A standard three bedroom house costs about $7,000 to $15,500 to paint outside and $5,000 to $15,000 inside, according to Superior Renovations (2026). Independent estimating site CheckMyBuilder (May 2026) puts a typical exterior at $14,000 and a typical interior at $9,000. The gap is mostly prep, house size and paint quality.
These are guides from painting and cost sites, not fixed prices. Treat them as a way to sense-check a quote.
The quick answer
| Job | Typical NZ price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior, whole house (any size) | $6,000 to $20,000 | Superior Renovations, 2026 |
| Exterior, 150m2 single storey, 3 bedrooms | $7,000 to $15,500 | Superior Renovations, 2026 |
| Exterior, typical 150 to 200m2 family home | $14,000 (range $7,000 to $45,000+) | CheckMyBuilder, May 2026 |
| Interior, standard 3 bedroom home | $5,000 to $15,000 | Superior Renovations, 2026 |
| Interior, whole house about 150m2, two coats | $7,000 to $14,000 | CheckMyBuilder, May 2026 |
| One bedroom, about 12m2 | $800 to $2,000 | Superior Renovations, 2026 |
| Rate per m2, painter’s working rate | $40 to $80 per m2 | Superior Renovations, 2026 |
| Rate per m2, general | $15 to $30 per m2 | Airtasker NZ, 2026 |
GST: Superior Renovations and Airtasker do not say whether their prices include GST. CheckMyBuilder says its figures exclude GST unless stated, and does not state GST on these ones, so assume they exclude it. Ask any painter for a price that says “plus GST” or “including GST”.
The per m2 rates disagree because they measure different things. Superior Renovations says its $40 to $80 is a combined rate (paint plus labour), while Airtasker’s $15 to $30 is a general figure with no detail. A per m2 price is only useful for comparing painters. It does not capture prep.
Superior Renovations also gives rates by exterior cladding: weatherboard $50 to $70 per m2, brick or concrete block $60 to $90, and plaster or stucco $70 to $100.
What changes the price
Prep. This is the biggest swing. CheckMyBuilder (May 2026) says existing paint condition adds 30% to 100% outside and 20% to 80% inside. Superior Renovations (2026) says a home left ten or more years between coats typically needs $1,000 to $3,000 of prep, and gives:
- Rotten weatherboards or fascias: $1,000 to $3,000
- Mould treatment: $500 to $1,500
- Wall and plaster repairs inside: $200 to $1,000 per room
Storeys and scaffolding. For a two storey home of about 250m2, Superior Renovations gives $12,000 to $25,000 outside plus $1,500 to $5,000 for scaffolding. CheckMyBuilder gives scaffolding at $1,500 to $6,000, and says it is needed for two storey or eaves-high work.
Number of coats. CheckMyBuilder says two topcoats is industry standard outside. A third coat or a primer coat adds labour and paint. Superior Renovations notes plaster and stucco often need multiple coats.
Paint quality. CheckMyBuilder says top-tier paint adds 15% to 25%.
Colours, trim and furniture. CheckMyBuilder adds 10% to 20% per extra colour outside and 5% to 15% inside. Including doors and trim adds 15% to 25% inside. Furniture left in place adds 10% to 15%.
Paint cost versus labour. Superior Renovations (2026) gives $10 to $20 per m2 for paint and product and $30 to $50 per m2 for labour. Its Auckland painters’ rate is $40 to $60 per hour. Another source, Refresh Renovations (page undated, GST not mentioned), says professional painters usually charge upwards of $30 per hour and quotes about $120 per m2 for an exterior including minor repairs. That is well above the other two sources, so treat it as the top of the range.
Region. CheckMyBuilder (May 2026) gives typical exterior prices of $16,000 in Auckland, $15,000 in Wellington, $14,000 in Christchurch and Tauranga, $13,000 in Hamilton and $13,000 in regional NZ.
A worked example
Using the Superior Renovations (2026) figures for a 150m2 exterior:
- Labour: $3,000 to $6,000
- Paint (about 45 litres): $1,500 to $2,500
- Prep (clean, sand, minor repairs): $1,000 to $3,000
Adding those lines gives $5,500 to $11,500. The same page gives a total of $7,000 to $15,500 for this house, so the lines do not add up to the headline. The gap is likely trim, repairs and extras, but the page does not say. This is why you should ask for a written quote with each item listed, rather than adding up figures from a web page.
Add scaffolding of $1,500 to $6,000 if the house is two storey, and $1,000 to $2,000 if lead-safe work is needed.
Rules, licences and consents
Licensing. Painters are not on a licensing register like the LBP, EWRB or PGDB ones, so for a painter we check insurance instead. If your job also involves repairs to rotten framing or cladding, ask whether that part needs a licensed builder or a consent from your council.
Lead paint. WorkSafe says that if a building was built in the 1980s or earlier, it is best to presume it has been painted with lead-based paint, and to take precautions when removing it. Health NZ says:
- You cannot tell lead paint by looking at it.
- Many paints sold before 1965 had high lead levels, especially before 1945.
- Recently painted buildings can still have lead paint underneath.
- Wet sanding is preferred. Dry sanding needs a respirator and dust sheets.
- Abrasive blasting should not be used on properties built or painted before 1970.
- Paint debris goes on a groundsheet and must not be burned.
WorkSafe’s page notes its lead paint guidelines have not been updated for the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, though the practices may still be relevant. The cut-off ages differ between sources (1970 for blasting, 1980s for presuming lead), so ask your painter which they follow. Superior Renovations says to test for lead if your home is older than 1980 and puts lead-safe removal at $1,000 to $2,000 extra.
Contracts. Building Performance’s guide for homeowners covers the written contract rule for residential building work of $30,000 or more including GST. Most paint jobs are under that, but get the scope in writing anyway.
Questions to ask before you say yes
- What prep is in the price: washing, scraping, sanding, filling, priming?
- What brand and type of paint, and how many coats?
- Is scaffolding or access gear included?
- Is my house old enough that lead paint is likely? How will you handle it?
- Is the price fixed, and how are extras agreed before you do them?
- Is it plus GST or including GST?
- How long is the workmanship guarantee, and is it in writing?
- What happens if it rains and the job runs over?
How GoodTradie helps
GoodTradie is free for homeowners. You type the job in, we call you, and we find one local painter, check their insurance, and book them. We do not send your job to several painters or collect quotes. When you have a quote, we compare it with published NZ figures like the ones above. That is a guide, not a guarantee of the best price. Type your painting job into the box at the top of the page to get started.
Sources
- Superior Renovations, How much does it cost to paint a house in NZ (published July 2026, updated October 2026)
- CheckMyBuilder, exterior house painting cost (May 2026)
- CheckMyBuilder, interior house painting cost (May 2026)
- Airtasker NZ, painting prices (2026)
- Refresh Renovations, painting the exterior of a home in NZ (undated)
- WorkSafe NZ, Managing lead-based paint
- Health NZ, Lead-based paint
- Building Performance, Do your homework: contractors and homeowners
Need a painter? See how we find and check one, or type the job in the box at the top.