How much does a painter cost in Adelaide?
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Painters in Adelaide charge $37–$92 an hour, typically $55, or $320–$600 for a full day. Most home jobs are quoted as a fixed price, though: one room with its ceiling is $275–$920, and the inside of a three-bedroom house is $3,675–$8,750. That second row fits the typical Adelaide home, since 51.3% of dwellings here have three bedrooms, well above the 39% national share (ABS 2021 Census). Repainting the outside of a single-storey house is $3,675–$9,200. All prices include GST.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Painter cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Painter Cost in Adelaide 2026
Painting an office, shopfront or strata building instead? See our commercial painting cost guide for Adelaide.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painter (hourly rate) | $37/hr | $55 | $92 |
| Single room (walls + ceiling) | $275per room | $600 | $920 |
| Whole interior (3-bed house) | $3,675total | $6,000 | $8,750 |
| Whole interior (4-bed house) | $4,150total | $7,350 | $11,050 |
| Exterior (single-storey) | $3,675total | $6,000 | $9,200 |
| Exterior (two-storey) | $6,900total | $11,950 | $16,550 |
| Feature wall | $140per wall | $275 | $460 |
| Ceiling only (per room) | $185per room | $295 | $460 |
| Door (both sides) | $74per door | $120 | $185 |
| Fence painting/staining | $460total | $1,100 | $2,300 |
| Deck staining | $460total | $1,000 | $1,850 |
| Wallpaper removal + repaint | $460per room | $830 | $1,375 |
| Painter day rate | $320per day | $460 | $600 |
| Interior painting per m2 (wall/ceiling surface area) | $18/sqm | $28 | $37 |
| Exterior painting per m2 (wall surface area) | $23/sqm | $37 | $55 |
| Whole interior (2-bed unit / apartment) | $2,300total | $3,875 | $6,000 |
| Exterior (timber weatherboard / Queenslander house, full timber prep) | $8,300total | $13,800 | $22,100 |
| Exterior, large or high-set (two-storey) Queenslander (decorative timber, full timber prep) | $18,400total | $27,600 | $38,650 |
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Get Adelaide quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Adelaide metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
House painting cost in Adelaide (2026): interior, exterior, day rates and what a painting quote includes
Painting a house in Adelaide costs $3,675–$8,750 for the whole interior of a 3-bedroom home, with $6,000 typical, and $4,150–$11,050 for 4 bedrooms. The exterior is $3,675–$9,200 for a single-storey house and $6,900–$16,550 for two storeys. A single room, walls and ceiling, is $275–$920. Those prices are labour and paint for sound surfaces in standard colours; repairs and heavy prep are quoted on top.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole interior (3-bed house) | $3,675 | $6,000 | $8,750 |
| Whole interior (4-bed house) | $4,150 | $7,350 | $11,050 |
| Exterior (single-storey) | $3,675 | $6,000 | $9,200 |
| Exterior (two-storey) | $6,900 | $11,950 | $16,550 |
| Single room (walls + ceiling) | $275 | $600 | $920 |
| Interior painting per m² (surface area) | $18/m² | $28 | $37 |
| Exterior painting per m² (wall area) | $23/m² | $37 | $55 |
| Painter day rate | $320/day | $460 | $600 |
How painters in Adelaide charge: most quote the job, built from a day rate of $320–$600 ($460 typical) and the surface area: $18–$37 per square metre of wall and ceiling inside, $23–$55 per square metre of wall outside. Two coats over a sound, prepared surface is the base; a colour change from dark to light, or bare plaster that needs sealing, adds a coat.
What a painting quote in Adelaide should include: the rooms or elevations, the number of coats, the paint brand and grade, prep (filling, sanding, washing down), protection of floors and furniture, and clean-up. A quote that does not state the coats or the paint is the one that moves on the day.
What moves a painting quote in Adelaide:
- Prep: cracked plaster, peeling exterior paint, mould or wallpaper to remove all add days before any paint goes on.
- Height: two-storey exteriors need scaffold or towers; high ceilings and stairwells inside need platforms.
- Surfaces and trim: doors, windows, skirtings and cornices are slow, detailed work priced per item or per metre.
- Paint grade and colour: premium paints and deep or bright colours that need extra coats cost more per square metre.
- Occupied or empty: an empty house paints faster than one the painter has to work around.
For painting quotes in Adelaide that compare, give every painter the same room list, the same number of coats and the same paint grade.
Painting an apartment or unit in Adelaide
What painting the inside of an Adelaide apartment costs
Painting the whole inside of a 2-bedroom unit or apartment is $2,300–$6,000 in our Adelaide table, typically $3,875, against $3,675–$8,750 for a 3-bedroom house. If only some rooms are being done, a single room with its walls and ceiling is $275–$920, and painters who price by area charge $18–$37 a square metre of wall and ceiling surface.
These answers use the prices in the table on this page.
What Affects Painter Costs in Adelaide
What an hour or a day buys
Hourly and day rates suit touch-ups and small jobs. A day at $460 typical is close to eight hours at the typical hourly rate, which comes to $440. For whole rooms or houses, ask for a fixed price instead. Surface area is the other yardstick: $18–$37 a square metre inside and $23–$55 on outside walls.
Three bedrooms, one storey
Separate houses make up 75% of Greater Adelaide dwellings, and only 25.3% of homes have four or more bedrooms, against 34.8% nationally (ABS 2021 Census). The three-bedroom interior is the row most locals will match, and its typical figure ($6,000) is the same as the typical single-storey exterior. A four-bedroom interior is $4,150–$11,050, and a two-storey exterior $6,900–$16,550.
Units, townhouses and apartments
Semi-detached homes such as townhouses and row houses are 16.3% of Adelaide dwellings, about double the 8.2% that are flats or apartments (ABS 2021 Census). A full interior for a two-bedroom unit or apartment is $2,300–$6,000. In a strata group, check the rules before repainting front doors, balconies or anything else visible from the street.
Hot, dry summers
January and February average 28.7 °C and 28.6 °C at the West Terrace station, with only about 20 mm of rain a month (BOM averages). Dry weather suits outside work, but paint laid on in hot afternoon sun can dry too fast and leave lap marks, so careful painters follow the shade around the house. March is still dry at 23.4 mm and a little cooler.
Prep on older surfaces
Preparation is where quotes differ most. Before the first coat, flaking paint, cracks in the plaster and old wallpaper have to be dealt with: a room that needs its wallpaper stripped and then repainted is $460–$1,375, against $275–$920 for a room in good order. Timber weatherboard exteriors that need full timber prep are priced in their own band, $8,300–$22,100.
Coats, colours and paint grade
Two coats over a primer or sealer is the normal finish. A light colour over a dark one may need a third coat; dearer paint often covers in fewer coats and holds up longer before the next repaint. A single feature wall is $140–$460, and repainting just the ceiling of a room is $185–$460.
Doors, fences and decks
Trim is slow brush work: each door, painted on both sides, is $74–$185, and skirting boards, architraves and window frames add hours. Outdoor timber is quoted on its own, with fence painting or staining at $460–$2,300 and deck staining at $460–$1,850. Ask how many coats of stain are included and how long the deck must stay off-limits afterwards.
Getting painting quotes in Adelaide
Three painting quotes in Adelaide is the practical minimum — quotes for the same job routinely land a long way apart, and the spread usually comes down to preparation rather than paint. A quote worth comparing itemises surface prep (sanding, gap filling, undercoat), the number of top coats, the paint brand and line, and whether GST is included in the figure.
For context while you compare: Adelaide painters charge around $55 an hour, and interior work typically prices at $25–$45 per square metre. A quote well below that range is usually skipping prep; well above it should come with a clear reason, like heritage detail or serious surface repair.
Phone quotes are fine for a single room. For whole-interior or exterior jobs, insist on a site visit — Adelaide's older housing stock hides enough surprises that sight-unseen numbers rarely survive contact with the walls.
How to Save Money on Painter Cost in Adelaide
Finding house painters in Adelaide
Adelaide’s hot, dry Mediterranean summers and the city’s heritage stone and render homes each place their own demands on a paint job. Searching for apartment painting in Adelaide? Our table prices the whole interior of a two-bedroom unit at $2,300–$6,000, against $3,675–$8,750 for a three-bedroom house.
In South Australia, ask whether the painter holds a building work contractor’s licence through Consumer and Business Services (licences can be limited to specific work). Beyond that, the checks that matter most are recent local references and reviews, a current ABN, and a certificate of currency for public liability insurance. Get the scope in writing too: the number of coats, the surface prep, and the products they’ll use.
For painting quotes in Adelaide, ask each painter to price the same rooms and coats; a single room, walls and ceiling, is $275–$920 in our table, so a room-by-room quote is easy to check.
Frequently Asked Questions — Painter Cost in Adelaide
Our Methodology
These are independent estimates from public cost guides, marketplaces and industry rate data, and no tradesperson can influence them, so always get a few quotes. Last reviewed October 2026. Read our full methodology →
Five deep-dives on painting costs in Adelaide
