Hi Guys,
I am seeking guidance around the fair price to internally paint single story, 4 bedroom house (unfurnished) with 2 bathrooms including the doors and wardrobes. Internal area of the house is around 150 sqm
I have got a quote of 8k+ GST. Is it too much ?
Many thanks for your help.
Thanks GG57, will do
Let me put a blind fold on my eyes and spin the chocolate wheel to find out the answer.
That's about the worth of any replies here because nobody can give you an informed reply let alone a guesstimate.
So Id say to OP DON'T BE SO LAZY!
It takes much longer to write this post and read all the "unqualified" replies than to organize 3 firm quotes.
And what are you going to do dear OP?>
Tell the painter that Ozbargain knows better…seriously mate????
You know what the painter is going to tell you in 2 short words…
Painting is a very complex task
There is so much work involved.
You cannot just stick a finger in the air and pluck out a figure.(as many here will try to do)
As anyone in the know will tell you all the work is in the preparation
Any fool can grab a paint brush and a roller and whack on a coat of paint.
It might not be a great job but anyone can do it and all it costs you is the paint.
However without the proper prep work it will just peel of fall off the wall.
And that's exactly what happens with cheap paint quotes.
They just whack on the (cheapest) paint (even over mould) and it looks great for about 6 months.
So OP YOU need to give an exacting specification of what you want any painter to do?
Are you going to do all the cleaning of the walls with sugar soap, scrape off all the loose paint, fill in all the holes in the walls and then sand them smooth, seal all the cracks in the cornices and timber work, and sand down all the surfaces to ensure the paint adhere properly?
If not then the painter will charge for 2 to 3 days of prep work and hopefully they actually do it.
Many just reply on the undercoat to make the paint stick…oh dear!!!
Then there is the paint.
Best to specify a quality paint like Dulux, British paints or Wattyl. (yes there are more)
And the undercoat as well
You should specify one undercoat and 2 top coats as a minimum for water based paints.
With oil paints you can get away with 1 finish coat using a good quality paint.
As a guide use Oil based paint on the doors, windows and timber work and water based on the walls and ceiling.
Specify anti-mould paints in the kitchen and bathroom.,
So dear OP
Without checking the site to see how much scraping and preparation is required, and to see how intricate the ceilings, cornices, doors, windows and timber work is, and lastly and least important really, without seeing how big the rooms are, and without knowing what quality of undercoat and paint you require….
NOBODY CAN GIVE AN INFORMED ANSWER
Id say between $6,000 and $12,000
Way too much. Even if you take into account how busy trades and labourers are right now just remember painters are NOT in that category. They are a dime a dozen.
Calculate how much paint will cost and see how much this 8k mob is planning to charge you just for labour and you'll realise they're just trying their luck.
Get more quotes. Put up an ad on hipages and ensure whoever you hire has insurance etc.
(I had a 180sqm lowset painted for 2k. 3 dulux approved blokes completed the work in 2 days including doors, architraves etc with full dulux warranty. Excellent job and great attitude. We paid for paint on top directly to dulux trade centre)
I think you must be in Queensland though by your use of the word "lowset." I have never heard that term to describe a house in Sydney.
Painters are way more expensive in Sydney than Queensland in my experience of both. They seem to have more business than they can handle and can charge what they like. If you find a good one who charges a reasonable price you stick with them!
Interestingly, the cost of fencers appears to be about the same or maybe even a bit more in Queensland compared to Sydney. I don't know why. Maybe the materials have to get shipped up to Queensland?
Thanks traveller107, I have put it on HiPages with quotes coming between 6-9k. can you share the details of your tradie?
I'll find it and send it to you. You're in brissy?
Ok how do I send you a message with their details? :s
Could you also send me the details. Thanks (I have no idea how to send message)
Click on persons name, click on lists on their profile and than click on messages. Tried to send you a message but says you do not accept messaging.
Dime a Dozen. Msybe in Sydney eith the "Teams" of 457's.
My brother is a Painter, booked out for nearly 9 months continually.
As others have said to the DIY, done it once, never again. The "BLOCK" has given Painters a bad wrap as the contestants do it and everybody thinks they can as well. It is still a trade just like any other and is more difficilt than you think.
I took 4 weeks off in 2019 to paint my place.
I didn't even open the paint tins as I kept finding "more important" things to do and I hate painting.
Took the paint back to Bunnings and got a refund.
Wow, you sound like me with tidying up; haven't tackled painting but thinking about a one room proof of concept in the next few years. Have used numerous professional painters for investment properties; but I get the feeling I'll get reamed where I live.
@ihbh: I'll do plumbing, electrical, tiling, plastering, car repairs but the whole prep thing and painting edges leaves me cold.
2 guys for 3 days = 6 working days. $2k/6 = $330 per day. Just over $40/hour for contractors - sounds too cheap to me. Or you just got a mega bargain.
It's the normal rate most painters are seconded at in the industry. I've seen some very hard workering ones who work for $200 per day and some terrible 1 man cowboys who want 2k per day, blow their own trumpet and carry a bad attitude, but have no insurances or work ethics and make a living fooling grannies. Most expensive painters outsource their jobs to the cheaper blokes anyways.
Like every industry rates vary a lot. More so for painters coz they don't need proper licenses like plumbers or sparkies.
I'm guessing all the covid handouts might have changed things. 🤔
Mate $200 per day
You are dreaming
Absolutely NOBODY works for $200 per pay.
Thats only $1,000 per week.
Except the laborers themselves maybe.
Get real mate!
The English and Irish are mostly trade qualified.
Totally WRONG!
How can you make a judgement when when you have absolutely NO IDEA
And who knows how much prep work and what quality of paint and how intricate the work was at your place?
Ditto for Ops job.
Every job is totally different !!!!!
They can vary by $6,000 to $10,000
The only useful thing you said was to GET MORE QUOTES.
DIY in 3 days and $500
Take rec leave from work and you get paid to do it also.
Simples.
Then you'll have a dodgy job that you'll have to look at for years to come
It's all in the prep.
This! The Prep will take more than 3 days for a DIY. Cleaning the walls, sanding, filling if necessary, sanding.
The actual painting part is the quick aspect.
Did that once. Never again.
Username Checking out…
DIY? Unless they're experienced painters it'll be more like 3 weeks work.
More like 2 weeks taking into account possibly only 1 person and all the prep work involved.
But yes, DIY is always the cheapest option and you are in total control of quality or work done
Price will also depend on condition of existing surfaces and hence, the amount of prep work required. Also, the number of costs - I would suggest 2 will be required
Thanks ocker
I was quoted around $2000 to paint a section of a house (living spaces) in Sydney about 2 years ago, and a friend paid $6000 to have their entire 3 bedroom empty house painted in Sydney about 10 years ago. I think that included kitchen cupboard doors but maybe not internal doors.
Based on that, $8000 for a 4 bedroom house in Sydney in 2022 is probably not excessive.
However, you might try posting your task on Hipages to see if you can get someone cheaper because I'm sure they exist.
Just make sure they are a properly licensed painter and have good reviews.
Thanks Wizzy. They are licenced painters with great reviews.
I paid $10,000 to get my 3 bedrooms, 1 pantry, 1 garage and 2 bathrooms house painted inside and out. The scope of works included supplying paint, moving furniture as required, applying paint to all inside walls and ceilings, and painting the exterior walls. That was 7 years ago. Based on my experience, $8,000 just for painting the house internally seems excessive. Like a lot of others already have, I too will suggest getting at least 3 quotes and then going with the best (not necessarily the cheapest) option.
Outside was probably 70% of the cost as it is a PITA.
Thanks upended! Was this in Sydney and was it a 2 storey house?
vkg, yes, in Sydney and it is a single story timber house.
I'm not necessarily saying that $8,000 is expensive. Maybe that is how much it costs today, but as with any job, you should get multiple quotes so you get a good indication of the current rates.
Perhaps that is how much it cost, some will pay, some won't, but it is expensive [ $8,800 ] on the basis, most people can do a decent job "painting". Compared to say tiling, plumbing, electrical work, where most of us would need to call a profession, painting is one job you can do yourself and save money, only if you are prepared to put the effort in, as it is not as easy as it looks on those TV ads.
8k sounds like a lot. Oil or acrylic? How many canvases are they doing? I'd hope they all come in a nice frame for that price.
Prices have definitely gone up the last 2 years based on some quotes I have had recently. Typically starting from $800 / room as a rough guide plus materials. Further allowance for cupboards / hallways etc. But quotes can really vary.
Quoted 2 weeks ago.
4 16sqm bedrooms
2 very small bathrooms
40 sqm kitchen / lounge / dining
6 timber doors
all skirting boards, window surrounds and door architraves.
$7200+GST
How much is the total area of the house. Ours is around 150 sqm
I've said the area already. Add it up
OP, don't trust Hipages too much. Plenty trades there just fishing to rip off the unsuspecting. Ask around for someone who knows someone, at least for a reference price. A few tradies in the past year have said to me that the hardest thing to find is a painter in Sydney.
A painter did some work at my workplace last year- about 100sqm walls and ceiling. He seemed like a decent guy and he did a good job. Not sure how much he charged the workplace, but we don't have lavish offices so I expect he wasn't expensive. He told me he's been painting for 20 years and uses Dulux. I asked him about estimate for my inlaws' place, 2 stories, about 150sqm. He said probably around $5000. I ended up painting the place myself. Cost of paint was around $1200. One undercoat and two top coats in Dulux for the walls and two coats on the ceiling.
pm me if you need details of someone for a quote. He should be cheaper to considerably cheaper then the 8k unless you need a lot of surface prep
he is licensed handy man, licensed panel beater and licensed ac installer with pics/details of previous jobs and i know he has a sprayer so you can opt for that or go with roller/hand too
$3300 for painting a 4 bedroom 192 square metre house in Perth internally (not ceilings). Father and son team, completed in 3 days and gave me $300 back when I paid in cash!
I'd love to know details of who you used!
Hi OP,
I repainted the internal walls and ceiling of our entire house approx. 200 sqm.
Never touched a paint brush before this and quite honestly was very reluctant to do so. It was some expensive quote (and a drawn out timeline) that motivated me to just do it myself and if all fails I was prepared to just get a painter to finish the job.
The job wasn't so hard (did 2 coats). I got all the paint, brushes, roller and sheets from my local Bunnings and all up cost me just under $500. The painting section people were able to give me general tips, guidance and recommendations on the tools I needed which was very helpful.
The added takeaway for me was the sheer satisfaction of learning a new skill and doing a good job in the end.
Hope this gives you some motivation to consider doing it yourself as personally I feel 8k is too much.
I would certainly be getting a second quote, and compare things like the quality of paint to be used, the timeframe for completion, etc., along with the cost.