How to Choose a Painter in Australia
The honest 8-step checklist. No fluff, no upsell — just the questions and checks that separate a painter who'll leave your home looking sharp from one who'll leave you with bleed-through and brushstrokes inside a year.
Why we wrote this:we run AI receptionists for painters across Australia, so we hear hundreds of customer calls a week. We see exactly which painters run their business properly and which ones don't. This is the cheat sheet we'd give our own family.
The 8-step checklist
1. Check their licence (and whether they actually need one)
Painting in Australia is a weird one — for straight residential repaints under the relevant state threshold, painters often don't need a builder's licence. But that doesn't mean licensing is irrelevant. In Victoria the VBA registers domestic builders and any painting work over $10,000 must be done by a registered builder. In Queensland the QBCC requires a contractor licence for painting work over $3,300. In SA it's CBS, and in NSW it's NSW Fair Trading where any residential job over $5,000 needs a contractor licence. On top of that, anything involving lead paint removal (most homes built before 1970), structural prep, or commercial work requires additional certification — including, in many cases, a current asbestos-aware ticket. Ask straight up: 'What's your licence number, and does this job fall under it?' If the painter goes vague, that's a red flag.
2. Ask for a fixed quote — per sqm or per room, all prep included
Hourly painters are a nightmare because the slow ones make the most money. Get a fixed quote either per square metre of wall surface, or as a flat per-room price. The quote MUST list prep separately — sanding, filling, caulking, masking, drop sheets, and how many coats. A good painter will tell you 'two coats of Dulux Wash & Wear over a tinted primer' rather than 'I'll paint your walls'. If the quote is one line and one number, push back hard. Materials, labour, GST, rubbish removal and access equipment (scaffolding for two-storey work) should all be itemised.
3. Public liability + workers comp — non-negotiable
$5 million public liability is the bare minimum for residential painting and most professionals carry $10–20M. A painter knocking a ladder into your front window or splattering Dulux Vivid White across your neighbour's BMW is the kind of incident that crystallises why this matters. Ask for a Certificate of Currency (a one-page PDF from their insurer). If they have any employees on site — even an apprentice — they legally need workers compensation insurance in every Australian state. Sole traders without staff are exempt from workers comp but should still carry personal accident cover.
4. Ask specifically about prep work — "how much sanding and filling before you paint?"
This is the single biggest separator between a $4,000 paint job and a $9,000 one. A premium painter spends roughly 60% of the job on prep — washing walls with sugar soap, sanding back gloss surfaces, filling nail holes and cracks with quality filler, sanding flush, caulking gaps between cornice and ceiling, masking off architraves and skirts, and laying drop sheets across every floor surface. A cheap painter rolls straight over the existing finish and leaves you with brushstrokes, lifting paint, and bleed-through within 18 months. Ask the question word-for-word: 'How much sanding and filling are you doing before any paint goes on?' The answer tells you everything.
5. Ask about products by brand name
There's a real difference between Dulux Weathershield (a premium acrylic exterior paint with proper UV protection and 15-year manufacturer warranty) and the no-name $40 tin from Bunnings. For interiors, the gold standards are Dulux Wash & Wear, Taubmans Endure, and British Paints Clean & Protect. For exteriors it's Dulux Weathershield, Wattyl Solagard, and Taubmans All Weather. A good painter will recommend products by name and tell you the cost difference. Cheap painters say things like 'I'll use a good quality acrylic' — code for whatever was on special. Always get the brand and product name written into the quote.
6. Exterior job? Ask about primer, coat count, and substrate
Exteriors are where dodgy painters cut every corner. Bare timber needs an oil-based primer or specialist water-based primer like Dulux 1Step. Render needs an alkali-resistant sealer because fresh render leaches lime for up to a year. Previously painted Colorbond or galvanised steel needs an etch primer. Untreated cement sheet needs a stabilising sealer. Two top coats is the minimum for any exterior. Ask: 'What primer are you using, what's the substrate, and how many top coats?' If the painter says 'one coat is fine, the existing paint is in good nick', they're cutting corners — exterior paint UV-degrades from day one and a second coat literally doubles the lifespan.
7. Red flag — quote without a site visit
Paint quotes MUST be done in person. A professional painter walks the property, looks at substrate condition, checks for lead-paint risk on older homes, measures access (does scaffolding need hire?), checks ceiling heights, and asks what colours you're considering (dark colours often need an extra coat). If a painter quotes off a phone call or photos, they're either guessing — meaning the quote will balloon mid-job with 'unforeseen prep' — or they don't care enough to bother. Either way, walk. A 30-minute site visit is the bare minimum for a quote that won't move.
8. The phone test — a painter who doesn't answer is showing you their job management
Painters are on ladders, in masks, and rolling rollers all day — they physically can't pick up the phone mid-roll. The professionals know this and have either a real receptionist, a dedicated answering service, or an AI receptionist that books quotes and qualifies callers automatically. The amateurs let the phone ring out and lose 40% of inbound work. From your side as a homeowner, the signal is simple: a painter who can't run a phone usually can't run a calendar — that's the painter who turns up two weeks late, leaves the job half-finished while they chase a bigger one, and goes silent when you ring about touch-ups. Ring during business hours, ring at 5pm, ring on a Saturday. Three rings of evidence is more reliable than any review.
Red flags — walk away if you see these
- Quote without a site visit. Email-only quotes always blow out mid-job. A 30-minute walk-through is non-negotiable.
- Proposes to skip primer. Bare timber, render, fresh plaster, and previously chalky paint all need a primer or sealer. "Two coats of topcoat will be fine" is code for "I'll be back in three years."
- Quote only includes 1 coat. One coat is a touch-up, not a paint job. Two coats is the minimum on any wall, three on dark-to-light colour changes.
- Cash-only deal. No invoice, no GST, no warranty, no comeback when the paint lifts.
- Won't name the paint brand. "Trade-quality acrylic" means whatever was on special at Bunnings.
Green flags — these painters are worth your money
- Quotes prep and number of coats explicitly. "Sand, fill, caulk, two coats of Dulux Wash & Wear low-sheen over a tinted primer" — this is what a real quote looks like.
- Uses brand-name paints by name. Dulux, Taubmans, Wattyl, British Paints — they tell you what's going on the wall.
- Has an answering service. A painter who picks up — or has a real receptionist or an AI receptionist answering — is running their business like a business.
- Itemised quote in writing. Materials, labour, GST, rubbish removal, scaffolding all broken out separately.
- Offers a workmanship warranty. 12 months minimum on labour, plus the manufacturer's warranty on the paint itself.
The phone test — why it matters
Ring the painter's number during business hours. Then ring at 5pm. Then ring on a Saturday morning. A painter who picks up — or has a receptionist or an AI receptionist that books your quote on the spot — has their business sorted. That's the same painter who turns up when they say they will.
A painter whose phone rings out, or who promises a callback that never arrives, is showing you exactly how they run jobs. The phone behaviour is a near-perfect predictor of the job behaviour.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How much does it cost to paint a house in Australia?
A: Interior repaint of a 3-bedroom home runs $4,000–$9,000 depending on prep, ceiling height and number of coats. Exterior weatherboard repaint is typically $8,000–$18,000. Single room repaint is $400–$1,200. Always get a fixed quote in writing.
Q: Do painters need a licence in Australia?
A: It varies. In QLD any painting work over $3,300 requires a QBCC licence. In NSW it's $5,000 and a Fair Trading contractor licence. In VIC any painting over $10,000 requires VBA registration. In SA it's CBS. Lead paint removal and commercial work always need additional certification.
Q: How long does a typical paint job take?
A: Single room: 1–2 days. Interior of a 3-bedroom home: 5–10 working days. Full exterior repaint: 7–14 days depending on access, weather and substrate prep. Be wary of any painter promising to repaint a whole house in 2 days — that's a corner-cutter.
Q: What's the difference between $30 paint and $90 paint?
A: Pigment density, binder quality and warranty. Premium paints (Dulux Weathershield, Wash & Wear) cover better in fewer coats, hold colour longer, and resist mould and UV. Cheap acrylic fades, chalks, and needs repainting in 4–5 years versus 12–15 for premium. The product cost is small compared to labour, so always pay for the better paint.
Q: Should I supply my own paint?
A: Painters get trade pricing — typically 25–35% off retail. Asking them to use their account is normally cheaper than buying it yourself, even after their margin. The exception is if you want a specific designer brand they don't stock, in which case pay the small premium and have it delivered to site.
Q: How many quotes should I get?
A: Three. Not because you should pick the cheapest — you almost never should — but because three quotes show you the fair market price and which painter actually understood your job. The middle quote is usually the right one.
Q: What's a fair deposit for a painter?
A: 10–20% on signing, balance on completion. Anything over 30% deposit is a red flag — reputable painters fund their own materials and don't need your money up front. Cash-only painters demanding 50% deposit are how stories of half-finished jobs and ghosting tradies start.
Q: Can a painter remove lead paint?
A: Only with the right certification. Homes built before 1970 likely contain lead-based paint and removal is regulated under WorkSafe and EPA guidelines in every state. The painter must be trained in lead-safe work practices, use HEPA-filtered sanders, contain dust, and dispose of waste through a licensed facility. Never let a painter dry-sand old paint without confirming it's lead-free first.
Related reading: painter answering service · carpet cleaning cost in Sydney.
Looking for a painter who answers?
Ring the live demo — that's an AI receptionist answering, the same one your painter might use. Hear how fast it qualifies and books a quote, then check whether your shortlist painters measure up.