Painting: costs, quotes and what to check before you hire
Painting prices swing a lot, because prep, access and paint choice change the job. A fair quote lists the rooms, the prep, the number of coats and the paint, so you can compare like with like.
Licence and registration
In Victoria, Consumer Affairs Victoria says painting does not require registration. Ask for the painter's business name, insurance and past work instead.
Source: Consumer Affairs Victoria, checked 11 November 2026. Rules shown are for Victoria. See the rules for your state >
If you are hiring a painting job
The questions homeowners ask most, and where to find the answer.
- What should a house painting job cost?
- What should be written on a painting quote?
- How much deposit is fair for a painter?
- How do I compare three painting quotes?
- How much does it cost to paint a house in Australia?Airtasker's ranges: $1,000 to $9,000 inside and $3,500 to $35,000 outside, plus hourly rates by city. What moves the price and how to get a fair quote.Costs6 min
- How to compare three tradie quotesGet at least three written quotes for the same job, then compare scope, materials, payments and insurance. A simple checklist for homeowners.Compare5 min
- Red flags in a tradie quoteSeven warning signs in a tradie's quote, from missing business details to big deposits and unwritten changes, based on Consumer Affairs Victoria advice.Hiring4 min
- How to check a tradie's licence in VictoriaWhich trades need a licence or registration in Victoria, which do not, and how to check before you hire. Builders, electricians, plumbers, painters and tilers.Hiring5 min
If you work in the trade
Quoting, following up and being easy to trust, written for tradies.
- How to write a painting quote that wins the job
- How to follow up a quote that went quiet
- How to get more Google reviews as a painter
- How to write a quote that wins the jobWhat goes on a tradie quote so homeowners say yes: scope, inclusions, exclusions, payments and licences, written the way regulators tell customers to check.For tradies6 min
- How to follow up a quote without chasingA simple follow up routine for tradies, with message templates in plain Australian English. Stay in front of the customer without being pushy.For tradies5 min
- How to get more Google reviews for your trade businessGoogle says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking. A simple way for tradies to ask for reviews, and how to reply to every one.For tradies5 min
- Does a tradie need a website?When a Facebook page and a Google profile are enough, when a website pays off, and what a tradie website needs. An honest answer, with a disclosure.For tradies6 min
The editor runs a web design business for trades. Work with Edris > This is separate from the guides.