Quick answer: commercial painting in Australia is usually quoted per square metre of painted surface. Published 2026 cost guides put most jobs at roughly $15–$45 per m²: warehouses and large plain walls at the lower end, fitted-out offices and retail at the upper end. After-hours or weekend work, heavy prep and difficult access add to that.
This guide brings together our commercial painting guides for Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. For homes, see our interior and exterior house painting guides.
Commercial painting cost by job type
- Offices — typically $25–$45 per m² of wall. Partitioned floors, lots of doors and frames, and after-hours work push prices up; open-plan floors are quicker.
- Retail and hospitality — similar to offices, often with tight turnaround and night or weekend work so the business can keep trading.
- Warehouses and factories — often at the lower end per m² because of large, plain surfaces, but high walls and ceilings need elevated work platforms, which are priced separately.
- Exterior and facades — render and cladding repaints depend heavily on height and access; surface preparation is often quoted as its own line.
These are budgeting ranges only; commercial quotes vary more than residential ones, so get at least three itemised quotes for the same scope.
What affects a commercial painting quote
- Trading hours — nights, weekends and staged work around occupied areas cost more but avoid disruption.
- Access — scaffolding, boom lifts or scissor lifts for high walls, ceilings and facades.
- Preparation — patching, sanding, removing old coatings or treating rust and graffiti.
- Coatings — anti-graffiti, epoxy floor coatings, fire-rated or low-VOC products for healthcare, schools and food premises.
- Scope and repetition — large, repetitive areas usually cost less per m² than small, detailed ones.
- Safety and compliance — site inductions, working-at-heights controls and traffic management add cost on larger sites.
Choosing a commercial painter
- Check the business holds the right licence for your state and job size, plus public liability insurance, and ask for certificates.
- Ask for recent commercial references for similar premises.
- Get a written scope listing surfaces, prep, coating system, number of coats, work hours and clean-up.
- Agree on staging, access, noise and odour controls if the premises stay open.
- Check payment terms and the workmanship warranty; be cautious of large upfront deposits.
Reducing disruption and cost
- Schedule repaints to coincide with fit-outs, lease changes or quiet trading periods.
- Use low-odour, quick-drying paints in occupied spaces.
- Repaint before coatings fail; maintenance repaints cost far less than stripping and restoring.
- Bundle interior, exterior and line-marking work with one contractor where it makes sense.
FAQ
How much does it cost to paint an office?
Published guides typically put office repaints at about $25–$45 per m² of wall, depending on layout, finish and whether the work is done after hours.
Do commercial painters work after hours?
Most do, usually at a higher rate. It’s common for offices, retail and hospitality.
How long does commercial paint last?
Interior finishes in busy areas typically need refreshing every 5–7 years; exteriors depend on exposure and coating quality.
How we estimate: commercial painting has no single price list, so these ranges summarise 2026 cost guides published by Australian quote-comparison services. Your quote will depend on the site, access, hours and coating system.