To compare three painting quotes properly, normalise them before you look at the price: put the coat count, the preparation scope, the product tier, the surfaces included and the access equipment side by side, then divide each total by the same measured wall area. Nine times out of ten the cheapest quote is the smallest scope, not the better deal. The best painters usually sit in the middle or slightly above, with the most detailed document.
A spread of $9,000, $12,500 and $14,000 on the same house is not a story about greed. It is almost always three different jobs described in three different levels of detail.
Build a comparison table before you read the totals
Give each quote a column. Fill in these rows from the documents themselves and leave a blank where a quote is silent. The blanks are the finding.
| Row to fill in | What you are checking |
|---|---|
| Surfaces included | Walls, eaves, fascia, gutters, doors, windows, deck |
| Coats per surface | Two over sound similar colour, three for bare, patchy or big colour change |
| Preparation named | Wash, scrape, sand, fill, gap seal, prime, rot repair |
| Products and sheen | Specific product per surface, not just a brand |
| Access equipment | Ladders, scaffold or lift, and who pays |
| Soft wash included | $260 to $735 for a full house |
| Exclusions | Anything named out of scope |
| Variation rate | Hourly or per-metre rate for unforeseen repair |
| Warranty | Term in years, labour and product or product only |
| Payments | Deposit size and milestones |
Normalise by square metre, then by coat
Divide each total by the wall area for a rate per square metre and compare it against market bands: interior $20 to $60, exterior $30 to $80, weatherboard $45 to $80, rendered $30 to $55. Then check the coat count, because two-coat and three-coat quotes at the same rate are not the same offer. The best painters show you both numbers.
Behind those rates sits labour at roughly $75 to $95 per hour plus GST, or $400 to $800 per painter per day. If a quote implies four painter-days on a job you can see is two weeks of work, the arithmetic is telling you something.
The three most common ways quotes differ
- Scope shrinkage. The cheap quote quietly excludes eaves, or gutters, or the garage, or the second coat on the south wall.
- Product downgrade. Same brand, different tier. On the coast that is the difference between repainting at year five and year eight.
- Preparation compressed. A wash and a topcoat looks identical to a full prep job for about eighteen months.
All three are invisible the day the job finishes. That is why they are worth an hour of your time now, especially on exterior work where the consequences arrive outdoors and all at once.
Ask each painter the same follow-up
Once your table has blanks, go back to all three with an identical email. Ask them to confirm coat count per surface, the specific products, whether eaves and gutters are included, and their variation rate. You will learn as much from how quickly they reply as from the answers.
Revised quotes often converge. A $9,000 quote that becomes $12,800 once eaves, three coats on the west wall and a soft wash are added was never $9,000.
What to do about the outlier
If one number sits 30 per cent below the other two, treat it as a question rather than a bargain. Check registration and insurance for the value of the work: in Victoria, registration requirements apply above $10,000 and domestic building insurance is required above $16,000. Check the ABN matches the trading name.
There are legitimate reasons for a lower price. A gap in the schedule, a local crew with no travel time, or a job that suits their equipment. The best painters state those reasons plainly when asked.
Comparing quotes for a property you do not live at
For a holiday house, add two rows: when the work can be scheduled around bookings, and whether the painter sends photographic reporting during the job. Absentee owners are partly paying for communication, and quotes that ignore it usually keep ignoring it. That scheduling discipline is central to holiday home painting on the Mornington Peninsula.
Interiors deserve a row too. Ask which rooms are out of action and for how long, because on an interior repaint the disruption is real even though it never appears on a quote.
If you want a fourth comparison point, an instant painting quote gives you an independent range to measure the other three against.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I compare painting quotes fairly?
Normalise them before comparing totals. List surfaces included, coats per surface, named preparation steps, specific products, access equipment, exclusions, variation rates and warranty for each quote side by side. Then divide each total by the same measured wall area to get a rate per square metre you can compare against market bands.
Why is one painting quote so much cheaper than the others?
Usually because it covers less work. The three most common differences are excluded surfaces such as eaves or gutters, a lower product tier within the same brand, and compressed preparation. Occasionally the reason is legitimate, such as a schedule gap or no travel time, and a reputable painter will explain it plainly when asked.
How many painting quotes should I get?
Three is enough for most residential jobs. Fewer leaves you without a reference point, and more usually adds time rather than information. What matters more than the number is that all three quotes are prepared after a site inspection and describe the same scope, so the comparison is genuinely like for like.
Should I ask painters to re-quote after comparing?
Yes, if your comparison found gaps. Send all three the same follow-up asking them to confirm coat count per surface, exact products, whether eaves and gutters are included, and their rate for unforeseen repairs. Revised quotes frequently converge, which tells you the original spread was scope rather than value.
