What published ranges actually show
One Auckland painting company's own published cost guide sets out the kind of spread a homeowner should expect to see across the market. Their figures, current as at 2026-09-23, are:
| House type | Published range |
|---|---|
| Overall exterior repaint, Auckland | $4,000 – $18,000 |
| Single-storey timber weatherboard | $5,000 – $9,000 |
| Two-storey weatherboard villa | $7,000 – $14,000 |
| Brick and tile, trims and eaves only | $3,500 – $6,500 |
| Two-storey fibre cement | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| Roughcast or plaster exterior | $4,500 – $9,000 |
Source: superiorpainters.co.nz exterior painting cost guide, read 23 September 2026 (superiorpainters.co.nz). This is a different company's published range, shown here as market context, not a Second to None price. Second to None does not publish a fixed price list because condition and access change the real number on every job.
What actually drives the number
Across every published guide and every honest quote, the same handful of factors decide where a job lands in the range above.
- House size and wall area. More square metres of surface is more time and more material, in a fairly direct line.
- Storeys and access. A two-storey wall usually needs scaffolding rather than ladders. Scaffolding hire, set-up and take-down is a real line item that a single-storey job does not carry.
- Surface type. Timber weatherboard, fibre cement, brick, plaster and roughcast all take different preparation and different coating systems, which is why the published ranges above vary by cladding type even at a similar size.
- Condition and preparation. A house that has been repainted well and recently needs a wash and a topcoat. A house with flaking, cracking or bare timber needs stripping, sanding and priming first. This is usually the single biggest swing factor in any quote.
- Repairs found along the way. Rotten weatherboards, failed sealant or cracked plaster found during preparation add carpentry or plastering cost on top of the painting cost. An honest quote separates the two so you can see which is which.
- Coating system. Primer, undercoat and topcoat requirements differ by surface and by how big a colour change is being made. More coats means more material and more time.
- Colour change. Going from a light colour to a dark one, or the reverse, often needs an extra coat to get even coverage, which a same-colour repaint does not.
- Trim and detail. Fretwork, sash windows, weatherboard corners, verandah posts and multi-colour trim schemes take far longer per square metre than a flat wall, which is why villa and bungalow quotes count detail separately from area.
Interior, exterior and roof painting are priced differently
Exterior painting is driven mostly by area, storeys, access and how much of the cladding has failed, as set out above. A full wash-down is standard practice before any exterior coat, and skipping it is one of the more common corners cut on a cheap quote.
Interior painting is driven by room count, ceiling height, trim and joinery detail, and how much furniture and floor protection the job needs. A house with straightforward walls but panelled doors, deep skirtings and picture rails takes longer per room than a plain new-build interior, regardless of floor area.
Roof painting adds its own factors on top of the general list: roof pitch and access, whether the roof needs a wash or a rust-treatment pass before coating, and whether ridge capping, valleys and flashings are being coated as part of the same job or priced separately. A faded but sound roof and a roof with rust through to bare metal are not the same job even at the same square metreage.
How to compare quotes properly
Consumer NZ's guidance on quotes and estimates is useful here even though it does not publish painting-specific prices: get more than one written quote, and make sure each one sets out exactly what is included, not just a total figure. For painting specifically, a scope worth comparing should state:
- which surfaces and elevations are included, and which are not;
- the preparation method: wash only, sand and spot-prime, or full strip;
- the number of coats and the products or product range being used;
- whether scaffolding, ladders or a mix is being used, and who arranges it;
- how any carpentry, plastering or repair work found during prep is priced, and whether it needs your sign-off before proceeding;
- an approximate timeframe and what could reasonably extend it, such as weather.
Two quotes with the same total but different answers to those points are not actually the same quote.
Source: Consumer NZ, quotes and estimates guidance, read 23 September 2026 (consumer.org.nz).
Ways to reduce cost without cutting preparation
Preparation is the one place that should not be trimmed, because it is what decides how long the coating lasts. Real, defensible savings come from elsewhere:
- being flexible on scheduling, so a painter can slot the job into a gap rather than pricing in a rush premium;
- doing your own furniture removal, artwork take-down and floor protection for an interior job where that is practical;
- keeping a colour change simple where trim, gutters and downpipes do not strictly need a different colour or extra coats;
- scoping painting alongside any known carpentry or plastering repair in one job with one company, rather than running two separate call-outs and two separate mobilisations.
When repairs change the number
The figure in a quote can change once preparation actually starts, and the two most common reasons are timber condition and paint condition. Rot found under old paint, once uncovered, needs cutting out and replacing before coating can continue. Where a home was built in the 1980s or earlier, WorkSafe's guidance is to presume the existing paint carries lead, and safe removal on that surface uses containment methods rather than open dry sanding, which takes more time than sanding paint with no such history.
Source: WorkSafe New Zealand, managing lead-based paint guidance, read 23 September 2026 (worksafe.govt.nz).
A quote that flags this possibility on an older home before starting is being realistic, not padding the number. One that ignores it on a pre-1980s house is more likely to need a change order once work is underway.