Our services
- Interior painting
Walls, ceilings, doors and trims, from one bedroom to the whole house.
From $800 to $2,000 a bedroom
- Exterior painting
Weatherboard, brick and plaster, properly prepared and finished in two topcoats.
From $5,000 to $15,000, single storey
- Heritage homes and lead paint
Villas, bungalows and weatherboard homes, tested and repainted lead-safe.
Lead-safe work often adds $1,000 to $2,000
A good paint job is mostly preparation: washing, scraping, repairs and primer before two finish coats go on. That's what makes paint last in Auckland's sun, rain and salt air. Many Auckland homes are villas, bungalows and weatherboard houses with lead in their old paint layers, which changes how the work is done. Tell us about your house and we'll arrange a free estimate from a painter who covers your suburb.
How much does it cost to paint a house in Auckland?
Most Auckland exterior repaints cost $7,000 to $20,000, and interiors $4,500 to $15,000 for a three-bedroom home, going by published prices. A single-storey weatherboard in reasonable condition can be $5,000 to $9,000. Two storeys, flaking paint, rot, scaffolding and lead paint push the price up. Painting inside and out together can bring the overall cost down.
| Job | Published Auckland price range | More |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior, single-storey weatherboard | $5,000 to $9,000 | Exterior house painting |
| Exterior, two-storey villa or bungalow | $7,000 to $14,000 | Exterior house painting |
| Full interior, three bedrooms | $4,500 to $15,000 | Interior painting |
| One bedroom | $800 to $2,000 | Interior painting |
| Lead-safe preparation | adds about $1,000 to $2,000 or more | Lead paint removal cost |
Ranges from published prices. Your painter quotes after seeing the house. See house painting prices.
Is it worth paying a painter?
For most whole-house jobs, yes. A painter brings scaffolding, the right products and the experience to prepare the surface properly, which is what makes paint last. They also handle the risky parts: working at height and lead paint on heritage homes. For a single bedroom, doing it yourself can make sense. Our DIY or hire a painter checklist helps you decide.
A painter is usually the better choice when:
- The house is two storeys or needs scaffolding.
- The old paint is flaking, chalky or bare.
- It was built before the 1980s and may have lead paint.
- You want the job finished by a set date.
Do heritage homes have lead paint?
Very likely. Health New Zealand advises presuming lead paint on any building from the 1980s or earlier, and the government guidelines say paint from before 1970 is almost certainly lead-based. That covers most of Auckland's villas, bungalows and weatherboard homes. Sound lead paint can be sealed under new coats. It just has to be prepared with wet methods and full clean-up, never dry sanded.
Before anyone scrapes or sands, test your paint for lead. Then read lead paint on heritage homes to see how it is stripped or sealed safely, and how children and pets are kept safe while it's done.
How do you compare house painting quotes?
Get at least two written quotes and compare what each one includes: preparation, repairs, products, number of coats, scaffolding, protection of your garden and floors, clean-up, timing and whether GST is included. Ask how they handle lead paint on heritage homes. Under the Consumer Guarantees Act, any service you pay for must be done with reasonable care and skill.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a painter charge per hour in NZ?
Published rates for house painters in New Zealand run from about $30 to $60 an hour, with Auckland businesses publishing about $40 to $60. Many painters quote a fixed price for the whole job instead, because preparation and weather make hours hard to predict. A fixed written quote is easier to compare and tells you the total before work starts.
How much does it cost to paint a two-bedroom house?
A smaller one or two-bedroom house usually sits at the lower end of the published ranges. One national cost publication puts exterior repaints of smaller, single-storey homes at $7,000 to $12,000, and Auckland businesses publish $5,000 to $9,000 for a single-storey weatherboard in reasonable condition. Repairs, scaffolding and lead paint add to it. A painter quotes after seeing the house.
When should you not paint the outside of your house?
Avoid rain, rain due before the paint dries, strong direct sun, high wind and late afternoons when dew will settle on wet paint. Resene's ideal is about 15 to 20 degrees with a gentle breeze. In summer, painters work around the house ahead of the sun so each wall is painted in shade.