The rates are starting points, not going rates — yours depend on ceiling height, access, condition and how much of the day goes on drop sheets. If you have never worked out what your hour has to earn, do that first with the charge-out rate calculator.
A worked example: three-bedroom repaint, interior
Occupied house, walls and ceilings, one accent colour, existing paint sound with normal patching. Painter registered for GST, supplying paint.
| Line | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walls — two topcoats, low-sheen acrylic (per m² of wall) | 280 | $14.00 | $3,920.00 |
| Ceilings — two coats flat white (per m²) | 110 | $11.00 | $1,210.00 |
| Preparation — fill, sand, spot-prime patches, caulk gaps | 14 | $65.00 | $910.00 |
| Doors and frames — two coats enamel, both sides | 9 | $130.00 | $1,170.00 |
| Protection — drop sheets, masking, daily clean-up | 1 | $280.00 | $280.00 |
| Subtotal | $7,490.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $749.00 | ||
| Total inc GST | $8,239.00 | ||
| Deposit to book in (15%) | $1,235.85 | ||
| Balance on completion | $7,003.15 |
Preparation is its own line, priced in hours. That is deliberate: it is the largest single variable in painting, it is invisible when it is done well, and it is the first thing a cheap quote quietly removes. Put a number on it and the customer can see what they are actually comparing.
What to put on a painting quote
- Business name, ABN — and your licence number if your state licenses painting above a contract value.
- Room by room, or surface by surface. "Interior" is not a scope. List which rooms, and whether ceilings, doors, frames, skirting, architraves and cupboards are in or out.
- Number of coats, stated per surface. This is the number one dispute in the trade.
- Paint brand, product line and sheen level. Low-sheen acrylic from one brand is not the same product as another's ceiling flat, and the customer cannot tell unless you say.
- What preparation is included — washing, sanding, filling, caulking, spot-priming, and how much patching is covered before it becomes a variation.
- Exclusions. Wallpaper removal, lead paint on pre-1970 surfaces, rendering or plaster repair, mould treatment, scaffolding, furniture moving, and colour changes after work has started.
- Whether GST is included.
- Access and hours — whether the house is occupied, where you can park, and whether weekend work is priced differently.
- How long the price holds, and your deposit and payment terms.
- The variations sentence — anything found once the sanding starts is quoted before it goes ahead.
Common mistakes, and what each one costs
- Not stating coats. The customer assumes three, you priced two, and the argument happens on the last day when you want to be paid.
- Prep bundled into the rate. It becomes invisible, so the cheaper quote looks like the same job for less money.
- No lead-paint exclusion on an old house. Pre-1970 surfaces can carry lead paint, and the handling requirement is not a line item you want to absorb.
- Quoting off a walk-through with no measurements. Eyeballing wall area is where the profit goes. Measure, then price.
- Ignoring ceiling height. A 3.6m ceiling is not the same job as a 2.4m one, and a per-square-metre rate that does not flex for it loses money on exactly the houses that look most profitable.
- Nothing about furniture. Either you move it and it is priced, or they move it and the quote says so.
Three things that win the job
Quote what the cheap quote left out. Two coats, named product, itemised prep. You are not asking them to pay more — you are showing them what the other number does not include.
Give a start date and a duration. Painting is disruptive and people are choosing partly on when they get their house back. "Four days, starting the 9th" beats a slightly lower price surprisingly often.
Follow it up. Paint quotes sit longer than most because the job is discretionary. Two short messages over the following fortnight recover a real share of them — wording in the quote follow-up templates.
Yamate keeps your rates, your standard prep wording and your exclusions, so a quote is a few taps rather than a blank page — then turns the accepted quote into the invoice without retyping it. Sign up before 30 September 2026 and lock in the Founder plan at $19/mo — forever. It's $29/mo after that. No lock-in, cancel anytime. Prices in AUD.
FAQ
What should a painting quote include?
Rooms and surfaces covered, number of coats, paint brand and sheen, exactly what prep is included, exclusions, whether GST applies, how long the price holds, and deposit and payment terms.
Per square metre or per room?
Build the price per square metre because it is accurate; present it per room or per area because that is what the customer understands and it lets them add or drop a room without you re-quoting from scratch.
How many coats should I quote?
State it explicitly — commonly two topcoats over an undercoat on new or patched work, and two topcoats on a repaint in a similar colour. A colour change over a dark wall may need three, and saying so up front is far easier than saying it later.
Who supplies the paint?
Either works, as long as the quote says which. If you supply, name the product so they are comparing like with like. If they supply, say you cannot warrant the finish of paint you did not choose.
Do I charge GST on a quote?
Only if you are registered, which is generally required once turnover reaches $75,000. See when a sole trader has to register.
Next steps
General information for Australian tradies, not tax, legal or financial advice. Every figure this page produces is an estimate based on what you type in. Licensing, written-contract and deposit rules are set by each state and territory — check yours before relying on this page.