How to Quote a Painting Job
To quote a painting job: measure the surfaces in square metres, grade the prep, set the coats, price labour and materials separately, add your margin, and present an itemised quote with a clear scope. The six steps below are the method; the calculator does the pricing.
General information for Australian painting businesses, not legal, financial, tax or safety advice. Rules change and vary by state or territory. Confirm anything you rely on with the relevant regulator (the ATO and ACCC) before acting.
The six-step method
- Measure in square metres. Walk the job and record wall, ceiling and trim areas in m². Note surface types, because a plasterboard wall and a textured ceiling do not price the same.
- Grade the prep. Prep is where quotes are won or lost. Rate each surface for condition: light sand, fill and patch, or heavy repair. Prep hours are real hours; do not fold them into a round number.
- Set the coats. Decide primer and top coats per surface. New or patched work needs sealing; strong colour changes need more coverage.
- Price labour and materials. Labour is your production hours times your charge-out rate. Materials are paint (litres via spread rate) plus sundries. Keep them as separate lines so nothing hides.
- Add your margin. Price from a target margin, not a mood. Decide the margin the job must return and lift the price to reach it.
- Present it well. A clear, itemised quote with scope, inclusions, exclusions and a validity period wins more than a bare number texted at midnight.
Try it now
Price a real job with your own rate, then refine the scope around it:
Show GST correctly
If you are registered for GST, make the GST treatment obvious: an ex-GST subtotal, the GST line, and the inclusive total. Under Australian Consumer Law a price shown to a consumer must be a single total that includes taxes such as GST, so for a homeowner lead with the GST-inclusive figure. Prices shown only to other businesses can be quoted ex-GST if you make that clear.
Source: ACCC — price displaysABN, and when a quote becomes binding
A valid tax invoice must include your ABN (ATO). A consumer quote is not the same document: ABN is not listed as a universal mandatory quote field in ATO tax-invoice rules, but business.gov.au recommends including business name, ABN and contact details on quotes, and enterprise clients may withhold tax if no ABN is quoted. Once a client accepts a firm quote for a defined scope, treat it as a binding commercial agreement — so make inclusions, exclusions and price unambiguous before you send it.
Source: business.gov.au Source: ATO — tax invoicesSet your rate first
The quote is only as good as the rate behind it. Work out your charge-out rate → and see how to set painter rates in Australia.
Frequently asked questions
How do I quote a painting job in Australia?
Measure the surfaces in square metres, grade the prep, set the coats, price labour and materials separately, add your margin, and present an itemised quote with a clear scope. The calculator on this page does the pricing maths for you.
What is the difference between a quote and an estimate?
An estimate is an approximate figure that can move; a quote is a firm price for a defined scope. Painters win more by sending a firm, well-scoped quote rather than a loose estimate.
What should a painting quote include?
Business name and contact details, ideally your ABN, the client and job address, a dated quote number, the scope with inclusions and exclusions, itemised quantities in square metres, a clear GST treatment, and how long the quote is valid. ABN is mandatory on tax invoices; on quotes it is strongly recommended.
How do I avoid underquoting?
Count every prep hour, price from a target margin rather than a round number, and keep labour and materials as separate lines so nothing gets absorbed. Underquoting almost always traces back to hidden prep and margin confused with markup.