How to Choose a House Painter on the Gold Coast

You’ve decided the house needs painting, you’ve had a few painters through, and now there are two or three quotes on the table. They may be thousands of dollars apart, written in different ways and describing the work in different levels of detail.

Choosing between them shouldn’t come down to the cheapest number or the most polished sales pitch. There’s no single question that tells you who the right painter is. What helps is looking at the full picture: whether they’re licensed and insured for the work, what they noticed when they looked at the house, and exactly what they’ve allowed for. This guide covers what you can actually check, whether you’re planning an interior repaint, an exterior or a full residential painting project.

Quick checklist: what to check before hiring a painter

What to check	What to ask	Why it matters
Licence	Can I see your QBCC licence number?	Confirms they’re licensed for the work where a licence is required
Insurance	What cover do you carry?	Tells you what’s in place if something is damaged
Written scope	Which areas and surfaces are included?	Two prices only compare if they cover the same job
Preparation	What prep have you allowed for?	Often the biggest difference between quotes
Coating system	What primers and how many finish coats?	The system should suit the surface and product
Products	Which product for which area?	Matters most for exteriors, wet areas and metal
Similar work	Have you done jobs like mine?	Shows relevant experience
Protection and clean-up	How will the house and garden be protected?	Sets expectations before work starts
Timing and communication	When can you start, and who do I call?	Avoids surprises during the job
Variations and exclusions	What’s excluded, and how is extra work approved?	Keeps changes to the price clear

1. Check the painter is appropriately licensed

In Queensland, QBCC guidance says a licence is needed to carry out building work valued over $3,300, and painting and decorating is one of the licence classes it issues. QBCC treats the value of the work as including labour, materials and GST, regardless of who supplies the materials, so supplying your own paint doesn’t change the picture. Some work, such as plumbing, drainage and gas fitting, needs a licence at any value. If your job is close to the threshold or involves other trades, check the current QBCC requirements for your particular project.

You can check a painter’s licence on the QBCC licensee register. QBCC suggests confirming that the contractor’s name matches the licence, and checking the licence number, class and status. You can also phone QBCC on 139 333 if you’re unsure. Keep in mind that a business name or ABN isn’t a QBCC licence. They’re separate registrations, and the licence should cover the type of work being done and be current.

QBCC also requires a written contract for domestic building work priced over $3,300, including labour, materials and GST, and the contract should include the contractor’s name and licence number as it appears on their licence. It’s a useful point to check when you receive paperwork.

A licence confirms the contractor is licensed for the relevant work. It doesn’t guarantee the finish on your house, so it belongs alongside the other checks here rather than replacing them.

If your property is over the border on the Tweed Coast, NSW has its own licensing and contract requirements, so check the current NSW rules separately.

2. Ask what insurance they carry

Public liability insurance is generally designed to respond if a contractor causes damage to property or injury to someone while doing the work, subject to the terms of the policy. For a homeowner, the practical question is simply what cover the painter carries.

It’s reasonable to ask and to request current evidence, such as a certificate of currency. Check the business name and the expiry date. If you have questions about what a particular policy covers, the insurer is the right place to ask.

3. Compare the written scope, not just the price

This is the most important section. Two prices can’t be meaningfully compared if they describe different jobs, and quotes often look alike when they aren’t.

A clear written scope should make it obvious which surfaces are included. Depending on the job, that can mean:

walls and ceilings
doors, frames and skirtings
windows and window frames
eaves, fascia and gutters
exterior walls
decks, fences or other extras where relevant

It should also make exclusions and assumptions clear. Is the garage included? Are the insides of wardrobes? Is the price based on the house being empty, or on the colours you’ve already chosen? Is scaffolding in the price or separate? Is GST included?

If one quote covers walls, ceilings and trims and another covers walls only, the gap in price may simply reflect a gap in scope. Our guide on why house painting quotes are so different goes through the most common differences in detail. The short version is to compare scope with scope before comparing price with price.

4. Find out exactly what preparation is included

Preparation depends on the condition of the surfaces. Depending on what’s there, it can include:

washing or cleaning surfaces
scraping back loose or unstable paint
sanding
filling holes, dents and cracks
sealing gaps where appropriate
spot priming bare areas and repairs
dealing with chalky or failing coatings
treating other surface issues before coating

Not every surface needs every step. A sound, well-maintained wall may need a light sand and patch, while a weathered exterior may need much more.

Painters can also legitimately allow for different levels of preparation because they’ve assessed the existing surface differently. That’s why it helps to ask what each painter noticed during the inspection and what they’ve allowed for. A quote that describes the preparation, even briefly, is easier to compare than one that just says “prep and paint”.

There’s also preparation on your side, such as clearing rooms and organising access. Our guide on how to prepare your house for painting covers what homeowners usually take care of before the painters arrive.

5. Ask about the coating system, not just the paint brand

A well-known brand name on a quote doesn’t tell you whether the right system has been specified. The more useful question is what’s going on each surface and why.

A coating system can include a primer, sealer or undercoat where required, followed by the finish coats. What’s needed depends on the substrate, the condition of the existing coating, any colour change and the manufacturer’s instructions for the product. Many repaint systems commonly use two finish coats, but the right system depends on the product, the surface and the conditions, so it’s worth asking rather than assuming.

A quote doesn’t need to read like a technical specification, but it should make the coating scope clear enough that you know what’s been allowed for, particularly for exteriors, wet areas and metal. Our guide on how many coats of paint a house needs explains primers, sealers, undercoats and coat counts in more detail.

6. Look at work similar to your own project

Experience with your type of job is more useful than general claims. It’s reasonable to ask for recent examples that are relevant to what you’re planning, such as:

an interior repaint of an occupied home
a two-storey exterior
weatherboard or other timber cladding
a rendered exterior
a new build
an older home with detailed timber work

Photos and reviews can be useful evidence of a painter’s work and how they deal with clients. They don’t guarantee how another project will turn out, because every house, surface and scope is different, but they help you judge whether a painter is comfortable with work like yours.

7. Ask who will be doing and supervising the work

Painting businesses are set up in different ways. Some use employees, some use subcontractors and many use a mix. Both employees and subcontractors can do excellent work.

The more useful questions are:

Who is responsible for the project overall?
Who will you speak to if you have a question?
Who supervises the work on site?
Will you know who is attending each day?

Clear answers here make the job easier for everyone, especially if you’re living in the house while it’s being painted.

8. Ask how the home will be protected

Protection depends on the work being done and how the coatings are being applied. It’s worth asking how the painter plans to protect:

floors and furniture
fixtures, fittings and benchtops
windows and glass
driveways and paths
gardens and landscaping
neighbouring surfaces where relevant, such as a fence or a car parked close by

Clean-up is worth covering too: what happens at the end of each day, and what the site will look like at handover. None of this needs to be complicated. It just helps to have the same expectations before work starts.

9. Agree on timing and communication before work starts

Before you commit, it helps to understand:

when the painter expects to start
roughly how long the job should take
how the work will be sequenced around the people living in the house
how weather could affect exterior work
how drying and recoat requirements affect the order of work
how changes to the schedule will be communicated

Timeframes are estimates, not guarantees. Exterior work in particular depends on suitable weather and surfaces being dry enough to coat. Our guide on how long it takes to paint a house covers realistic timeframes and what can extend them.

10. Understand how variations and unexpected repairs are handled

Sometimes an issue only becomes visible once preparation starts. Scraping back paint can uncover soft timber, a patch can reveal more cracking than expected, or a stain can turn out to have an active leak behind it.

No painter can promise that nothing unexpected will turn up. What you can ask is how it will be handled. A sensible process is:

identify the issue
explain it to you
establish whether it falls outside the agreed scope
price it where required
get your approval before any additional chargeable work goes ahead

That’s the approach we take: if we uncover something that wasn’t reasonably visible or included in the original scope, we show you what we’ve found, explain what needs doing, price it where required and get your approval before going ahead. Whoever you choose, it’s worth knowing their process before the job starts.

11. Put the price in context

Price matters. But a price only means something when you know what it’s buying. Compare it against:

the scope and the areas included
the preparation allowed for
the coating system
access equipment
repairs included or excluded
the size and complexity of the job

A lower price isn’t automatically wrong. The painter may have lower overheads, better availability or a narrower scope. A higher price isn’t automatically better either. Once the quotes cover the same work, you can weigh the price alongside timing, communication and how comfortable you feel with each painter. For a feel for typical figures, see our guide on how much it costs to paint a house on the Gold Coast.

Questions worth asking before you say yes

What exactly is included, and what’s excluded?
What preparation have you allowed for?
What coating system will you use, and how many coats are allowed for?
Are any primers or sealers required?
Who will be on site, and who do I contact?
How will my property be protected?
How long should the job take?
How do you handle variations?
Is GST included?
Can I check your licence and see evidence of your insurance?

FAQs

Do painters need a licence on the Gold Coast?

In Queensland, QBCC guidance says a licence is needed to carry out building work valued over $3,300, including labour, materials and GST, and painting and decorating is a QBCC licence class. Check the current QBCC requirements for your particular project, and confirm the painter’s details on the QBCC licensee register.

Should I always get three painting quotes?

There’s no rule that says three. Getting more than one comparable quote can help you understand the job and the market, but the quality of each scope matters more than hitting a fixed number. Two clear quotes are more useful than four vague ones.

Is the cheapest painting quote usually the worst?

No. A lower price can reflect a different scope, lower overheads, the way the business is set up or simply availability. Check that it covers the same surfaces, preparation and coating system as the others before drawing conclusions.

Is the most expensive painter usually the best?

No. A higher price may reflect a larger scope, more preparation or higher overheads, but it doesn’t automatically mean a better result. The same principle applies: compare what’s included first.

Should a painting quote say how many coats are included?

It should make the coating scope clear enough that you know what’s being allowed for, including any primer, sealer or undercoat where required and the number of finish coats.

Should I ask a painter for proof of insurance?

Yes. It’s reasonable to ask what cover they carry and to request current evidence, such as a certificate of currency.

What should I do if the painter finds extra repairs after starting?

Ask them to show you the issue and explain it, confirm whether it falls outside the agreed scope, and price it where required. Additional chargeable work should be approved by you before it goes ahead.

How do I compare two painting quotes properly?

Line them up on the same points: the surfaces included, preparation, repairs, the coating system, access, inclusions and exclusions, timing and the total price, including whether GST is included. Once those match, you’re comparing like with like.

Getting a clear painting quote for your home

If you’re planning an interior or exterior repaint on the Gold Coast or Tweed Coast, send us some photos and a rough scope through our quote form. We can look at the surfaces, preparation and coating system involved and provide a written scope so you can see what has been allowed for.

Phelps Painting Services Pty Ltd holds QBCC Licence 15402463 and NSW Contractor Licence 455009C and carries $20 million public liability insurance.