How much does a painter cost in Melbourne?
Painting in Melbourne costs $42–$105 per hour for a licensed painter, or $315–$1,050 for a single room (walls and ceiling). A whole-house interior repaint for a 3-bedroom costs $4,200–$10,000, while exterior repainting runs $4,200–$10,500.
We've compiled pricing from painters across Melbourne as of October 2026. All prices include GST.
Detailed Pricing — Painter Cost in Melbourne 2026
Painting an office, shopfront or strata building instead? See our commercial painting cost guide for Melbourne.
| Service | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painter (hourly rate) | $42/hr | $63 | $105 |
| Single room (walls + ceiling) | $315per room | $680 | $1,050 |
| Whole interior (3-bed house) | $4,200total | $6,800 | $10,000 |
| Whole interior (4-bed house) | $4,725total | $8,400 | $12,600 |
| Exterior (single-storey) | $4,200total | $6,800 | $10,500 |
| Exterior (two-storey) | $7,900total | $13,650 | $18,900 |
| Feature wall | $160per wall | $315 | $525 |
| Ceiling only (per room) | $210per room | $335 | $525 |
| Door (both sides) | $84per door | $135 | $210 |
| Fence painting/staining | $525total | $1,250 | $2,625 |
| Deck staining | $525total | $1,150 | $2,100 |
| Wallpaper removal + repaint | $525per room | $945 | $1,575 |
| Painter day rate | $370per day | $525 | $680 |
| Interior painting per m2 (wall/ceiling surface area) | $21/sqm | $32 | $42 |
| Exterior painting per m2 (wall surface area) | $26/sqm | $42 | $63 |
| Whole interior (2-bed unit / apartment) | $2,625total | $4,400 | $6,800 |
| Exterior (timber weatherboard / Queenslander house, full timber prep) | $9,450total | $15,750 | $25,200 |
You're in.
A local installer will be in touch about your job. No spam, no middleman.
Getting quotes for painter work in Melbourne? Get a quote from a verified local tradie — free, no obligation.
Get Melbourne quotes →Prices include GST. Based on Melbourne metro area, October 2026. Outer suburbs may vary.
Interior vs Exterior — Melbourne Pricing
Interior Painting
Two coats standard. Walls and ceilings in a standard room cost $350–$800 depending on size and condition. Melbourne's older homes often have plaster walls that need extensive crack repair — expect prep to account for 40–50% of total painting time in pre-1970s homes. Quality paint matters more in Melbourne's variable climate — Dulux Wash & Wear and Haymes Ultra Premium are popular for their durability.
Exterior Painting
Melbourne's housing stock includes a huge variety of exteriors: weatherboard (inner suburbs), brick veneer (middle suburbs), render, and cladding. Weatherboard homes are the most expensive to paint — scraping, sanding, priming, and two topcoats on a 3-bedroom weatherboard home costs $9,450–$12,000. Brick painting (increasingly popular to modernise dated red/brown brick) runs $4,200–$8,000 for a standard home using masonry paint.
Whole House Interior — 3 bed
Melbourne pricing for a full interior repaint. Includes walls, ceilings, and woodwork (doors, architraves, skirting boards). Victorian-era homes with ornate cornices, ceiling roses, and detailed timber trim cost 20–30% more than a modern home due to the additional cutting-in and detail work. The painter typically needs 3–5 days for a standard 3-bedroom home.
Whole House Exterior — 3 bed
Scaffolding for two-storey homes adds to the cost. Lead paint (common on pre-1970 Melbourne homes) should be identified before work starts, because sanding or removing it is a regulated 'lead process' in Victoria with specific safety duties for the painter. Melbourne's brick veneer homes are generally cheaper to paint externally than weatherboard because less preparation is needed — a coat of masonry sealer and two topcoats is usually sufficient.
Cost by Room — Melbourne 2026
Single bedroom
Standard room with 2.7m ceilings. Melbourne's popularity of feature walls (a dark or textured accent wall) adds $160–$525 a wall. For Victorian-era homes with picture rails or detailed cornices, expect the higher end of the range due to careful masking and cutting-in.
Full weatherboard exterior repaint
Melbourne's inner suburbs (Northcote, Yarraville, Williamstown, Footscray) have thousands of weatherboard homes. A proper repaint involves scraping loose paint, sanding, spot-priming bare timber, caulking gaps, and applying two topcoats of quality acrylic. Allow 5–8 days for a standard single-fronted worker's cottage. If the existing paint is in very poor condition, a full strip-back adds to the cost.
Brick painting (exterior)
An increasingly popular Melbourne renovation move — painting dated 1970s–80s brown or cream brick to modernise the look. Requires thorough cleaning (high-pressure wash), masonry primer, and two coats of quality masonry paint (Dulux AcraTex, Haymes SolaGuard). Once painted, brick requires repainting every 10–15 years, so it's a long-term commitment.
House painting cost in Melbourne (2026): interior, exterior, day rates and what a painting quote includes
Painting a house in Melbourne costs $4,200–$10,000 for the whole interior of a 3-bedroom home, with $6,800 typical, and $4,725–$12,600 for 4 bedrooms. The exterior is $4,200–$10,500 for a single-storey house and $7,900–$18,900 for two storeys. A single room, walls and ceiling, is $315–$1,050. 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) | $4,200 | $6,800 | $10,000 |
| Whole interior (4-bed house) | $4,725 | $8,400 | $12,600 |
| Exterior (single-storey) | $4,200 | $6,800 | $10,500 |
| Exterior (two-storey) | $7,900 | $13,650 | $18,900 |
| Single room (walls + ceiling) | $315 | $680 | $1,050 |
| Interior painting per m² (surface area) | $21/m² | $32 | $42 |
| Exterior painting per m² (wall area) | $26/m² | $42 | $63 |
| Painter day rate | $370/day | $525 | $680 |
How painters in Melbourne charge: most quote the job, built from a day rate of $370–$680 ($525 typical) and the surface area: $21–$42 per square metre of wall and ceiling inside, $26–$63 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne:
- 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 Melbourne that compare, give every painter the same room list, the same number of coats and the same paint grade.
What Affects Painter Costs in Melbourne
Interior vs exterior
Interior painting in Melbourne ($4,200–$10,000 for a 3-bed) is generally cheaper than exterior ($4,200–$10,500) due to weather exposure, scaffolding needs, and prep work on external surfaces.
Surface condition
Freshly plastered walls are easy. Older Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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–$525 in Melbourne) with a different colour or texture adds cost.
How to Save Money on Painter Cost in Melbourne
Finding house painters in Melbourne
Melbourne’s housing runs from heritage Victorian and Edwardian terraces with intricate trim to weatherboard and brick-veneer homes, and the city’s changeable weather means timing an exterior job around dry spells matters. How much do painters charge per hour in Melbourne? $42–$105 in our table, or $370–$680 for a full day.
When you compare house painters in Melbourne, ask to see evidence of their qualifications such as a Certificate III in Painting and Decorating, confirm they carry public liability insurance, and check recent local references. Get the scope in writing — the number of coats, the surface prep, and the products they’ll use — so quotes line up on the same basis.
For a whole house the hourly rate matters less than the scope: our Melbourne table puts a three-bedroom interior at $4,200–$10,000 and a single-storey exterior at $4,200–$10,500.
Frequently Asked Questions — Painter Cost in Melbourne
Nearby area guides: painter costs in Footscray and painter costs in South Yarra.
Painter costs by Melbourne suburb
Select your suburb for a tailored price guide with local pricing notes and nearby comparisons.
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 →