Painting is the application of paint, pigment, colour or another medium to a surface such as paper, wood or stone to decorate or protect it.
Painting is an ancient form of art that generally consists of using paints (colours) and often inks (like Indian ink) or other media like tar and egg tempera, latex, acrylics, oils, charcoal and various other materials like chalk and pastels.
The painting process always starts with some kind of sketch, either drawn directly onto the painting surface by hands, called the direct painting method, or drawn on separate packaging material then applied to the front side of a fixed canvas frame, called transfer drawing.
The cost to paint prices are indicative only and could be used as an estimate of what to expect when hiring professional painters for your home painting job.
Painting Prices Per Square Meter
In Australia, the house painting cost per m2 may start at around $20.00+ and can go up to around $60.00. The total cost to paint varies.
In some cases, if you are after a certain house painting finish or specialist paint that is not usually used it may cost more for the painter to purchase this, but any additional house painting cost may be discussed prior to starting your job.
If you are after something specific for your home, bigger surface area on your home property, like tiles, wallpaper etc then this may affect the quotes for the interior house painting due to the extra preparation time needed.
The cost to paint per hour is around $35/h on average, thus allowing them to make quick changes without upsetting you by inflating prices even further. Another factor that dictates the cost to paint is where your home is located.
If you are situated in a location that is further away from the house painter and his base then naturally it may be more expensive to complete your job as they have expenses for petrol, tolls etc.
Painting Cost Per m2
Exterior house painting costs around $20 per square metre on average, but depending on the size/preciseness of the work required it may alter dramatically.
Some exterior house painting jobs can range up to $40+ per square metre if there are multiple floors or rooms which need special attention.
On average, exterior house painting jobs may take 1-2 days to complete, though certain weather conditions or skills of the house painter can lengthen the time needed to complete the home painting job.
How Much do Painters Charge Per Square Metre?
Interior painting is generally cheaper than exterior paint jobs due to less preparation work needed and fewer coats required to cover up the walls etc.
Most painters may give you a quote on how many square meters they may need to cover and apply 1-2 coats depending on what the customer wants. For example, an average 1 bedroom apartment (approx. 40 square meters) should cost around $480 for labour plus materials (paint etc).
Painting Cost Per Square Metre
It is always best to ask the painter the average house painting cost if you are unsure of anything regarding their pricing as everyone’s requirements vary and there might be some other factors not immediately apparent like, whether or not they are painting concrete, plasterboard walls etc.
If you would like a more exact price for your house painting cost, it is best to call around some local painter’s and ask them how much they charge per m2. Also, check if the painter cost includes the materials or not because quite often there may be additional expenses for this depending on the quality of paint wanted. If you have basic house paints which you wish to use then usually there won’t be any additional costs for this unless otherwise stated by the painter.
An exterior painting cost starts at around $20 per square metre on average but depending on the size/preciseness of the work required it may alter dramatically.
The average cost to paint the exterior can range up to $40+ per square metre if there are multiple floors or rooms which need special attention.
Painting Rates Per Square Metre
On average, exterior house painting jobs may take 1-2 days to complete, though certain weather conditions can lengthen this time. Interior painting is generally cheaper than exterior paint jobs due to less preparation work needed and fewer coats required to cover up the walls etc.
The average interior house cost projects may cost upwards of $150+ depending on how complicated it is e.g sanding an entire home back to bare wood or if you have textured walls then this may affect the price as well as would having new skirting boards put in just because these also have a lot of preparation work.
Paint Per Square Metre Cost
Most painters may give you a quote on how many square meters they may need to cover and apply 1-2 coats depending on what the customer wants. For example, an average 1 bedroom apartment (approx. 40 square meters) should cost around $480 for labour plus materials (paint etc). It is always best to ask the painter if you are unsure of anything regarding their pricing as everyone’s requirements vary and there might be some other factors not immediately apparent like, whether or not they are painting concrete, plasterboard walls etc. If you would like a more exact price for your job it is best to call around some local painter’s and ask them how much they charge per m2.
Tips on How to Save Money on Painting?
The best way to save money would be if you could do the painting job yourself. If this is not an option then it’s important to get a few quotes and find someone who has good reviews and is also fairly priced.
Discounts
You can also wait until there is a discount or special offers for painting jobs, usually, during certain holiday periods painters offer discounts because they know people want their homes painted but don’t want to pay full price to get their home interior painting completed.
Negotiate
Lastly, it’s always worth negotiating with your painter by seeing what sort of discount he/she may give if you get multiple rooms painted at once (if applicable). Full interior house painting quotes are usually much more cost-effective than painting a room at a time. This might work out cheaper than having individual quotes done for each room which might only end up being a small difference
Quality of Paint
It’s also important to consider what quality of paint you would like. If your house is newly built then the standard builder-grade paints should be fine but if your house needs a revamp or there are cracks in the walls etc, it’s best to get painters to look at them first before quoting so you know exactly how much work may need to be done and how long it might take.
Some exterior jobs can range up to $40+ per m2 if there are multiple floors or rooms which need special attention. On average, exterior jobs may take 1-2 days to complete, though certain weather conditions can lengthen this time. Interior painting is generally cheaper than exterior paint jobs due to less preparation work needed and fewer coats required to cover up the walls etc.
Do Some Prep Work Yourself
If you are painting yourself then it is highly advised to do some of the prep work like making sure the walls are clean and sanding down any rough or chipped patches. This may reduce how long it takes your painter to get straight on with their job so you don’t have to wait around watching them do all the hard work.
Surface Preparation
It is important to prep your surfaces properly before painting. Some of the most common things you should do are sanding, filling in holes or cracks with filler, washing down the walls with TSP solution, removing doors/windows etc.
Types of Paint
There are two types of paints available on the market for both interior and exterior jobs which are oil-based paints and water-based acrylic paints.
The Difference
The main difference between these two types is that oil-based paints tend to last longer but they have a stronger smell so it’s best to use them if you have respiratory issues or where ventilation may be poor e.g small rooms with no windows
On the other hand, water-based acrylic paints tend to smell less of chemicals so they are best for people who are sensitive to chemicals or where ventilation might not be adequate (e.g. kitchens, bathrooms).
The most important thing to remember is that no matter what paint type you choose for your home surface area, it is always best to ask your painter if they recommend a particular paint and why before buying yourself as they might know the properties of the paints better than anyone else.
How Long May Exterior Painting Jobs Take?
Once everything has been prepared and the painters have arrived on site then it should only take them 1-2 days to finish painting your home/building depending on how big the job is and whether there are multiple floors etc.
On average, most companies may charge approx $40-$45 per hour including labour and materials for painting jobs. For a 1 bedroom apartment, you can expect to pay approximately $359 for interior paint and around $450+ if there are multiple floors that need to be painted.
Painting companies might charge extra fees or require additional work to be done
Which Point Should You Refuse?
In the unlikely event that a painter asks for more money from you then it’s best to walk away as they may either try and take advantage of your lack of knowledge about how much a paint job should cost or they know their prices are too high and may use this tactic to make up the difference in what they actually charge
It is also worth mentioning that some painters might try and convince you that your home needs special attention e.g wall cracks need to be filled before painting. We recommend that you get a second opinion from another painter or make sure your painter notifies you of any additional work required as this is something that should always be included in their original quote
What’s the Best Thing to Do for Your Home?
Hiring a professional painting company may guarantee that the job may be done well, on time and at the best possible cost, because the interior and exterior painting jobs are high-risk jobs due to the number of things that can go wrong and could potentially cost them money if they finish early etc.
House Painting Cost Reduction Tips
Hiring a painter can be quite difficult if you don’t know what to look out for and we understand that this is not something everyone knows how to do.
However, we have developed an easy hiring guide that may make this process much easier for you, and may reduce overall cost:
- Get quotes from at least 3 different painting companies (the more the merrier)
- Don’t only rely on your gut feeling because it could end up costing you more money in the long run by not getting a quote from other painters.
- Ask questions like: “What type of paint do you use?” and “How long did it take your team to finish the last job?”. These questions may help give you an idea about the quality of work they carry out and how quickly they work.
- Check the reviews and don’t be afraid to ask for their license and insurance just in case something happens during the job that needs to be fixed by a professional.
- Ask them if their prices include GST or if there is an additional charge afterwards because not all painters may add GST into your quote while others might add it on top of their price so always ask first before hiring any company.
- Get everything in writing such as type of paint, colour, number of coats etc. The more information you have about the paint job the better it may turn out because you may know exactly what you are getting.
