The quote, already started
⚠️ These are starting numbers, not market rates. Put your own in.
What the job actually is
- Look at the surface in raking light — that is where the flaws are.
- Move or cover the furniture, and mask the floor, the trim and the fittings.
- Fill holes and cracks, and sand back once it has gone off.
- Spot-prime the patches, and prime anything bare, glossy or previously oil-based.
- Cut in the edges — ceiling line, corners, skirting, architraves.
- Roll the first coat and let it dry properly.
- Cut in and roll the second coat.
- Paint the ceiling if it is in the price, usually before the walls.
- Do the trim last: skirting, architraves, door and window frames.
- Pull the masking, touch up, and clean the room out.
Materials
- Paint — the paint calculator works out litres, the cheapest combination of tins to buy and what it costs, per room and per coat.
- Primer or undercoat, and sealer where the surface calls for it.
- Filler, and a deeper patching compound for anything more than a nail hole.
- Masking tape, drop sheets and plastic.
- Sandpaper in a couple of grades.
- Rollers, sleeves, brushes and trays, which are consumables rather than tools on a job of any size.
- Sugar soap or cleaner for anything greasy or smoke-affected.
The second coat almost never uses as much as the first, so a straight doubling of litres over-orders. It also almost never uses half, so halving under-orders. Work each coat separately and buy the tin sizes that actually add up — a 10 L plus a 4 L is usually cheaper than four 4 L tins for the same volume.
What the price assumes
- The surface is sound — no mould, no damp, no flaking that needs stripping back.
- The existing finish is water-based, or the quote says what happens if it is not.
- Two coats over an existing similar colour. A dark-to-light change is more.
- The room is empty or the customer moves the furniture.
- Ceilings and trim are either in the price or excluded — never assumed.
- Power and lighting are available, and you have continuous access.
- No repairs to plaster beyond ordinary filling.
Extras that come up
- A colour change that needs three coats — dark to light, or a strong colour either way.
- Stripping or sealing where the existing finish is oil-based, flaking or nicotine-stained.
- Plaster repair beyond filling — a real crack is a plasterer, not a painter.
- Mould treatment, which is a symptom of something else and should be named as such.
- Moving and covering furniture, if the customer has not.
- Ceilings, if quoted walls-only.
- Trim, doors and windows, which are slow, fiddly and often more time than the walls.
- Working around someone who is living in the room while you paint it.
Things nobody charges for, and should
- Masking and set-up, which on a room full of trim is an hour before a brush is opened.
- Drying time between coats. You can go home, but you cannot start the next job either.
- The touch-up round after the tape comes off.
- Cleaning brushes, rollers and yourself.
- Travel, on a one-day job twenty minutes away.
- Disposing of leftover paint and washings, which is not a stormwater drain.
A worked example
A 4 × 3.5 m bedroom with 2.4 m ceilings, one window and one door, walls and ceiling in two coats of low-sheen over a similar colour, ordinary filling only, trim included, customer clearing the room. Painter registered for GST.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set up, mask and protect floor and fittings | 1 job | $240.00 | $240.00 |
| Fill, sand and spot-prime | 1 job | $320.00 | $320.00 |
| Walls — cut in and two coats low-sheen | 36 m² | $21.00 | $756.00 |
| Ceiling — cut in and two coats flat | 14 m² | $24.00 | $336.00 |
| Trim — skirting, architraves, door and window frame | 1 job | $480.00 | $480.00 |
| Paint, primer and consumables | 1 job | $310.00 | $310.00 |
| Touch up, de-mask and clean out | 1 job | $160.00 | $160.00 |
| Subtotal | $2,602.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $260.20 | ||
| Total inc GST | $2,862.20 | ||
| Deposit (15%) | $429.33 | ||
| Balance on completion | $2,432.87 |
These are starting numbers, not market rates. Put your own in. Every figure above comes from the line items in the builder at the top of this page.
Start this quote in Yamate — the lines, not the prices →The app fills in the same line descriptions and leaves every amount blank for you. Your prices, not ours.
Yamate keeps your rates and your standard lines, so the next one of these is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it.
FAQ
How much paint do I need for a room?
It depends on the wall and ceiling area, how many coats, and the coverage rate on the tin. The paint calculator works out litres per coat, the cheapest combination of tin sizes to buy, and what the paint costs.
Should a painting quote include the ceiling?
Only if it says so, and it should be its own line either way. Ceilings are slower than walls and a customer who assumed one was included is a customer with a grievance at the end of a job you did well.
How many coats should I quote?
Two over an existing similar colour is the normal assumption, and the quote should state it. A dark-to-light change, a strong colour, or bare plaster often needs three, and that is a different price rather than a bad day.
Why is preparation more expensive than painting?
Because it is more work. Filling, sanding, priming and masking take longer than rolling, and they are what the finish actually depends on. Showing prep as its own line is how a customer sees the difference between two quotes.
Work out the materials first
More like this
General information for Australian tradies, not legal, health or financial advice. The rates on this page are starting points rather than market prices, and every figure is an estimate based on what you type in. Lead paint, mould and licensing requirements are set by each state and territory — check yours before relying on this page.