House Painting Cost Melbourne: A Practical 2025 Guide To What Drives Price, Where Money Pays Back, and When To Tackle Interior vs Exterior vs Roof
Melbourne homeowners and property managers often ask the same question: what does a quality repaint really cost and why do quotes vary so much? This guide breaks costs into drivers you control, pitfalls to avoid, and smart timing tips for interior, exterior, and roof scopes in local conditions.
Fast orientation: typical 2025 price signals in Melbourne
- Interior whole-home repaints commonly sit from modest 2-bed units up to larger family homes, with variability driven mainly by prep and scope (walls only vs walls, ceilings, and trims).
- Exterior projects range widely due to access, height, substrate (weatherboard, render, brick), and repair needs.
- Roof coating is a specialized scope and is priced by roof size, condition, repairs, and access, not only by color change.
Important: Public guides often quote per-square-metre or room-based figures. These are helpful for ballparks, but Melbourne homes vary in substrate condition and access. A measured, defect-first site assessment is the most reliable step before committing to price or timeline.
The real cost drivers you can plan for
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Preparation and repairs
Filling, sanding, setting gaps, stain blocking, re-bedding minor exterior cracks, and primer choice can add the most time. Sound prep increases finish life, reducing lifecycle cost.
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Scope width
Walls only vs walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirting, and window trims. Interior wet areas may require mould-tolerant systems. Exteriors often include fascias, eaves, downpipes, and doors.
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Access and height
Stair voids, high rakes, double-storey elevations, tight side setbacks, and roof pitch influence access gear and setup time.
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Substrate and product system
New plaster vs previously painted walls, timber vs masonry vs metal outside, and concrete tile vs terracotta vs metal roofs each demand specific primers and topcoats.
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Colour changes
Dark-to-light or light-to-dark shifts can need extra coats and careful cutting to achieve uniformity, especially on exteriors and roofs.
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Microclimate
West/north faces cop higher UV, leafy pockets hold more moisture, and bayside locations face salt. Product selection and maintenance intervals should reflect this.
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Scheduling and protection
Interior staging around occupancy, masking and dust control, and exterior weather windows matter. Roof work needs safe access and stable weather to meet cure times.
Interior painting: where spend actually pays back
- Prep that lasts: Proper patch-priming, crack repairs, and stain blocking reduce telegraphing and extend repaint cycles.
- Right sheens by room: Washable matte/low-sheen for living and halls, moisture-resistant systems for bathrooms and laundries, satin or semi-gloss on trims for durability.
- Colour testing: Sample boards under day and night light avoids rework. Cooler neutrals can temper western glare; warmer neutrals brighten shaded rooms.
- Low disruption: Sequencing from ceilings to walls to trims, room-by-room handovers, and ventilation planning keep routines manageable.
Exterior painting: Melbourne microclimate rules
- Weatherboard/timber: Repair, feather edges, prime bare timber, seal end grain, and use premium acrylics. Lighter colours can reduce heat load on west/north faces.
- Render/masonry/brick: Check for hairline cracks, movement joints, salts, and porosity. Prime appropriately before topcoats.
- Metalwork and downpipes: Degrease, treat corrosion, spot-prime, and match topcoat chemistry to substrate.
- Access and safety: Double-storey and tight sites may require towers or scaffolding; plan windows, eaves, and fascia sequences around weather.
Roof coating: what adds cost and what adds value
Roof painting improves appearance and adds a protective membrane on suitable substrates, but it is not a leak fix. Defects must be resolved first.
- Tile roofs (concrete): Replace broken tiles, re-bed/re-point ridge caps as required, controlled clean, biowash, prime, and apply roofing membranes.
- Terracotta roofs: Often require repair and gentle cleaning; not all are suited to standard acrylic membranes. System-specific primers or repair-only approaches may be used.
- Metal roofs: Address rust and fasteners, clean and degrease, prime with metal-compatible systems, then topcoat. Lighter colours can improve summer comfort.
Interior vs exterior vs roof: timing that saves money
- Interior: Any season with ventilation plans. Consider school holidays or staged room rotations.
- Exterior: Avoid wet weeks and heat spikes; shoulder seasons often give steadier cure windows.
- Roof: Dry, mild conditions reduce risk to coatings and improve safety. Confirm wind exposure and access.
Simple calculator prompts for a sharper quote
Before requesting pricing, gather these details to improve accuracy:
- Floor area and ceiling height ranges, plus a room count (interior).
- Substrate types and condition notes (cracks, stains, flaking, damp patches).
- Scope: walls only or walls, ceilings, and trims; exterior inclusions; roof material.
- Access constraints: stair voids, tight side setbacks, parking limits, pets on site.
- Desired colours and whether a dark-to-light or light-to-dark change is planned.
- Preferred timing, occupancy, and noise constraints (commercial sites).
Melbourne microclimate cheat sheet
- West/North exposure: Higher UV and heat. Choose UV-robust systems and consider lighter tones outside.
- Leafy/shaded pockets: Moisture lingers. Favour breathable exteriors, mould-tolerant interiors, and good ventilation.
- Bayside/coastal: Salt stress on metal. Corrosion-resistant prep and scheduled gentle rinses help.
- Inner-urban: Tight access and dust. Plan staging, masking, and cleanup cadence carefully.
Where quotes shrink or swell
| Factor | Cost Impact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Surface condition | High | Cracks, stains, flaking paint, rot repairs add significant prep time. |
| Scope breadth | Medium to High | Ceilings, trims, doors, and windows increase time and materials. |
| Access and height | Medium | Scaffolding, towers, or complex masking escalate costs. |
| Colour change and sheen | Low to Medium | Dark-to-light shifts and high-gloss finishes require extra care. |
| Product system | Medium | Premium membranes and primers cost more but extend repaint cycles. |
How to balance budget and durability
- Protect the base: invest in prep, primers matched to substrate, and mould-tolerant systems in wet areas.
- Be selective on sheen: washable matte/low-sheen for main walls; reserve higher sheen for trims and doors.
- Prioritise problem elevations outside: sequence high-UV faces first; consider lighter colours for heat.
- Stage multi-scope projects: interior first if weather is unstable; roof and exterior in dry, mild windows.
Related service spotlight
Professional interior, exterior, and roof painting across Melbourne with meticulous prep, premium materials, and tidy handovers is available through Banyule Maintenance Group. Transparent, competitive pricing is provided after a measured assessment. For a current, locality-aware guide to house painting cost Melbourne, see the painting service page.
FAQs
Why do two painting quotes for the same house differ so much?
Prep depth, substrate condition, access, and inclusive scope (ceilings, trims, windows) vary significantly between proposals. Itemised inclusions with notes on repairs and primers make comparisons fair and reduce surprises.
Is roof painting a fix for leaks?
No. Roof coatings protect suitable surfaces and refresh appearance but should follow repairs to tiles, pointing, flashings, or metal corrosion. A water test or photo evidence of repairs is recommended before coating.
How often should exteriors be repainted in Melbourne?
High-UV faces may need shorter cycles than shaded or protected elevations. Gentle washdowns and timely touch-ups extend repaint intervals.
Do lighter roof and exterior colours really reduce heat?
Lighter tones can lower peak surface temperatures and reduce summer heat load. Surrounding materials, ventilation, and insulation also play roles.
What information should be provided to get a precise quote?
Floor area, ceiling heights, substrate descriptions, repair issues, access notes, full scope (walls, ceilings, trims), colour direction, and preferred timelines help sharpen pricing and scheduling.