How much do painters cost in Cairns?
In Cairns, preparation, the number of coats and the paint grade decide how long a job lasts. The weather sets the calendar: Cairns Aero averages 436.1 mm in February but only 26.9 mm in August (BOM). Flats and apartments are 17.0% of local dwellings, more than the state's 12.5% (ABS 2021), which changes access and approvals. The table below prices 18 painting jobs for Cairns, with low, typical and high figures, followed by local notes on timing, rules and suburbs.
Comparing cities, or after the Australia-wide picture? See the national guide: Painter cost in Australia.
Detailed Pricing — Painter Cost in Cairns 2026
Painting an office, shopfront or strata building instead? See our commercial painting cost guide for Cairns.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painter (hourly rate) | $43/hr | $65 | $110 |
| Single room (walls + ceiling) | $325per room | $700 | $1,075 |
| Whole interior (3-bed house) | $4,325total | $7,000 | $10,250 |
| Whole interior (4-bed house) | $4,850total | $8,650 | $12,950 |
| Exterior (single-storey) | $4,325total | $7,000 | $10,800 |
| Exterior (two-storey) | $8,100total | $14,050 | $19,450 |
| Feature wall | $160per wall | $325 | $540 |
| Ceiling only (per room) | $215per room | $345 | $540 |
| Door (both sides) | $86per door | $140 | $215 |
| Fence painting/staining | $540total | $1,300 | $2,700 |
| Deck staining | $540total | $1,200 | $2,150 |
| Wallpaper removal + repaint | $540per room | $970 | $1,625 |
| Painter day rate | $380per day | $540 | $700 |
| Interior painting per m2 (wall/ceiling surface area) | $22/sqm | $32 | $43 |
| Exterior painting per m2 (wall surface area) | $27/sqm | $43 | $65 |
| Whole interior (2-bed unit / apartment) | $2,700total | $4,525 | $7,000 |
| Exterior (timber weatherboard / Queenslander house, full timber prep) | $9,700total | $16,200 | $25,900 |
| Exterior, large or high-set (two-storey) Queenslander (decorative timber, full timber prep) | $21,600total | $32,400 | $45,350 |
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Get Cairns quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Cairns metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
How Painting Costs Vary Across Cairns
Across Cairns, price differences for painting come less from the postcode and more from the house: its age, how it sits on the block and how close it is to the sea. Three parts of the city show the range.
Northern beaches — Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Palm Cove, Clifton Beach
Homes close to salt spray and open to the north-east, where coastal-rated products and more frequent upkeep make sense.
Inner suburbs — Cairns North, Edge Hill, Manunda, Westcourt
Older homes near the city, including high-set houses where access under the floor or into the roof shapes the labour.
Southern corridor — Mount Sheridan, Bentley Park, Edmonton, White Rock
Newer slab-on-ground estates south of the city, where access is usually easy and like-for-like work is common.
What You'll Actually Pay — Real Painting Scenarios
Painters in Cairns, priced from the rows in our Cairns table.
Painter (hourly rate)
Our Cairns table puts this at $43–$110 an hour, typically $65. Cairns Aero records 2,019.1 mm of rain in an average year, and the bulk of it lands from January to March: 404.8 mm, 436.1 mm and 424.3 mm (BOM, Cairns Aero).
Single room (walls + ceiling)
Our Cairns table puts this at $325–$1,075 per room, typically $700. Cairns sits in National Construction Code climate zone 1, hot and humid in summer and warm in winter (ABCB climate zone map), and an average February brings 16.0 days of rain (BOM, Cairns Aero).
Whole interior (3-bed house)
Our Cairns table puts this at $4,325–$10,250 total, typically $7,000. Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach, Palm Cove, Clifton Beach and Yorkeys Knob sit within reach of salt spray.
Whole interior (4-bed house)
Our Cairns table puts this at $4,850–$12,950 total, typically $8,650. With maximums above 29 °C from October through to April at Cairns Aero (BOM, Cairns Aero), paint and sealants on sun-facing walls age fastest.
Exterior (single-storey)
Our Cairns table puts this at $4,325–$10,800 total, typically $7,000. In Queensland, building work worth $3,300 or more needs a QBCC licence, and plumbing, drainage and gas work need one at any value; electricians are licensed through the Electrical Safety Office.
House painting cost in Cairns (2026): interior, exterior, day rates and what a painting quote includes
Painting a house in Cairns costs $4,325–$10,250 for the whole interior of a 3-bedroom home, with $7,000 typical, and $4,850–$12,950 for 4 bedrooms. The exterior is $4,325–$10,800 for a single-storey house and $8,100–$19,450 for two storeys. A single room, walls and ceiling, is $325–$1,075. 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) | $4,325 | $7,000 | $10,250 |
| Whole interior (4-bed house) | $4,850 | $8,650 | $12,950 |
| Exterior (single-storey) | $4,325 | $7,000 | $10,800 |
| Exterior (two-storey) | $8,100 | $14,050 | $19,450 |
| Single room (walls + ceiling) | $325 | $700 | $1,075 |
| Interior painting per m² (surface area) | $22/m² | $32 | $43 |
| Exterior painting per m² (wall area) | $27/m² | $43 | $65 |
| Painter day rate | $380/day | $540 | $700 |
How painters in Cairns charge: most quote the job, built from a day rate of $380–$700 ($540 typical) and the surface area: $22–$43 per square metre of wall and ceiling inside, $27–$65 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 Cairns 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 Cairns:
- 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 Cairns that compare, give every painter the same room list, the same number of coats and the same paint grade.
What Affects Painter Costs in Cairns
Interior vs exterior
Interior painting in Cairns ($4,325–$10,250 for a 3-bed) is generally cheaper than exterior ($4,325–$10,800) due to weather exposure, scaffolding needs, and prep work on external surfaces.
Surface condition
Freshly plastered walls are easy. Older Cairns homes with peeling paint, cracks, or wallpaper removal need extensive prep, which adds to labour costs.
Number of coats
Two coats over a primer is standard. Dark-to-light colour changes may need 3+ coats. Extra coats add to paint costs and labour time.
Ceiling height & access
Standard 2.4m ceilings are straightforward. Higher ceilings in older Cairns homes need scaffolding or platform ladders, increasing cost and time.
Paint quality
Budget paint vs premium (for example Dulux Wash & Wear) affects both finish quality and longevity. Most Cairns painters recommend mid-range to premium for interiors.
Trim & detail work
Painting doors, window frames, skirting boards, and architraves is labour-intensive. A feature wall ($160–$540 in Cairns) with a different colour or texture adds cost.
How to Save Money on Painter Cost in Cairns
Finding house painters in Cairns
Paint in Cairns works harder than in southern cities: maximums sit above 29 °C from October to April at Cairns Aero (BOM, Cairns Aero), humidity feeds mould, and salt air reaches the northern beaches. Our table puts a whole three-bedroom interior at $4,325–$10,250 and a single-storey exterior at $4,325–$10,800; ask for a mould wash and a tropical-rated exterior system on the quote.
When you compare house painters in Cairns, check that they hold a current QBCC licence, ask for recent local references, and get the scope in writing: the number of coats, the surface prep, and the products they’ll use. Quotes from established Cairns painters should itemise preparation separately — in this climate that’s where the durability of a repaint is won or lost.
When painting contractors quote, ask for the preparation to be itemised; a single room is $325–$1,075 and a two-storey exterior $8,100–$19,450 in our Cairns table.
Frequently Asked Questions — Painter Cost in Cairns
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 →