What a solo painter actually needs
Painting is quoted by the job, not the hour, and the price hinges on prep — the scraping, sanding, filling and undercoats the customer never thinks about. A good quote spells that out, so you are not arguing about scope later.
- Room-by-room or area quoting — break a repaint into rooms or sections so the customer sees exactly what they're paying for and can add or drop areas easily.
- Prep and coats spelled out — list the prep, the undercoat and the number of finish coats as separate lines so the value of the work is visible.
- Interior and exterior priced differently — save your standard rates for interior, exterior, roofs and fences.
- Deposits on big repaints — take a deposit on a full-house job to cover paint and tide you over a job that runs days.
- Invoice when the last coat's dry — and let the app chase if they're slow.
Typical jobs it handles
Interior repaints (rooms, ceilings, trim), full exterior repaints, roof painting, fences and decks, feature walls, render and texture coating, prep and repairs (filling, sanding, undercoating), and commercial or strata work. Save your usual packages and they drop into a quote in seconds.
Get paid the day you finish
A big repaint is a lot of money to wait on. Yamate invoices the moment you're done, drops your PayID or bank details on the invoice, and chases the slow payers automatically so you're not the one sending awkward texts.
Try Yamate free — built for solo painters →FAQ
What's the best quoting app for painters in Australia?
One that lets you quote by room or area and spell out prep and coats. Yamate is built for solo painters — room-by-room quotes, prep itemised, GST invoicing and auto-chasing late payers — from $19/mo (founder price, until 30 Oct) on iPhone and Android.
Can I quote a repaint room by room?
Yes — add each room or area as its own line so the customer can see the breakdown and tweak the scope easily.
Should I take a deposit on a big paint job?
On a full repaint it's sensible, it covers your paint and protects you on a job that runs days. Add it to the quote and check your state's rules on deposit limits.
Tickets, safety and a crew
Yamate keeps your licence and insurance on file and tells you before they lapse — yours and your crew's. It'll draft a Safe Work Method Statement for a job from what the job actually is; you read it and sign it, and Yamate doesn't issue certificates or lodge anything with a regulator.
Got an apprentice or a couple of hands? You are not too big for it — pay runs, payslips, super and licence dates are in here too, on the same flat price.
Taken someone on? The Founder plan includes up to 3 people. For larger crews, the Company plan includes 10 people, then $15/month for each additional person, and gives everyone their own login so you choose what each of them sees. And if you get stuck anywhere, Ask ya mate — type a question and it walks you through the screens, suggesting the tap rather than doing it for you.
Free tools for painters
General information only for Australian businesses. Licensing requirements may apply depending on the work and your state.