Painting in Melbourne costs $20-$60 per square metre for interior work and $30-$80 per square metre for exterior work in 2026. Interior rates are lower because the surfaces are more accessible and better protected from weather; exterior rates climb with access requirements, tougher preparation, and exterior-grade paint systems. A per-square-metre rate is a useful reference for budgeting, but it is a starting point, not a substitute for an on-site quote, because two homes with identical floor plans can have very different paintable areas once ceiling height, trim detail and storeys are counted.
We apply these figures across every job we quote in Melbourne’s west and inner suburbs, painting homes since 1987 with $20M public liability.
What drives the rate within each range?
Surface condition is the single biggest factor. A wall or weatherboard in good condition, just needing a clean, a light sand and two coats, sits at the bottom of the range. Peeling paint, bare or water-damaged timber, cracked render, or mould push preparation time up and the rate with it, because preparation is most of the labour on any repaint.
Other factors that move the number:
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Access — two-storey exteriors, steep sites, or awkward eaves need scaffolding or elevated platforms, which adds cost that a single-storey job doesn’t carry.
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Colour change — going from a dark colour to a light one, or vice versa, often needs an extra coat to get even coverage.
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Paint system — premium products like Dulux Weathershield (exterior) or Wash&Wear (interior) cost more per litre than builder-grade paint but hold their finish for longer, which is why our quotes tend to sit in the upper half of the range.
Turning a per-square-metre rate into a real number
A per-square-metre rate only becomes useful once it is multiplied by an accurate paintable area, and that is where phone quotes fall down. For a full breakdown by room and by job type, see our house painting cost guide, which covers typical whole-house and per-room pricing instead of a bare rate. For the full process behind an exterior or interior repaint, see our exterior painting guide and interior painting guide.
Want a real number for your home, not just a rate?
Free on-site inspection and a fixed-price written quote based on your actual paintable area, no obligation.
Rather have a professional handle it?
Free on-site inspection and a fixed-price written quote, no obligation. Painting Melbourne homes since 1987.
Related service: Interior Painting
Walls, ceilings, doors and trim painted room by room, with full prep and Dulux finishes.
Learn more about our Interior Painting service →Painters in Moonee Ponds
Professional painters in Moonee Ponds. Edwardian, Art Deco and Californian bungalow specialists. Dulux premium paints, since 1987. Free quotes.
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