Exterior house painting with a small crew

Paint house exteriors, fences and roofs with a small team and build up a steady local job pipeline.

A decorator painting an interior wall with a roller in a freshly prepared room.
Startup costA$5k to A$25k
Monthly revenueA$8k to A$35k
Time needed35+ h/week
First incomeWeeks
  • A$5k-25k
  • Full-time
  • Out and about
  • Licence or permit needed

Estimates for a small start in Australia, not guarantees.

What it is

Exterior painting of walls, eaves, fascias, fences and decks, including pressure washing, repairs and prep. A small team lets you take on bigger jobs.

Your first three steps

  1. Check your state's licensing body for painting contractor requirements and get your ABN and insurance sorted
  2. Price up a vehicle or trailer, scaffolding or ladder hire, and a pressure washer, and pick the suburbs you will target
  3. Quote a few jobs, take clear photos of finished work and ask for reviews on Google and local community pages
Who pays

Homeowners, strata managers, landlords and small commercial property owners.

How it makes money

Fixed quotes by job size, with deposits and progress payments on larger jobs. Margin comes from labour and materials.

Skills that help
  • Prep work and weatherproof finishing
  • Estimating larger jobs
  • Scheduling and managing helpers
Watch out for
  • Licence or registration may be needed depending on your state and the job value, so check before quoting
  • Public liability insurance, and workers compensation once you hire staff (state schemes differ)
  • Safe work at height and scaffolding rules, check with your state's work safety regulator
  • Weather delays can push back jobs and cash flow
  • Written contracts and deposit limits, which can vary by state

Deep research report · Australia

Everything you need to start: exterior house painting with a small crew

Researched with live web search for Australia: real startup prices, the licences and rules, what others charge, a break-even example, how to find your first customers and a 30-day launch plan. With sources.

  • Startup costs with real prices
  • Licences, registration and rules
  • Pricing: what others charge
  • Break-even example
  • Finding your first customers
  • 30-day launch plan
  • Risks and how to reduce them
Ready in about 2 minutes · one-off payment, tax included

See a full sample report

Questions people ask

How much does it cost to start an exterior painting business?

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $5,000 to $25,000, depending on equipment, vehicles and how much prep gear you buy. Get quotes for your own setup before committing.

How much can an exterior painting crew earn?

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $35,000, depending on job size, how often you are booked and weather delays. That is revenue before wages, materials and insurance.

What licences and rules apply to exterior painting in Australia?

Check whether licence or registration is needed in your state for the job value before quoting. Also check public liability insurance, workers compensation once you hire, scaffolding and work-at-height rules with your work safety regulator, and written contract and deposit limits.

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Photo: MamaShaw on Pixabay

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