Free per-m² painting cost calculator
Brisbane per-m² painting rates
- Interior walls, 2 coats, good condition: $20 – $30 / m²
- Interior walls, 2 coats, fair–poor condition: $28 – $45 / m²
- Ceilings: $12 – $20 / m²
- Exterior render or fibre cement, 2 coats: $30 – $45 / m²
- Exterior weatherboard or VJ, 2 coats: $38 – $60 / m²
- Two-storey with scaffolding: +$8 – $18 / m²
- Colour change (3 coats): +15 – 25%
All figures include labour, paint, standard prep and GST. They exclude major repairs and lead-paint remediation.
How Brisbane painters actually price a job
Most professional painters build up a job from square metres, then adjust:
- Measure paintable m² for walls, ceilings, trim
- Apply a per-m² labour rate based on substrate and access
- Add paint at $25–$45 per litre × litres required
- Add consumables (rollers, tape, drop sheets, filler): $150–$400 per job
- Add scaffolding or EWPs if the scope requires them
- Apply margin, then GST
Frequently asked questions
What is the average painting cost per square metre in Brisbane?
As a working average: $20–$45 per m² for interior repaints and $30–$65 per m² for exterior repaints, including labour, paint, standard prep and GST. Difficult access, heavy prep or premium paint systems push these figures higher.
Is painting priced per m² of floor area or wall area?
Painters price per m² of paintable surface (walls, ceilings, trim), not floor area. A 100 m² floor-plan home typically has 250–350 m² of interior paintable surface.
How do I measure paintable area?
Multiply perimeter × wall height for gross wall area, subtract windows and doors. Add ceilings (floor area) and multiply trim linear metres × 0.15 m for a rough trim area.