How much does interior painting cost?
By J. James Painting Contractors. Updated . 6 min read.
Short answer
Interior painting on the Sunshine Coast runs $500 to $1,200 for one room, and $8,000 to $14,000 for a full repaint of a 3-bedroom house. Those are standard repaint ranges from the estimate on our quote form. They include GST and they're rounded to the nearest $100. Send room photos and rough sizes and we can usually quote from that. A site visit locks it in.
We've painted Sunshine Coast homes since 1985 (QBCC licence 1281728). Below are the numbers our estimate uses, room by room and house by house, plus what pushes them up and what brings them down. Painting the outside too? Our full house painting cost guide covers both.
Interior painting prices at a glance
Here's where common interior jobs sit in our estimate, from one room to a full repaint of a 4-bed house.
| Job | Estimate range |
|---|---|
| One room | $500 to $1,200 |
| Doors, frames and trims, whole house | $2,500 to $6,000 |
| Ceilings only, 3-bed house | $2,900 to $3,900 |
| Walls only, 3-bed house | $4,500 to $7,500 |
| Walls only, 4-bed house | $6,000 to $9,500 |
| Full repaint, 3-bed house | $8,000 to $14,000 |
| Full repaint, 4-bed house | $10,000 to $18,000 |
Every figure in that table assumes walls in good shape and our standard repaint, which means proper prep and two coats. Dark colours, high ceilings and extra prep go on top. They're covered further down, with real numbers.
Cost per room: $500 to $1,200
Painting one room costs $500 to $1,200 in our estimate. Our quote form doesn't ask how big the room is. So that one range runs from a small bedroom up to a standard-sized room.
| Tier | Estimate range |
|---|---|
| Budget refresh | $400 to $1,100 |
| Standard repaint | $500 to $1,200 |
| Premium repaint | $600 to $1,700 |
The same loadings apply to one room as to a whole house. Pick a dark colour and the standard range becomes $600 to $1,600. A single room usually takes us a day or two. Plenty of our interior work is exactly that: one room, a hallway, or just the ceilings. We'll price the part that's bugging you rather than talk you into the whole house. Our interior house painting page shows how a room job runs from quote to walkthrough.
Whole-house interior prices: a 3-bed is $4,500 to $14,000
Painting the inside of a 3-bedroom house costs $4,500 to $7,500 for walls only, or $8,000 to $14,000 for walls, ceilings and trims together. Both are our standard repaint ranges with walls in good condition. The table runs from 2 to 5 bedrooms.
| Bedrooms | Walls only | Walls, ceilings and trims |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | $3,000 to $5,500 | $6,000 to $10,000 |
| 3 | $4,500 to $7,500 | $8,000 to $14,000 |
| 4 | $6,000 to $9,500 | $10,000 to $18,000 |
| 5 | $7,500 to $11,500 | $12,000 to $22,000 |
A whole-house interior takes us five to ten working days. Put your own bedroom count into the price estimator and it'll give you three ranges, from a budget refresh up to a premium repaint.
Ceilings, doors and trims: priced as their own jobs
Ceilings cost $22 to $30 per square metre in our estimate. For a whole house it works out the area from the bedroom count, at 40 square metres per bedroom plus 10. Doors, frames and trims are a flat $2,500 to $6,000 for the whole house. That range doesn't change with the bedroom count.
| Bedrooms | Ceilings only |
|---|---|
| 2 | $2,000 to $2,700 |
| 3 | $2,900 to $3,900 |
| 4 | $3,700 to $5,100 |
| 5 | $4,600 to $6,300 |
Ceilings get a proper ceiling paint. Doors, frames and skirtings get semi-gloss, so they'll take a scrub. On walls we use Dulux Wash&Wear, and Dulux says most marks, scuffs and stains wipe off its Wash&Wear Low Sheen with a wet cloth. Handy in a hallway. Our guide to low sheen and semi gloss sorts out which sheen goes where.
What adds to an interior quote: colour, height, prep and furniture
Our estimate puts these loadings on top of the base range. Where there are two numbers, the first goes on the low end of the range and the second on the high end.
- Dark colours: plus 15% to 30%, for the extra coats. Dulux's product page also recommends a primer when you're covering dark or strong colours.
- High ceilings or stairwells: plus 20% to 35%.
- Two storeys: plus 20% to 40%.
- Walls in average condition: plus 15%.
- Walls in poor condition that need lots of prep: plus 25% to 40%.
- Furniture to move: a flat $300 to $1,000.
Here's how that stacks up on a 3-bed. Walls only at $4,500 to $7,500 becomes $5,200 to $9,800 in a dark colour. A full repaint at $8,000 to $14,000 becomes $9,600 to $18,900 with high ceilings. On a real quote, the number moves with square metres, ceiling heights and scope.
How to keep the cost down: empty rooms and the right scope
An empty house is one of the easiest ways to save on an interior repaint. Empty rooms paint faster and cost less, because there's nothing to shift. Got a gap between settlement and the removalist, or between tenants? Tell us. We'll work to that window and you'll pay for fewer hours.
- Paint only the rooms that need it. We're happy to price one room, a hallway or just the ceilings.
- Move the furniture out yourself and skip the $300 to $1,000 add-on.
- Go lighter. Dark colours add 15% to 30% in our estimate for the extra coats. If your walls are dark now, covering them can still need a primer.
- Pick the tier that suits the job. The table below shows all three for a 3-bed, walls only.
| Tier | What you get | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|
| Budget refresh | Quick refresh, walls and trims | $3,600 to $6,900 |
| Standard repaint | Proper prep and two coats | $4,500 to $7,500 |
| Premium repaint | Higher prep, premium finish, difficult colours | $5,300 to $10,500 |
Our standard tier is two coats, which matches Dulux's directions for Wash&Wear Low Sheen: two coats, with the first one fully dry before the second. For a firm price, send room photos and rough sizes. We can usually quote from those, and most quotes come back inside a business day. A site visit locks it in. See the suburbs we cover.
Common questions
Questions people ask
What is a fair price for painting a room?
On the Sunshine Coast, our estimate puts one room at $500 to $1,200 for a standard repaint, including GST. Our quote form doesn't ask the room's size, so that range runs from a small bedroom up to a standard-sized room. A dark colour takes it to $600 to $1,600. Send room photos and rough sizes and we can usually quote from those. A site visit locks it in.
How much does it cost to paint the interior of a 3 bedroom house in Australia?
We can only speak for the Sunshine Coast, where we've worked since 1985. Here, our estimate for a 3-bed house is $4,500 to $7,500 for the walls only, and $8,000 to $14,000 for walls, ceilings and trims. That's a standard repaint with walls in good shape, including GST. Dark colours, high ceilings or a second storey push it higher.
What do most painters charge hourly?
We can't give you a reliable hourly figure, and our estimate doesn't work that way. It prices the job: per room, per house, or $22 to $30 a square metre for ceilings. That's easier to compare, because an hourly rate means little until you know how many hours it'll take. Whoever you talk to, ask for a fixed price for the exact scope you want.
How much would a painter charge to paint a 12x12 room?
Our estimate doesn't price a room by its measurements. One room is $500 to $1,200 for a standard repaint, including GST, and that range runs from a small bedroom up to a standard-sized room. Dark colours add 15% to 30%, and furniture to move adds a flat $300 to $1,000. Send photos and rough sizes for a firm number.
How long does it take to paint the inside of a house?
A single room takes us a day or two. A whole house runs five to ten working days. An empty house goes quicker. Dulux says its Wash&Wear Low Sheen is touch dry in 30 minutes and can take a second coat after 2 hours in normal conditions, so both coats on a room's walls can go on in one day.
Do your interior painting prices include GST?
Yes. Every range from our estimate includes GST and is rounded to the nearest $100. On a real quote, the number moves with square metres, ceiling heights and scope. Walls only prices differently to walls plus trims plus ceilings. Send room photos and rough sizes and we can usually quote from those. A site visit locks it in, and most quotes come back inside a business day.