Most people only get their house painted a handful of times, so it’s hard to know what a fair quote looks like. Two painters can walk through the same house and hand you prices that are thousands of dollars apart. Usually the difference isn’t the paint. It’s the hours spent before the first coat goes on.
We’ve been painting Melbourne homes for more than 20 years. This is the straight version of what you should expect from a painting company, and what to ask before you book one.
Preparation is where the money goes
On a typical exterior repaint, prep can take as long as the painting itself. That means washing the walls down, scraping back flaking paint, sanding glossy surfaces so the new coat can grip, filling cracks, replacing perished caulking and priming bare timber. Inside, it’s patching nail holes, sanding old repairs smooth and masking floors, windows and fittings.
If a quote doesn’t spell out the prep, ask about it. A cheap job that skips this step usually starts peeling within a couple of years. We’ve covered this in more detail in why some house paint jobs last 10 years while others peel within two.
What a proper quote for house painting services in Melbourne should list
A written quote should leave nothing to guesswork. Look for:
- Every area being painted, room by room or elevation by elevation
- The surfaces included, such as walls, ceilings, trims, doors, eaves, fascias and gutters
- The prep work for each area
- The paint brand, product and number of coats
- Who moves the furniture and how floors and gardens will be protected
- How long the job should take and what happens if it rains
- Payment terms
Consumer Affairs Victoria has a helpful guide to planning and managing a home building project that covers quotes, contracts and payments. It’s worth five minutes before you sign anything.
Inside and outside are two different jobs
Inside, the aim is a clean, even finish with as little disruption as possible. Most families stay in the house while we work through it room by room. Our interior painting team handles walls, ceilings, doors, skirtings and cabinetry.
Outside, the job is mostly about protection. Melbourne can go from 35 degrees to a cold change in one afternoon, and that constant movement is hard on paint. Good exterior painting means choosing the right product for the surface, whether it’s render, weatherboard or painted brick, and applying it in the right conditions. We won’t paint outside when rain is due or when the walls are too hot to touch.
Older homes need extra care
A lot of Melbourne houses were built well before 1970, so there’s a fair chance of lead in the older layers of paint. That doesn’t mean you can’t repaint. It does change how the prep is done, because dry sanding lead paint spreads fine dust through the house and garden. The Australian Government’s Lead Alert guide to painting your home explains the risks and the safe methods if you’d like the detail.
Period homes also need the right colours and finishes. Our heritage home painting page explains how we look after Victorian, Edwardian and Federation houses.
How much do house painting services cost in Melbourne?
It comes down to the size of the house, the condition of the surfaces, how many colours you choose and what access equipment is needed. A double-storey exterior with lots of trim will cost more than a single-storey brick veneer, even if the floor area is similar. We’ve broken down the main factors in our Melbourne painting cost guide, with separate guides for interior painting costs and exterior painting costs.
Wondering how long you’ll be living with drop sheets? Our painting timeline guide gives realistic timeframes for common jobs.
Five questions to ask before booking house painting services in Melbourne
- Are you licensed and insured, and can I see your certificate of currency?
- Will your own team do the work, or will it be subcontracted?
- Which paint will you use, and how many coats?
- How will you protect my floors, furniture and garden?
- What happens if something isn’t right at the end?
A good painter will answer all five without hesitating.
Talk to Classico Painting
We give free, no-obligation on-site quotes across Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula. We’ll walk through the house with you, talk through colours and finishes, and put everything in writing so you know exactly what you’re paying for. Find out more about our house painting services in Melbourne, or book your free quote today.
