Cost to Paint an Apartment in Sydney: 1, 2 and 3 Bedroom Guide

By Alex Dzissah, Founder, AKD Painting

Painting an apartment interior in Sydney typically costs $2,000 to $3,500 for a one-bedroom unit, $3,000 to $5,000 for a two-bedroom, and $4,500 to $7,000 for a three-bedroom, including walls, ceilings, doors and trim with quality paint. Access, ceiling height and the condition of the walls move the number inside those ranges.

2026 price guide by apartment size

Those figures cover a standard repaint in good condition: two coats on walls and ceilings, doors, frames and skirtings, quality acrylic like Dulux Wash&Wear on walls and Dulux Aquanamel on trim. Peeling paint, deep colour changes, high ceilings or lots of repair work push a unit toward the top of its range. A full house comparison is in our cost to paint a house in Sydney guide.

Why apartments price differently to houses

The rooms may be smaller, but apartments bring logistics a house never has: parking and loading access, lift protection and bookings, moving gear through common property, and building rules about working hours. In a busy building in Summer Hill or Ashfield, an hour a day can go to access alone. Good apartment painters price this in up front rather than discovering it mid-job. How we handle building access and safety on larger jobs is covered in our guide to access and safety on apartment repaints.

What is included, and the add-ons that matter in units

A proper apartment quote covers walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirtings and built-in wardrobe fronts, plus protection of floors and furniture. The common extras: kitchens and laundries in a washable finish, bathroom ceilings in a mould-resistant system, and feature walls. Ceilings matter more in apartments than owners expect, since scuffed or water-stained ceilings are the first thing an inspection or a buyer notices.

Older walk-ups versus modern buildings

The Inner West’s red-brick walk-ups, common around Dulwich Hill and Marrickville, often have solid rendered walls, higher ceilings and decades of paint layers, so they need more prep than a 2010s apartment with plasterboard throughout. No lift also means everything travels by stairs. We know these buildings well; see our guide to repainting red-brick walk-up apartments.

End-of-lease and pre-sale repaints

Two of the most common reasons apartments get painted. For end-of-lease, the goal is clean, uniform walls that satisfy the final inspection, often a partial repaint of the worst rooms. For pre-sale, agents consistently ask for the same thing: fresh white or off-white walls and clean ceilings, because a repainted unit photographs better and presents bigger. A repaint is one of the few pre-sale spends that reliably pays for itself; our post on how repainting increases property value covers why.

Do you need strata approval to paint inside your apartment?

Usually not for painting inside your own lot, since interior paint is generally not common property. You do need approval once the work touches common property, such as the front door’s outside face, balcony ceilings or external surfaces, and some buildings have by-laws about working hours and contractor insurance regardless. We carry the licence (NSW licence 330882C), insurance and certificates buildings ask for, and if your job crosses into common property we can deal with the committee or agent directly, as covered in working with your strata committee and managing agent. For whole-building work, start at our guide to strata and apartment painting in the Inner West.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to paint a 2 bedroom apartment in Sydney?

As a broad 2026 guide, $3,000 to $5,000 for a full interior repaint: walls, ceilings, doors and trim, two coats of quality paint. Condition, ceiling height and colour changes move the price within that range. A written quote after a viewing is the accurate figure.

How long does painting an apartment take?

A one-bedroom unit takes about two to three days, a two-bedroom three to four, and a three-bedroom up to a week. Occupied units can be staged room by room so you can keep living there.

Do I need strata approval to paint inside my unit?

Painting inside your own lot generally needs no approval. Approval comes into it when work touches common property, like the outside of your entry door or balcony surfaces, or where building by-laws set rules for contractors.

Do you handle building access and lift bookings?

Yes. We arrange lift protection and bookings, follow the building’s working hours, and provide the insurance certificates building managers ask for before work starts.

Want a fixed price for your unit? We quote apartments across the Inner West and all of Sydney, with a written price within 48 hours. Book via our contact page, or call 0474 854 369.