How much does it cost to paint the interior of a house in Australia?

Whether you’re planning to turn your home office into a nursery or give your kitchen a long-overdue update, painting interior walls is a surefire way to revamp the look of your abode. While you can always DIY the process, you can be assured of a professional and impeccable job when you hire a skilled painter.

And if you want to budget accordingly for the cost to paint the interior of a house, this article can give you the average interior painting prices in Australia based on project size, paint type, surface condition, and other factors.

What are the average interior painting costs in Australia?

Since pricing is partly dependent on the cost of living, cities across the country vary in average interior painting rates.

*Prices shown are typical total costs per job (not quotes for painting an entire house) based on recent Airtasker data. Actual costs may vary.

What factors affect the cost of painting house interiors?

When estimating interior painting costs, a service provider considers various factors. Understanding these price drivers, such as the project scope and how labour can significantly impact the overall cost, is important if you want to budget accordingly and save on fees.

Project size and paintable area

Interior wall painting with ladder, roller, and paint supplies (Source: iStock)

Painting an accent wall for a living room is generally cheaper than coating all the bedroom walls of a house. This is because the latter involves more time, rooms, materials, and labour.

Similarly, the price to paint the interior of a house will be significantly lower for a small apartment than for a two-storey single-family home for the same reasons.

Surfaces being painted

Professional painters may charge more than the average price for interior painting if the project is more than just painting walls. If a variety of surfaces are involved, such as wooden cabinets in the kitchen, plastic mouldings in the dining room, or stucco ceilings in bedrooms, there may be a need for different preparations, paints, and primers, making the whole operation costlier.

Surface condition and preparation

Tradesperson preparing a wall surface before interior painting (Source: iStock)

The price for painting rooms is higher if much prep work and surface repairs are needed. This may entail scraping off old paint, doing some light sanding, or patching holes, among other pre-painting jobs.

Paint type, quality, and finish

The type of paint you want for your home’s interior walls directly affects material costs and painting prices per room. If you’re opting for zero-VOC, premium paint instead of one with subpar paint quality, be prepared to pay a higher total amount.

Moreover, different paint finishes may also translate to varying labour costs; matte and eggshell paint are very easy to apply and forgiving when it comes to mistakes. Meanwhile, coating your walls with a satin, semi-gloss, or high-gloss option may be pricier since it requires more meticulous application.

Colour changes and number of coats

Open blue paint cans with brushes and colour swatches (Source: iStock)

The cost to repaint the interior of a house also depends on your wall’s original colour and your target hue; these factors can affect how much paint is needed and how long the job will take. For instance, going from a dark paint to a shade of white means paying for higher material costs and applying more coats.

Room height and architectural complexity

If a room has high ceilings and complex architecture, the total cost of painting the room is likely to be higher. The reason is that painting stairwells, alcoves, vaulted ceilings, fireplaces, and other indoor features requires more time, effort, technique, and equipment.

Site access and additional labour

Painter applying white paint to an interior ceiling with a roller (Source: iStock)

Don’t forget to consider access difficulty and additional labour when gauging interior painting rates. For example, your service provider may charge more if they have to remove objects from the work area, place furniture and floor protection, add dust barriers, and take other measures to have a safe and efficient operation.

What are some ways to save on house interior painting?

Many people want to keep their expenses low when it comes to home improvement projects. And here are some steps you can take if you want to save money on a paint job:

• If possible, handle the basic prep work tasks yourself, such as removing hooks or moving pieces of furniture.

• Opt for high-quality, mid-range paint instead of premium options that deliver comparable results.

• Compare price estimates from different service providers, so you have several options.

• Ask about promos or bundles, such as a home interior and house exterior painting package.

What should you look for in a professional interior painter?

Painter applying white paint over a blue interior wall (Source: iStock)

If you’re still in search of a professional painter, take note of these considerations to ensure you’re hiring the right service provider:

• Experience and skills: Do they have the right experience and skills to carry out the specific painting job that you want for your home’s interior walls?

• Pricing: Do they provide clear and fair price estimates?

• Reputation: Are they highly recommended by your family and friends? Do they have recent excellent reviews and ratings from their past clients?

• Network: Do their contacts give them access to better products and services that you may need, including those offered by professional decorators, interior designers, or other home improvement professionals?

• License: Do they carry the right license (if necessary, based on your location and project cost) to handle the task?

Achieve beautifully painted interiors with Airtasker

If you have your hands full or aren’t keen to do a home improvement task on your own, hiring an interior painter is probably your best option if you want your property’s walls painted. This not only prevents costly mistakes but also offers the convenience that DIY solutions can’t match.

And when you sign up on Airtasker, it becomes much easier to search for professional painting service providers. Just create a task on the platform about the kind of service you need, then pick the right Tasker based on customer reviews and ratings, pricing,  availability, and other factors.