Brisbane house painting costs: how to read a project estimate

Define the surfaces before the price

Create a room-by-room or elevation-by-elevation schedule. Separate walls, ceilings, doors, window frames, skirting, weatherboards and other surfaces. Record approximate dimensions and mark anything excluded. The floor area of a house is useful context, but it is not the same as the area that will receive paint.

State whether the home will be occupied, who moves furniture and which fittings need protection. Photographs can support a brief, especially where access is awkward, but a site inspection may reveal conditions that photographs miss. Ask each contractor to price the same written scope so differences have a clear explanation.

Preparation changes the job

A sound previously painted surface and a peeling surface are different projects. Cleaning, patching, removing unsound coatings, treating stains and priming exposed areas can require different materials and working time. Dulux’s preparation guidance distinguishes these tasks; a topcoat specification alone does not describe them.

Ask what happens if hidden damage is uncovered. A useful estimate names the assumed condition, the included repairs and the process for approving additional work. For older buildings, ask how potentially hazardous existing materials will be assessed before disturbance. Do not treat an allowance for ordinary preparation as covering every possible defect.

Read materials and access together

Request the proposed coating system for each substrate, including preparation products where required. Paint quantity depends on the coated area, the selected product’s coverage and the number of coats. Manufacturer coverage figures are planning inputs; the actual surface and application method can affect consumption.

Access is a separate consideration. Height, steep ground, narrow side passages and the need to protect neighbouring surfaces can alter how work is carried out. Exterior programmes also need room for suitable application conditions. Ask how weather delays, access arrangements and the movement of equipment are reflected in the schedule.

• Identify the product and sheen, not just the brand.
• List access equipment and protection explicitly.
• Distinguish fixed inclusions from provisional allowances.

Compare the finished scope

Put estimates into a simple comparison sheet: surfaces, preparation, coatings, access, timing, exclusions and total. Confirm how taxes, waste removal, variations and payment stages are shown. A lower total may reflect a smaller scope rather than a more economical way to deliver identical work. Resolve those differences in writing before making a decision.

Keep a separate contingency for unresolved conditions rather than silently assuming the quoted amount covers them. Revisit the budget when the scope changes. That record is more useful than applying an old online square-metre rate to a house the author has never inspected.