What painting actually costs — and why quotes differ.
The same 3-bedroom job gets quoted thousands apart. That’s rarely dishonesty — it’s three painters pricing three different scopes. Here’s roughly where the numbers sit, what moves them, and how we make ours something you can actually compare.
3-bedroom home, Northern Rivers, 2026.
| Cheap quote (no prep, 1 coat) | $2,800 – $4,500 |
| Mid-tier (light prep, 2 coats, mid paint) | $5,500 – $8,500 |
| Premium (full prep, branded paint, 2–3 coats) | $9k – $14k |
| Heritage / lead-paint / two-storey | $15k – $30k+ |
| Exterior (weatherboard or render, 3BR) | $8k – $22k |
Six things that decide where your quote lands.
None of them show in the finished wall. All of them decide what you pay — and how long it lasts.
Prep depth
The biggest single lever. Sound walls need a wash and light sand; failing paint needs stripping, filling and spot-priming first.
Number of coats
Two is standard. Dark-to-light changes and problem walls need three — and a tinted primer underneath.
Paint grade
Trade white vs a named premium line (e.g. Dulux Wash & Wear) is a real cost difference, and a real lifespan difference.
Ceiling height + access
Cathedral ceilings, stairwells, and two-storey exteriors needing scaffold over ladders all add labour.
Colour change
Staying in the same family is cheap. A bold or dark-to-light change adds a coat and sometimes a primer.
Surface + condition
Render, steel and pre-1970 lead-painted surfaces each need a specific system — and lead-safe prep is a costed step, never skipped.
Every quote splits into the same seven lines.
So the figure you’re comparing is tied to a scope you can read — not a single number with nothing behind it.
- 1 Wash + clean. Sugar-soap removes oils and residue — without it, paint lifts.
- 2 Sanding + filling. Nail holes, cracks, surface roughness. Finish quality lives here.
- 3 Masking + drop sheets. Floors, fixtures, edges. Skip it and you pay in cleanup.
- 4 Primer (surface-specific). New plaster, old enamel and steel each need a different primer.
- 5 Number of coats. Two is standard. One means you’ll see the old colour through it.
- 6 Paint brand + product. Named on the quote — Dulux Wash & Wear, not “trade white”.
- 7 Cut-in + edges. Ceilings, skirting, architraves — visible for the next 10 years.
What you get from us
- ✓Itemised quote, 7 lines
- ✓Primer always specified
- ✓Paint brand + product named
- ✓Licence + insurance on request
- ✓References in your suburb
- ✓Quote on letterhead
Cowboy tells
- ✕“No prep needed”
- ✕No primer line in the quote
- ✕Cash discount, no invoice
- ✕“Whatever paint you like”
- ✕No insurance certificate
- ✕Quote by text — “$4,500 the house”
We’ll tell you the smaller one if that’s the honest answer.
Patch + touch-up
Fix marks and problem walls, colour-matched from the original tin.
Wrong when: faded everywhere, colour change wanted.
Room refresh
Repaint specific rooms with light prep — walls, ceilings, sometimes trim.
Wrong when: whole-house overhaul needed.
Full repaint
Interior + exterior, full prep, new colour scheme.
Wrong when: paint mostly sound.
Read deeper before you compare quotes
Get a fixed, itemised quote — no surprise number.
Tell us what you need painted. We’ll book a walkthrough and send a quote you can actually read.