By Alex Dzissah, Founder, AKD Painting
Commercial painting in Sydney typically costs $12 to $30 per square metre for standard interior walls and ceilings, and $25 to $60 per square metre for exteriors, depending on access, surface condition and when the work can be done. A small office repaint might land under $5,000, while a full building exterior runs well into five figures. Here is how the pricing actually works.
Typical 2026 rates by space
| Job type | Broad 2026 guide |
|---|---|
| Small office interior (walls, ceilings, trim) | $3,000 to $8,000 |
| Retail shop fit-out repaint | $2,500 to $7,000 |
| Strata common areas (lobby, stairwells, corridors) | $6,000 to $20,000+ |
| Building exterior (low-rise) | $15,000 to $60,000+ |
These are guide ranges, not quotes. Commercial work varies more than residential because access and scheduling can matter as much as the square metres. The only accurate number is a written fixed price after a site walk-through.
What actually moves a commercial painting price
- Access. Ground-floor walls cost less than anything needing scaffold, boom lifts or elevated work platforms. Work at height also brings EWMS paperwork and safety planning, which we prepare as standard.
- After-hours work. Nights and weekends keep your business trading but add a loading to labour. Often the loading costs less than closing would.
- Surface condition. Sound previously painted plasterboard is the cheapest to recoat. Flaking render, rusted steel, water damage and crack repair all add prep hours, and prep is where commercial budgets are won or lost.
- Durability spec. High-traffic corridors and retail floors justify tougher (dearer) systems. We cover the options in our guide to paint for high-traffic areas.
- Scope creep insurance. A proper quote nails the scope in writing so the price does not move mid-job.
Offices, retail and strata price differently
An office repaint is mostly straightforward wall area with furniture protection and after-hours scheduling. Retail adds tighter deadlines, since every closed day costs sales, so the program matters more than the rate. Strata common property is its own discipline: committees, managing agents, notices to residents and staged access. We cover that whole path, including approvals and staging, in our guide to strata and apartment painting in the Inner West.
Minimising downtime changes the maths
The real cost of a commercial repaint is the quoted price plus any trading you lose while it happens. Staged programs, night shifts and low-odour paints (Dulux Professional and Taubmans Easycoat lines) mean most offices and shops never close at all. How that scheduling works in practice is covered in how commercial painters minimise downtime.
How to compare commercial painting quotes
Cheap commercial quotes usually hide one of three things: one coat specced where two are needed, prep hours that are not in the scope, or no insurance behind the price. Ask every bidder for the same scope in writing: surfaces included, number of coats, the exact product, prep inclusions, access equipment, and proof of licence and public liability insurance. Our breakdown of what a professional painting quote includes applies double on commercial work, where the sums are larger.
AKD Painting has painted Sydney offices, shopfronts and strata buildings since 2013, from Newtown and Marrickville shopfronts to blocks in Ashfield and Burwood. Licensed (NSW licence 330882C), insured for commercial work, with a 5-year written workmanship warranty. See our commercial painting services for recent before-and-after projects.
Frequently asked questions
How much does commercial painting cost per square metre in Sydney?
Standard interior commercial work typically runs $12 to $30 per square metre in 2026, and exteriors $25 to $60, depending on access, prep and product. Complex access or heavy prep can push beyond those ranges.
Do you paint after hours or on weekends?
Yes. Most of our office and retail work is scheduled after hours or staged so the business keeps trading. After-hours labour carries a loading, which usually costs far less than closing.
Are you insured for commercial painting work?
Yes. AKD Painting carries public liability insurance for commercial sites and provides certificates of currency with the quote, along with our NSW painting licence details.
How long does an office repaint take?
A small office is usually two to four nights. Larger floors are staged area by area over a week or two so teams keep working through the program. The schedule is agreed in writing before we start.
Planning a repaint for your office, shop or building? Get a fixed written quote with the scope spelled out. Book via our contact page, or call 0474 854 369.
About the author
Alex Dzissah is the founder of AKD Painting, a fully licensed Sydney painting business operating since 2013. Alex and his team specialise in interior, exterior, residential and commercial painting across Sydney, with particular expertise in Inner West heritage, federation and terrace homes.