How to Quote a Painting Job: New Zealand Painter's Pricing Guide

A painting quote has to be detailed enough to protect your margin but quick enough to land before the next painter does. There is no occupational licence for painting in New Zealand, so the quote itself is what tells a client you know the work. Here is how to price painting jobs for the NZ market.

What a painting quote should include

• Business name, GST number (from IRD), contact details
• Quote number and date
• Expiry date, usually 14 to 30 days, since paint and labour costs shift
• Client name and site address
• Itemised scope, with each surface or area set out as its own line
• Number of coats specified, because "2 coats" and "coat and touch up" are not the same job
• Paint product and specification, brand, sheen and colour where known
• Preparation work included
• GST at 15 percent, shown as a separate line
• Payment terms

Square metre rates (2025 to 2026 NZ market)

Interior surfaces, new paint or repaint over GIB plasterboard:

• Single colour, standard conditions: $14 to $26 per m2
• Feature walls or multiple colours: $24 to $40 per m2
• Ceilings: $16 to $28 per m2
• Trim (skirtings, architraves, door frames): $6 to $14 per linear metre
• Doors, supply and paint: $90 to $200 per door depending on type

Exterior surfaces:

• Plaster or brick, 2 coats: $22 to $40 per m2
• Weatherboard, including all prep: $26 to $50 per m2, higher because of the prep time
• COLORSTEEL roof painting: $18 to $35 per m2

These are guide ranges. Auckland and Wellington jobs sit at the top end, Christchurch and regional NZ tend lower. Access, ceiling height, surface condition and paint specification all move the real price.

What to charge for preparation

Prep is where painting jobs blow out, so quote it openly rather than hiding it inside the m2 rate:

• Fill and sand walls (light): included in the standard rate
• Extensive crack or hole repairs: hourly, typically $70 to $110 per hour
• Strip and scrape on weatherboards: $12 to $22 per m2 on top
• Lead paint precautions on pre 1980 homes: priced as a separate line, since safe containment and disposal add real time
• Water blast wash before exterior work: $300 to $650 depending on area
• Prime bare surfaces: separate line at cost plus margin

Material costs

Mid range acrylic from Resene or Dulux NZ for interior walls runs about $90 to $150 per 10L, with premium exterior products $130 to $220 per 10L. Coverage is around 10 to 12 m2 per litre per coat, so a two coat job uses roughly double the paint of a single pass. Add 10 to 15 percent for wastage and touch ups, and charge paint at cost plus 20 to 30 percent to cover sourcing and cartage.

How to measure a painting job on site

For interior rooms, take the perimeter times the stud height for wall area, then take off large openings (doors and windows) at about 1.5 m2 each. Leave small windows in, because the trim around them adds labour. The ceiling equals the floor area. That gives you a fast estimate during a site visit with no awkward maths.

For exteriors, measure the building perimeter times the wall height, add gable ends on their own, and deduct the large door and window openings.

Exclusions that matter on a painting quote

• "Assumes surfaces are in sound condition. Significant repairs quoted separately."
• "Assumes clear site access. Delays caused by other trades are at the client's risk."
• "Client to confirm colour selection before the start date."
• "Furniture moving and removal not included."
• "Window cleaning after the work is not included."

Related guides

• House Painting Cost in New Zealand

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