How to Quote Interior House Painting in Australia

What an interior painting quote covers

A clear interior quote is a list of rooms and surfaces, not one lump sum. Break it down so the customer sees exactly what they're paying for and you don't lose a step:

• Surface prep — filling, sanding, cleaning and mould treatment in wet areas.
• Primer or sealer — on new plasterboard, patched repairs and big colour changes.
• Walls — priced per room, with the number of coats stated.
• Ceilings — measured and quoted separately from walls.
• Trim — skirtings, architraves and window reveals, the slow, precise work.
• Doors — each one is its own little job of prep and two coats.

Measuring up — the part that sets your price

Every material and labour figure flows from your measurements, so take them off a laser measure, not your eye. Work out wall area as the room perimeter times the ceiling height, then handle ceilings on their own.

• Subtract large windows and doors from the wall area — but remember cutting in around them still adds labour.
• Measure ceilings separately; a three-bedroom home runs about 250–300 m² of wall plus 80–100 m² of ceiling before subtractions.
• Note the condition of the existing paint room by room — flaking or peeling means extra prep hours.
• Flag anything awkward while you're there: high ceilings, tight stairwells, dark feature walls.

Material costs in 2026

For most interior walls a quality low-sheen acrylic — think Dulux Wash&Wear or Taubmans Endure — is the safe pick, with a semi-gloss mould-inhibiting acrylic in bathrooms and laundries. Don't leave primer out; it's what makes the finish last.

Coverage sits around 14–16 m² per litre per coat for good paint, so a fresh three-bed interior often runs several drums once you count walls, ceilings and trim.

Working out labour

Your labour is the biggest number in the quote, so price it deliberately. Most painters either charge per square metre or run a day rate — either works, as long as the prep and cutting-in time is in there.

• Per m²: $10–$25/m² for walls and ceilings, depending on prep and complexity.
• Day rate: $450–$650 ex GST for a skilled painter, plus an apprentice if you run one.
• Prep — filling, sanding, masking — routinely eats 20–40% of the job; price it, don't absorb it.
• Cutting in around skirtings, architraves and windows is slow, precise work that a per-m² rate hides.
• A three-coat system (primer plus two topcoats) can double or triple your application time.
• Allow 1.5–2 hours per internal door for prep and two coats, including drying between them.

Common mistakes that eat your margin

1. Underestimating prep. Skimping on sanding, filling and priming shows up as a poor finish and callbacks. Cost the prep on site, room by room.
2. Guessing the paint volume. Work the litres back from your measurements. Getting it wrong means last-minute top-up runs at retail prices.
3. Rushing the drying times. Recoating too soon — especially in humidity — causes adhesion problems. Build the wait between coats into your schedule and price.
4. Not specifying the finish. Matt, low sheen and semi-gloss look and wear differently. Name the finish per area so there's no argument at handover.
5. Leaving exclusions unsaid. Spell out what's out — moving heavy furniture, major plaster repair, wallpaper removal — so a variation isn't a dispute.

Pro tips for a tighter interior quote

• Use a laser measure and calculate wall and ceiling areas properly before quoting.
• Always charge for primer — it's what makes a repaint hold up.
• Put at least 20–30% of your labour toward prep alone.
• Name brands, colour codes and finishes so the customer can't quietly change the scope.
• Add a 10–15% contingency for the plaster damage and nail pops older homes hide.
• Review your labour rate every 6–12 months so it keeps pace with rising costs.

Frequently asked questions