How to Choose a Painter in Sydney: 12 Questions to Ask Before You Hire

By Alex Dzissah, Founder, AKD Painting

Choosing a painter in Sydney comes down to three questions: are they licensed, what warranty do they offer, and what is actually included in the quote? A licensed NSW painter, public liability insurance, a written workmanship warranty, and a fixed-price quote separate the painters worth hiring from the ones whose work flakes off in two years.

Quick answer: the 12 questions, in order

1. Are you NSW-licensed? What’s your licence number?
2. Are you fully insured? For what amount?
3. What workmanship warranty do you offer in writing?
4. How many coats are included, over what primer?
5. What paint brand and product line will you use?
6. Is prep included? What does prep cover?
7. Who is on-site each day, your crew or sub-contracted labour?
8. What does the daily clean-up include?
9. Is the quote fixed-price or estimate-based?
10. What’s the payment schedule?
11. What’s the timeline and start date?
12. Can I see two recent local references?

The questions, expanded

1. Are you NSW-licensed? What’s your licence number?

Painting work over $5,000 in NSW requires a contractor licence issued by NSW Fair Trading. Painters working without a licence on jobs over the threshold are operating outside the law. Ask for the number, write it on the quote, and verify it on the NSW Fair Trading public register before signing. AKD Painting’s licence is 330882C.

2. Are you fully insured? For what amount?

Public liability insurance covers damage caused during the job: a dropped ladder through a window, paint over a heritage floor, an electrical short caused by a contractor. The Australian standard is $5 to $20 million cover. Ask to see the current certificate. Reputable painters carry it on hand.

3. What workmanship warranty do you offer in writing?

Manufacturer paint warranties (10 to 15 years on premium product) cover the product. Workmanship warranties cover the application. They are different. A 5-year written workmanship warranty is the Inner West Sydney market standard for licensed operators. AKD offers 5 years, in writing, honoured to the original property owner.

4. How many coats are included, over what primer?

“Two coats” in painter language can mean two full coats over a full primer, or two finish coats with no primer over a spot-prime, or one heavy coat counted as two. Get the painter to specify in writing: number of coats, primer brand if used, and primer coverage (full or spot). Three coats are needed for dark-to-light colour changes.

5. What paint brand and product line will you use?

The brand matters less than the line within the brand. Dulux Wash & Wear (interior) is different from Dulux Once (cheaper, single-coverage). Dulux Weathershield (exterior, 15-year warranty) is different from Dulux Weathershield Plus (longer warranty) or budget exterior lines. Ask for the product name, not just the brand.

6. Is prep included? What does prep cover?

The single biggest variable in a painting quote. Inclusive prep covers filling cracks, gap-fill around skirtings and architraves, sanding, spot-priming patches, and caulking. Exclusive prep (“paint only, prep extra”) often surfaces as an add-on a week into the job. AKD’s quotes include prep as standard.

7. Who is on-site each day, your crew or sub-contracted labour?

Some painters quote the job and then sub-contract the labour to a separate crew. Sub-contracting is not inherently bad, but the homeowner should know. Ask whether the painter who quoted will be on site, how many crew members will be on site each day, and whether they are employees or sub-contractors.

8. What does the daily clean-up include?

A reasonable standard: drop-sheets folded daily, work surfaces vacuumed, tools off-site or stowed, masking left in place only where unavoidable, and end-of-job rubbish removed in full. Ask explicitly. Some painters leave site clean-up to the homeowner.

9. Is the quote fixed-price or estimate-based?

Fixed-price quotes lock the number. Estimate-based quotes can rise. The painter should commit to a fixed-price in writing. The only legitimate basis for an increase is new scope discovered after work starts, for example rotten timber under a weatherboard that was not visible at quote stage. That increase is documented in a variation, signed by both parties, before any extra work is done.

10. What’s the payment schedule?

Standard practice in NSW for residential painting: jobs under $5,000 have no deposit and are paid on completion; jobs $5,000 to $10,000 take a 20 per cent deposit on start with the balance on completion; jobs over $10,000 take a 20 per cent deposit, a progress payment at 50 per cent, and the balance on completion. Painters demanding full payment upfront, or 50 per cent or more before work starts, are operating outside the local norm.

11. What’s the timeline and start date?

The quote should state both. A two-week-late start with no notice is a sign of overbooked or under-staffed operators. Reputable Inner West painters book 4 to 6 weeks ahead in autumn (peak season). Get the start and finish dates in the quote, in writing, with a contingency clause for weather on exterior jobs.

12. Can I see two recent local references?

Not Google reviews, those can be sourced and gamed. Ask for two recent jobs the painter completed within 5km of your home, in the last 6 months. A reputable painter has these on hand. AKD provides three Inner West references with every quote over $5,000.

Red flags

The signs you’ll only see by asking the right questions:

• “Licence number isn’t required for this job size.” Possibly true under $5,000, but a licensed painter has nothing to hide.
• “Cash discount available.” Usually means no insurance, no warranty, no paper trail. Run.
• “I can start tomorrow.” Peak-season slots are booked weeks ahead. Immediate availability often means cancellations or no demand.
• “Just my standard paint,” without a brand or product line specified.
• Verbal-only quote. Australian Consumer Law and NSW Fair Trading both require painting work over $5,000 to be quoted in writing.
• 50 per cent or more deposit demanded.
• No fixed end date.

What a complete quote looks like

A licensed Inner West painting quote should contain, at minimum:

• Painter’s full business name, ABN, and licence number
• Public liability insurance amount
• Itemised scope (rooms, surfaces, square metres)
• Coat count per surface
• Paint brand, product line, finish, and colour code
• Prep inclusions and exclusions
• Start date, working days, completion date
• Fixed price (inc. GST) and payment schedule
• Workmanship warranty term and what it covers
• Variations clause (how scope changes are handled)
• Signature line for both parties

If the quote does not have these elements, ask for them in writing before signing.

The Inner West market

Inner West Sydney has roughly 40 active licensed residential painters within 5km of Newtown. Quality varies. A 5.0-star Google profile across 100-plus reviews, an NSW licence number on the quote, a public liability certificate on file, and a 5-year written warranty are the four signals that consistently separate the painters who deliver from the ones who don’t.

AKD Painting checks all four. Licence 330882C. Full public liability. A 5-year workmanship warranty written into every quote. 5.0 stars across 138 Google reviews as of June 2026.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check a painter’s licence in NSW?

Visit the NSW Fair Trading public register at service.nsw.gov.au and search by licence number or business name. The register shows status, licence type, and any disciplinary history.

What’s the minimum insurance for a Sydney painter?

There is no legal minimum, but the industry standard for residential work is $10 to $20 million public liability. Less than $5 million is a flag.

How many quotes should I get for a painting job in Sydney?

Two or three, from licensed operators. Quotes more than 30 per cent apart usually signal one painter is cutting prep or coat count. Ask each painter to specify the same scope so the quotes are comparable.

What if a painter wants cash payment?

Polite refusal is fine. Cash-only operators often skip insurance, warranty, and invoicing. The saving disappears if anything goes wrong.

Do Sydney painters give free quotes?

Most licensed residential painters in Sydney quote free. The visit takes 20 to 40 minutes. The written quote arrives within 48 hours.

What if my painter goes over budget?

A fixed-price quote stops budget overruns. Any variation must be agreed in writing before the extra work is done. Refuse verbal variations. NSW Fair Trading sides with the homeowner where there is no written agreement.

Hire a licensed Inner West painter

In Newtown, Marrickville, Balmain, Leichhardt, Annandale, or any Inner West suburb? Every AKD quote is fixed-price, lists Licence 330882C, and includes a 5-year written warranty. Phone 0474 854 369 or request a free quote online.