Painting a townhouse interior in Melbourne typically costs $4,000–$8,000 in 2026, depending on the number of bedrooms and how many surfaces are included, a smaller 2-bedroom townhouse usually runs $3,000–$5,000, while a 3-bedroom townhouse runs $4,500–$8,000. According to the Airtasker interior painting cost guide, interior painting in Australia generally runs around $15–$45 per square metre, and townhouses sit at the higher end of that range because of their height.
We’ve been painting Melbourne homes for more than three decades and completed over 1,000 residential projects since 1987, including hundreds of double-storey townhouses across the metro area. This guide breaks down exactly what a townhouse repaint costs in 2026, why the voids and stairwell push the price above a single-storey home, and what to check before you sign. For costs across every home type, see our full house painting cost guide for Melbourne.
How much does it cost to paint a townhouse interior in Melbourne?
A townhouse interior in Melbourne typically costs $4,000–$8,000 to paint in 2026, with the final figure driven by bedroom count and the number of surfaces included.
The range is wide because “townhouse” covers everything from a compact 2-bedroom dwelling to a roomy 3-bedroom home with a double-height entry void. As a rough guide:
- A smaller 2-bedroom townhouse: $3,000–$5,000
- A 3-bedroom townhouse: $4,500–$8,000
What moves you within that range is how much you include. Walls only is the cheapest scope. Add ceilings, then trim, doors and the staircase, and the price climbs accordingly. The single biggest variable on a townhouse, though, is the height of the void and stairwell, which we cover in detail below.
| Townhouse size | Typical interior cost (2026) |
|---|---|
| 2-bedroom townhouse | $3,000–$5,000 |
| 3-bedroom townhouse | $4,500–$8,000 |
| Townhouse interior (general range) | $4,000–$8,000 |
Key takeaway: Painting a townhouse interior in Melbourne typically costs $4,000–$8,000 in 2026, with a 2-bedroom home around $3,000–$5,000 and a 3-bedroom home around $4,500–$8,000.
Why does a townhouse cost more to paint than a single-storey house?
A townhouse costs more per square metre than a single-level home of the same floor area because its height, not its floor space, adds labour, access equipment, and slow detail work.
This surprises a lot of homeowners. You’d think two homes with the same total floor area would cost roughly the same to paint. They don’t. A double-storey townhouse costs noticeably more per square metre than a single-level house, and there are three specific reasons:
- Double-storey voids and high stairwell walls need access equipment. Reaching a wall that runs two storeys high safely means trestles, scaffold or a platform ladder rather than a simple step ladder. Setting up, moving and working off access equipment is slower and adds roughly 30–40% to the labour on those areas.
- The internal staircase and balustrade are slow, fiddly cutting-in. Stairs, treads, risers, handrails and balustrades are all detailed brush work. There’s no fast roller stroke here, it’s careful, repetitive cutting-in that eats time.
- Tall entry and living voids are awkward to reach. A double-height entry or living void looks impressive, but every metre above standard ceiling height is harder and slower to paint safely.
So when you compare a townhouse quote to a single-storey quote, don’t be alarmed that the per-square-metre rate is higher. You’re paying for height and access, not just paint on a wall.
Key takeaway: Townhouses cost more per square metre than single-storey homes because double-storey voids and high stairwell walls need access equipment that adds 30–40% labour, the staircase and balustrade are slow detail work, and tall voids are awkward to reach safely.
What is the per-square-metre rate for interior painting in 2026?
Interior painting in Melbourne runs roughly $15–$45 per square metre in 2026, averaging around $30, with two coats as the standard.
That per-square-metre figure is the foundation of any interior quote. A painter measures your wall and ceiling area, applies a rate, and adds for prep and detail work. The Airtasker interior painting cost guide puts the typical Australian range at $15–$45 per square metre.
Where your job sits in that range depends on:
- Coats required. Two coats is standard for a quality finish. A dramatic colour change may need three.
- Surface condition. Smooth, sound walls paint quickly. Cracked, patched or previously poorly painted walls need prep first.
- Detail and access. Townhouse stairwells and voids push you toward the top of the range.
| Cost driver | Effect on price |
|---|---|
| Walls only vs walls + ceilings + trim | More surfaces = higher total |
| Two coats vs three coats | Each extra coat adds paint and labour |
| Sound walls vs cracked or patched walls | Prep work adds time before painting |
| Standard ceilings vs double-storey voids | Access equipment adds 30–40% labour |
| Simple landing vs full internal staircase | Fiddly cutting-in adds detail hours |
“On a single-storey home we can roll a wall quickly and move on. In a townhouse, the same square metre on a stairwell void might take three times as long because we’re setting up access and cutting in by hand. That’s the cost difference, and it’s why we always assess the void in person.”, Modernize Solutions, painting Melbourne homes since 1987
How much does the staircase and stairwell add to the cost?
The internal staircase and stairwell void are usually the single most expensive part of a townhouse repaint because they combine height, access difficulty and slow detail work.
If you imagine a townhouse as a stack of normal rooms, the rooms themselves are straightforward, bedrooms and a kitchen paint much like any single-storey home. The cost premium concentrates in the vertical core: the stairwell void, the high walls flanking the stairs, and the staircase itself.
On these areas a painter is dealing with all three cost drivers at once, height, access and detail. That’s why a competent painter won’t quote a townhouse over the phone. They need to stand at the bottom of your stairwell, look up, and work out exactly what access equipment the job needs.
Key takeaway: The stairwell void and internal staircase are usually the most expensive part of a townhouse repaint, so they must be assessed on site rather than priced over the phone.
Does it cost more to paint a 2-bedroom or a 3-bedroom townhouse?
A 3-bedroom townhouse costs more than a 2-bedroom because of the extra room and, often, a taller or more complex void layout.
A 2-bedroom townhouse interior typically lands at $3,000–$5,000, while a 3-bedroom runs $4,500–$8,000. The extra bedroom adds wall and ceiling area, but the bigger swing usually comes from the design, larger three-bedroom townhouses more often feature a double-height entry, a longer staircase, or a bigger living void.
Two townhouses with identical bedroom counts can quote quite differently. One might have a modest internal stair and standard ceilings; the other a soaring two-storey void over the living room. That’s why bedroom count alone never gives you a reliable price, the void does.
What surfaces are included in a townhouse interior quote?
A full townhouse interior quote covers walls, ceilings, trim, doors, the staircase and balustrade, but you can scale the scope up or down to suit your budget.
A common way to control cost is to choose which surfaces you include:
- Walls only: the cheapest scope, freshens the look quickly
- Walls + ceilings: ceilings show age and yellowing, especially in kitchens
- Walls + ceilings + trim and doors: the full, cohesive refresh
- Plus the staircase and balustrade: the complete job, including the high-cost detail work
There’s no single right answer. Some homeowners paint walls and ceilings now and leave the staircase for later. Others want everything done in one visit so the finish matches throughout. A good painter will quote the scopes separately so you can see exactly what each element adds.
Do I need owners corporation approval to paint my townhouse?
The inside of your own lot is yours to repaint freely, but exterior walls and common areas in a body corporate usually need owners corporation approval first.
Many Melbourne townhouses sit within an owners corporation (also called a body corporate). The rule of thumb is simple: what’s inside your private lot is yours to do as you wish, so an interior repaint of your own townhouse generally needs no approval.
Exterior walls, shared entries, fences and other common property are a different matter, these usually require owners corporation approval before any painting, including colour choices, because they affect the look of the whole complex. If you’re unsure where your lot boundary ends, check your owners corporation rules or plan of subdivision before booking exterior work.
Key takeaway: You can repaint the inside of your own townhouse lot without owners corporation approval, but exterior walls and common areas usually need approval from the body corporate first.
What paint should be used in a townhouse?
A quality townhouse repaint, like any interior painting job, uses premium interior paint with the right finish for each room, applied in two coats over properly prepared surfaces.
Paint choice matters more in a townhouse than people expect, because the high stairwell walls are hard to repaint, so you want a durable finish that lasts. We use Dulux premium paint systems exclusively, matching the product to the room, a washable finish like Dulux Wash&Wear for high-traffic areas such as hallways and stairwells, and the appropriate ceiling and trim products elsewhere.
A proper quote names the exact product and the number of coats rather than saying “premium paint.” If a quote is vague about the paint, ask for specifics before you sign.
“We use the most durable washable finishes we can on stairwell and hallway walls, because those are the surfaces you least want to be setting up scaffold to repaint in three years. Spending a little more on the right product up front saves you the access cost later.”, Modernize Solutions
How do you get an accurate townhouse painting quote?
Get three written quotes on identical scope, and insist that each painter assesses the stairwell and voids on site rather than over the phone.
Because the void and stairwell drive so much of the cost, and because no two townhouses are quite the same, an accurate price only comes from a physical inspection. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends obtaining several written quotes before you choose a tradesperson, so you can compare on a like-for-like basis.
To compare fairly:
- Ask all three painters to quote the same scope, the same rooms, surfaces, coats and staircase inclusion
- Make sure each one inspects the stairwell void in person, not from photos alone
- Check each quote names the paint product and the number of coats
- Confirm insurance and warranty are stated in writing
A phone quote on a double-storey townhouse is a guess, not a quote. Master Painters Australia supports on-site assessment as the basis for a reliable fixed price. If a painter is willing to commit to a townhouse price without seeing the stairwell, that tells you they haven’t accounted for the most expensive part of the job.
Key takeaway: Get three written quotes on identical scope, and make sure every painter assesses the stairwell and voids on site, a phone quote on a double-storey townhouse is a guess, not a price.
What adds cost beyond the standard quote?
Surprise prep work, cracked plaster, water stains, glossy old paint or wallpaper removal, adds cost on top of the base painting rate.
The base per-square-metre rate assumes sound walls. The common extras that lift a townhouse quote are:
- Crack filling and patching where the plaster has moved
- Water-stain sealing under bathrooms or around windows
- Sanding glossy old paint so the new coats adhere
- Wallpaper removal, which is labour-intensive
- Colour changes from dark to light, which can need an extra coat
A professional painter raises these during the quote visit rather than springing them on you mid-job. If your walls are in good condition, none of this applies and you’ll sit comfortably within the standard range.
How do you book a quote with Modernize Solutions?
Call 0433 803 841 for a thorough on-site townhouse assessment, a detailed written quote, and a clear breakdown of what the stairwell and voids cost, from a family-owned team with more than three decades of experience.
A townhouse quote is only as good as the inspection behind it, so get a fixed quote for your place and the owner will personally assess the job, stand at the foot of your stairwell to work out the access required, and price the voids accurately rather than guessing over the phone.
Modernize Solutions is a family-owned business that has been painting Melbourne homes since 1987, completing over 1,000 residential projects across the metro area. The company carries $20M public liability insurance, uses Dulux premium paint systems exclusively, backs its work with a workmanship guarantee, any issue is fixed at no cost, and holds a 5.0-star Google rating. We paint residential homes only, townhouses, houses, units and apartments, so your project gets the focus it deserves. Call us on 0433 803 841.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a townhouse interior in Melbourne?
Painting a townhouse interior in Melbourne typically costs $4,000–$8,000 in 2026, depending on the number of bedrooms and how many surfaces are included. A smaller 2-bedroom townhouse usually runs $3,000–$5,000, while a 3-bedroom townhouse runs $4,500–$8,000. Stairwell voids must be assessed on site for an accurate price.
Why does a townhouse cost more to paint than a single-storey house?
A townhouse costs more per square metre than a single-level home of the same floor area for three reasons: double-storey voids and high stairwell walls need access equipment that adds 30–40% labour; the internal staircase and balustrade are slow, fiddly cutting-in; and tall entry and living voids are awkward to reach safely. The extra height, not the floor area, drives the price.
Do I need owners corporation approval to paint my townhouse?
The inside of your own lot is yours to repaint without owners corporation approval. However, if your townhouse is part of a body corporate, exterior walls and common areas usually need owners corporation approval before any work begins. Always check your owners corporation rules before painting anything outside your private lot.
How many quotes should I get to paint a townhouse?
Get three written quotes on identical scope so you can compare like for like. Because townhouse voids and high stairwell walls vary so much between homes, each painter must assess the stairwell on site rather than quote over the phone. Consumer Affairs Victoria recommends obtaining several written quotes before choosing a tradesperson.
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