A painting quote is labour plus materials plus the costs of being on site, with a margin on each. This estimates all three from the measurements, using production rates rather than a price per square metre.
The same painter covers very different amounts of surface per hour depending on how much cutting in the surface demands. Surfacely models that as eight speed steps, and the step is the rate:
| Speed step | Metric | Imperial | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Step 1 — Intricate | 3 m²/hr | 32 ft²/hr | Heritage mouldings, fine cutting in |
| Step 2 — Detailed | 6.5 m²/hr | 70 ft²/hr | Panels, multi-sided, lots of cutting in |
| Step 3 — Careful | 10 m²/hr | 110 ft²/hr | Some cutting in, average complexity |
| Step 4 — Steady | 15 m²/hr | 160 ft²/hr | Standard repaint, good conditions |
| Step 5 — Efficient | 20 m²/hr | 215 ft²/hr | Open areas, minimal cutting in |
| Step 6 — Open | 25 m²/hr | 270 ft²/hr | Large surfaces, good access |
| Step 7 — Spray | 30 m²/hr | 325 ft²/hr | Production spray, repetitive surfaces |
| Step 8 — New-build spray | 35 m²/hr | 375 ft²/hr | Full new-build spray, maximum coverage |
Prep is commonly quoted as a percentage uplift on paint hours, which charges it once per coat — the same wall in the same condition bills 50% more prep at three coats than at two, though the prep happens once, before the first coat. Surfacely prices prep as its own production rate in m²/hr:
| Prep level | Metric | Imperial | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimal | 75 m²/hr | 807 ft²/hr | Near new |
| Light | 52.5 m²/hr | 565 ft²/hr | Sound paint |
| Sound | 35 m²/hr | 377 ft²/hr | Sound surface |
| Standard | 25 m²/hr | 269 ft²/hr | Typical repaint |
| Moderate | 16 m²/hr | 172 ft²/hr | Older surface |
| Heavy | 10.5 m²/hr | 113 ft²/hr | Neglected or peeling |
| Very Heavy | 6.5 m²/hr | 70 ft²/hr | Flaking throughout |
| Extensive | 4 m²/hr | 43 ft²/hr | Major repair |
| Strip Back | 2.5 m²/hr | 27 ft²/hr | Strip the whole surface back |
| Strip & Rebuild | 1.5 m²/hr | 16 ft²/hr | Strip and rebuild the substrate |
| Restoration | 1 m²/hr | 11 ft²/hr | Full heritage restoration |
A slower rate means more prep. Standard is the typical sound-condition repaint. Prep is genuinely 30–50% of total labour on a normal repaint and more on a weathered exterior.
Professional painters price from production rates: painting hours = area × coats ÷ a production rate (a standard repaint runs about 15 m²/hr per painter), plus preparation hours from the surface condition (a sound-condition repaint preps at about 25 m²/hr). Hours × charge-out rate + materials = the quote. This calculator applies exactly that method.
Per-m² pricing varies so much with condition and detail that most professionals price from hours instead. As a sanity check, a two-coat repaint in sound condition typically works out between $12 and $25 per m² of painted surface depending on the market and charge-out rate — but a weathered or detailed surface can be double that. Price from hours, then sanity-check the per-m² figure.
A typical wall paint spreads at about 12 m² per litre per coat, so two coats on 100 m² needs roughly 17 litres before wastage. Add ~10% for cutting in, roller loss and touch-ups, then round up to real container sizes.
Preparation is genuinely 30–50% of total labour on a normal repaint, and more on weathered exteriors. It scales with the surface condition, not the number of coats — prep happens once, before the first coat. A sound-condition repaint preps at roughly 25 m²/hr; a neglected, peeling surface can run under 10 m²/hr.
The honest uncertainty in a quick estimate is how fiddly the job turns out — cutting in, access, detail. This calculator prices the same job half a production step faster and slower to produce a defensible range. A precise single figure needs a real measure of every surface, which is what quoting software exists for.