-450 in South Africa, and C$35-85 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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The full international pricing guide, ready-to-send templates, and the main painters page.
Full painter pricing guide
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