Built for Australian painters
Free Painting Invoice Generator Australia
Create professional, ATO-compliant painting invoices in your browser - no sign-up required. Built for Australian painters and decorators with room-by-room or per-m2 pricing, itemised prep work, paint products with coat count, scaffolding hire, and GST. Download as PDF instantly.
Required in NSW (over $5,000), QLD (over $3,300), VIC (over $5,000), and WA (over $1,000). Not required in SA, TAS, NT, or ACT for most painting work.
Payment terms: 50% deposit on commencement, balance on completion
Created with invoice.net.au
How to Create a Painting Invoice in Australia
- 1
Select your job scope - interior or exterior painting
Choose interior for room-by-room residential work, or exterior for per-m2 pricing on walls, fascias, and trim.
- 2
Enter your business name, ABN, and painter licence number
Add your business details and toggle GST if you are registered.
- 3
Add the client details and property address
Enter billing details and the property or painting address where work was performed.
- 4
Choose your pricing mode - per room, per m2, or hourly
Pick per room for residential interiors, per m2 for exteriors and large areas, hourly for touch-ups, or mixed for complex jobs.
- 5
Add preparation work as separate line items to justify your pricing
Toggle preparation items on to show wash, fill, sand, prime, and strip work as distinct billable lines.
- 6
Add painting labour by room or by m2 with the number of coats
List rooms or surface areas with category, description, and price.
- 7
Itemise paint products by brand, colour, coats, and litres
Toggle paint product itemisation to show Dulux, Taubmans, Resene, or custom products with litres and cost per litre.
- 8
Add scaffolding hire and any colour change surcharge if applicable
Exterior and multi-storey jobs can include scaffolding hire. Colour change surcharges document extra primer coats.
- 9
Download as PDF or print
Review the live preview, then export an ATO-compliant PDF or print directly.
How Australian Painters Price Their Work in 2026
Painters in Australia use three main pricing models depending on the job type. Most interior painting quotes use per-room pricing, while exterior painting typically uses per-m2 pricing. Preparation work, paint products, scaffolding, and colour change surcharges are always itemised separately from the core labour rate.
| Pricing model | When it applies | Typical rate (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Per room | Standard residential interior rooms | $150-$500 per room depending on size and complexity |
| Per square metre | Large areas, exteriors, open-plan | $20-$45/m2 interior, $30-$80/m2 exterior |
| Hourly | Small touch-ups, commercial hourly contracts | $55-$95/hr |
Most interior painting quotes use per-room pricing because the setup time per room is fixed regardless of size, and room-based pricing is easier for clients to understand. Exterior painting typically uses per-m2 pricing because the wall area varies significantly between properties and needs to be measured accurately.
Do Painters Need a Licence in Australia?
Painting licence requirements in Australia depend on the state and the value of the work. Including your painter licence number on every invoice for licensed work is strongly recommended for commercial and strata work.
| State | Licence required | Threshold | Issuing authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | Yes | Over $5,000 in labour and materials (inc GST) | NSW Fair Trading |
| VIC | Yes | Over $5,000 in labour and materials (inc GST) | Victorian Building Authority (VBA) |
| QLD | Yes | Over $3,300 in labour and materials (inc GST) | QBCC |
| WA | Yes | Over $1,000 | Building Services Board |
| SA | Recommended | Over $12,000 - building contractor licence advised | Consumer and Business Services |
| TAS | No | No specific painting licence | ABN and insurance sufficient |
| NT | No | No specific painting licence | ABN and insurance sufficient |
| ACT | No | No specific painting licence | ABN and insurance sufficient |
Why Preparation Work Should Be Itemised on a Painting Invoice
Surface preparation makes up 30 to 50% of total painting labour time on most residential jobs. Itemising preparation work on your invoice justifies the total price, reduces disputes, and differentiates professional painters from cheaper operators who skip preparation.
- Justifies the total price by showing clients exactly what they are paying for
- Reduces disputes about why similar square metreages cost different amounts
- Documents the scope of preparation in case of warranty claims
- Differentiates professional painters from cheaper operators who skip preparation
A painting invoice that shows wash and clean surfaces, fill holes and cracks, and sand and key as separate lines is harder to dispute than one that shows preparation as a single lump sum.
How to Invoice Scaffolding and Access Equipment on a Painting Invoice
Scaffolding hire for a double-storey exterior painting job typically costs $1,500 to $5,000 in Australia. It should always appear as a clearly labelled, separate line item on the invoice.
- Clients expect to see scaffolding as a transparent cost, not absorbed into the labour rate
- Scaffolding is often hired from a third-party contractor, making it a pass-through cost
- Insurance requirements for multi-storey work are different from ground-level work
- If the job scope changes, the scaffolding cost can be adjusted independently
State the hire period (e.g. 5 days scaffolding hire) and the total cost separately from painting labour. This generator adds a dedicated scaffolding section automatically for exterior jobs on double-storey or higher properties.
Colour Change Surcharge - How to Invoice It Correctly
A colour change surcharge applies when a client is changing from a dark colour to a light one (or vice versa) and an additional primer coat or extra topcoat is required to achieve full, even coverage.
- Dark feature wall being repainted in a light neutral (e.g. charcoal to Antique White)
- Full exterior repaint from a pale colour to a deep tone (or the reverse)
- Previously painted surfaces with heavy tannin bleed or staining requiring extra sealing
- New plasterboard that requires a sealer coat before the standard two-coat system
Typical surcharge amounts range from $200 to $800 depending on the surface area affected. Document the reason clearly on the invoice so the client understands what the charge covers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this painting invoice generator free?
Yes - free, no sign-up, unlimited invoices.
Can I price by room on my invoice?
Yes. Select "Per room" pricing mode to add rooms as individual line items with a fixed price per room. Pre-populated room names (kitchen, living/dining, bedrooms, bathroom, hallway) load automatically - just edit the prices to match your quote.
Can I price by square metre for exterior work?
Yes. Select "Per m2" pricing mode and each line item shows area (m2) and rate per m2. Use the "Mixed" mode if your invoice combines per-room interior work with per-m2 exterior surfaces.
How do I add prep work to my invoice?
Toggle "Include preparation as separate line items" to add a dedicated preparation section before your main painting line items. Pre-populated prep items (wash, fill, sand, prime) load automatically - edit or delete as required. Each prep item shows hours or m2 and your hourly rate for preparation.
Can I itemise paint products on the invoice?
Yes. Toggle "Itemise paint products" to add a separate paint and materials section. Each row shows the product brand, colour name, sheen level, number of coats, litres used, and unit cost. The number of coats field is important - it documents the agreed specification and prevents disputes about whether two or three coats were applied.
Do I need a painter licence number on my invoice?
If your job is above the licensing threshold in your state (over $5,000 in NSW, VIC, and over $3,300 in QLD), yes - include your licence number. It appears in the contractor details block below your ABN. For smaller jobs or in states without licensing requirements (TAS, NT, ACT), it is still good practice to include any relevant credentials.
How do I add scaffolding to my invoice?
Toggle "Include scaffolding / access equipment" - this option appears automatically for exterior jobs or double-storey properties. Select the equipment type (scaffolding hire, EWP hire, etc.), enter the hire period and cost.
What is a colour change surcharge and how do I invoice it?
A colour change surcharge covers the additional primer coat (and sometimes an extra topcoat) required when painting over a significantly different colour. Toggle "Colour change surcharge applies" to add it as a clearly labelled line item. Include a brief description of the colour change (previous colour and new colour) so the client understands what the charge covers.
Can I use this for commercial painting invoices?
Yes. Select "Hourly" pricing mode for commercial hourly-rate work, or "Per m2" for commercial area-based pricing. The property type selector includes "Commercial office" and "Retail space". Commercial invoices should include the client's ABN in the billing details for jobs over $1,000 as required by the ATO.