Pricing guide
How Much Does Interior Painting Cost in Melbourne?
A straight answer on what interior painting costs in Melbourne, what drives the price up or down, and how to read a quote so you can compare two of them properly.
All figures on this page are indicative ranges based on projects we have quoted across Melbourne. They are not a quote. Every job is priced individually after an on-site inspection, because condition and access change the number more than size does.
Indicative interior painting prices in Melbourne
These are indicative price ranges only. Every project is individually quoted after an on-site inspection — scope, condition and access change the number significantly.
| Project | Indicative range |
|---|---|
| Single bedroom or studyWalls, ceiling and trims | $400 – $1,500+ |
| Living room | $700 – $2,500+ |
| KitchenWalls and ceiling, excluding cabinetry | $700 – $2,500+ |
| BathroomMoisture-resistant system | $500 – $1,600+ |
| Hallway and stairwell | $800 – $3,000+ |
| Ceilings only, whole house | $1,200 – $4,500+ |
| Whole house interiorTypical 3–4 bedroom home | $3,500 – $15,000+ |
| Luxury home interiorHigh ceilings, detailed joinery | $15,000 – $30,000+ |
What affects the price most
Size and ceiling height
Price follows surface area, not floor area. A room with 3.3m ceilings has far more wall than the same footprint at 2.4m, and anything above roughly 2.7m needs trestles or scaffold, which slows the whole job down.
Surface condition
Sound walls in good order are quick. Walls with cracking, nail pops, previous patch repairs, water staining or failed old coatings need repair time before painting, and that is labour.
How much is included
Walls only is the cheapest scope. Adding ceilings, then cornices, then skirtings, architraves and doors roughly doubles the labour of a room. Two quotes at different prices are often quoting different scopes.
Colour change
Going lighter over a dark wall, or into a strong colour, needs a tinted primer and often a third coat. Refreshing the same colour is the cheapest possible repaint.
Paint system
A premium washable low-sheen costs meaningfully more per litre than builder-grade flat, but it survives cleaning and adds years before the next repaint. On labour-dominated work, the paint upgrade is usually the cheapest part of the quote.
Access and furniture
An empty house is faster than a fully furnished one. Moving, wrapping and reinstating furniture, and working around an occupied home, adds time to every room.
Cabinetry and specialty finishes
Spray-finished cabinetry, limewash and decorative finishes are priced separately from standard wall and ceiling work — they are a different skill and a different rate.
How interior painting is priced
Most Melbourne painters price interior work one of two ways: by the room or by the square metre of surface. Room pricing is more common on residential jobs because it is easier for you to compare and easier for us to scope accurately after a walkthrough.
Labour is generally 70 to 85 per cent of an interior painting quote. Paint is a relatively small share of the total, which is why choosing a cheaper paint saves far less than people expect — and costs more over the life of the finish.
That also explains why quotes vary so widely. The price gap between two painters is almost never about the tin. It is about how many hours they have allowed for preparation.
What a cheap quote is usually leaving out
If one quote comes in dramatically under the others, it is worth asking these specific questions rather than assuming you have found a bargain.
- How many topcoats — one coat over an existing colour is not the same job as two
- Is preparation included, or listed as an extra to be charged later
- Are ceilings, cornices, skirtings, architraves and doors in or out of the scope
- What product and finish is specified, by name
- Is patching and crack repair included, or priced on the day
- Are they insured, and will they provide a certificate of currency
- Is it a written itemised quote or a single verbal number
Where you can genuinely save money
There are legitimate ways to bring an interior repaint down without buying a worse job. Painting while the house is empty — between tenants, or before you move in — removes furniture handling and speeds everything up.
Staging the work also helps: doing the living areas and hallway now and the bedrooms next year spreads the cost, and the high-traffic areas are where a repaint shows the most anyway. Leaving trims and doors out of scope where they are still in good condition can cut a substantial slice of labour.
What we would not recommend cutting is coats, preparation or the quality of the paint in wet and high-traffic areas. Those are the three that determine whether you are doing this again in three years or twelve.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a 3 bedroom house interior in Melbourne?
As a broad guide, $3,500 to $15,000+ depending on whether ceilings, trims and doors are included, the condition of the walls and the ceiling height. A walls-and-ceilings-only refresh on sound plaster sits at the lower end; a full repaint including all joinery and repair work sits well up the range.
How much does it cost to paint one room?
Typically $400 to $1,500+ for a standard bedroom including walls, ceiling and trims. A large living area with high ceilings can run to $2,500 or more.
Is it cheaper to paint before moving in?
Yes, noticeably. An empty house removes furniture protection and handling, lets us work continuously, and means we can run multiple rooms at once. It is one of the few real savings available.
Do painters charge per square metre or per room?
Residential interior work in Melbourne is most often quoted per room or per project after a walkthrough. Square-metre rates are more common on large commercial jobs where the surfaces are uniform.
Why are painting quotes so different from each other?
Nearly always because they are quoting different work — different coat counts, different preparation, different scope of trims and ceilings. Compare the itemised inclusions, not the bottom line.
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