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."

How to price a house repaint

Homeowners often ask for a price on a whole house, not a single wall. The whole-job guide figures below help you sense-check a quote, while the square metre rates earlier in this guide are what you build the price from. Surface condition, number of coats and access are the main cost drivers. The whole-job figures are guide prices with 15% GST included.

What a repaint costs the client

• Average 3-bedroom interior repaint: NZ$4,000–$10,000
• Full exterior repaint: NZ$6,000–$15,000
• Single room: NZ$500–$1,200

For per m² pricing by surface, use the interior and exterior rates in the square metre rates section above. Those are broken down by surface type, which is how a real quote is built. Check whether your own rates include GST before you compare them with the whole-job figures.

What drives the price, and what to check on site

Each cost driver is something you can inspect during the site visit:

• Surface prep: patching, sanding, filling and undercoating is most of the labour, so bad surfaces cost more. Look closely at walls, ceilings and trim, and price extensive repairs as their own line.
• Number of coats: dark-to-light colour changes need extra coats. Ask what colour is on the wall now and what the client wants.
• Access and height: two-storey exteriors need scaffolding or elevated work, and ceilings and stairwells slow things down. Note the number of storeys and any stairwells.
• Paint quality: premium washable and weatherproof lines (for example Resene or Dulux) cost more but last longer. Agree the product line before you price.
• Detail: trims, doors, windows and feature walls add cutting-in time. Count the doors and windows and measure the trim.

How to measure and quote a repaint

1. Walls. For each interior room, multiply the perimeter by the stud height, then deduct large openings such as doors and windows at about 1.5 m² each. Leave small windows in, because the trim adds labour.
2. Ceilings. The ceiling area is the floor area.
3. Exteriors. Measure the building perimeter by the wall height, add gable ends separately, and deduct large door and window openings.
4. Prep. Price prep openly, not hidden inside the m² rate, and price lead paint precautions on pre 1980 homes as a separate line.
5. Materials. Charge paint at cost plus 20 to 30 percent, with 10 to 15 percent for wastage and touch ups.

Worked example: one room

This is an example calculation using the guide rates above, with example room dimensions. It is not a quote for a real job. Take a room 4 m by 3 m with a 2.4 m stud height, one door and one window:

• Wall area: perimeter 14 m × 2.4 m = 33.6 m², less 2 openings at 1.5 m² each = 30.6 m²
• Walls, single colour: 30.6 m² × $14–$26/m² = about $428–$796
• Ceiling: 12 m² × $16–$28/m² = $192–$336
• Walls plus ceiling: about $620–$1,132

That sits inside the NZ$500–$1,200 single room guide above. Trim, doors and any prep are extra lines on top.

What to specify on the quote

A good painting quote states the prep included, the number of coats, the paint brand or line, and what is excluded, such as major repairs. Be wary of quotes that look cheap because they skip prep or coats. If your quote names all four, and shows GST at 15 percent as a separate line in NZD, the client can compare like with like and your price is easier to defend.

How much should I charge to paint a house in NZ?

As a guide, a 3-bedroom interior repaint runs about NZ$4,000–$10,000 and a full exterior repaint about NZ$6,000–$15,000, with 15% GST included. Build your own price from the surface rates above, add prep as its own line, and check it against those whole-job ranges.

What should a house painting quote include?

The prep work included, the number of coats, the paint brand or line, the price for each surface or area, and what is excluded. Add your GST number, the quote date, an expiry date, GST at 15 percent and payment terms.

How much does a full exterior repaint cost in NZ?

A full exterior repaint is roughly NZ$6,000–$15,000. Two-storey exteriors need scaffolding or elevated work, and weatherboard rates are higher because of the prep time involved.

Related guides

• How to Quote a Painting Job: Australian Painter's Pricing Guide

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