How to Hire a Painter in Melbourne Without Getting Burned

Hiring a painter in Melbourne is harder than it should be. Everyone has a roller in their ute and a website that says “trusted since 2010”, but the gap between a properly run crew and someone chasing a quick weekend payment is enormous.

We wrote this guide because we hear the same stories every month. The quote that came in 40% under the others. The “painter” who disappeared after the deposit. The render that was rolled over without any prep and started peeling two winters later.

Here is what to look for before you sign anything for interior painting or an exterior repaint.

Essential Credentials to Check First

Victorian Building Authority Registration

In Victoria, domestic building work over $10,000 must be done by a registered building practitioner. Painting work specifically must be done by someone registered with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) when the contract value is above the threshold.

Verification is simple. Search the painter on the VBA register at vba.vic.gov.au and confirm:

• Their name or company name appears on the public register.
• Their registration is current and not suspended.
• The class of registration actually covers painting work.

If a contractor cannot provide a VBA number for a job over $10,000, they are legally not allowed to do the work. End of discussion.

Insurance You Need to Verify

Ask for certificates of currency (not just verbal assurance) for three specific policies:

Public liability insurance. Minimum $10 million, preferably $20 million. This is what pays if a ladder goes through your bay window or paint drift stains the neighbour’s car.

WorkCover / WorkSafe Victoria coverage. This is critical. If a worker falls off scaffolding on your property and the contractor is not covered, you can be personally sued for medical costs and lost income.

Domestic Building Insurance (DBI). Required for jobs over $16,000 in Victoria. Protects you if the builder dies, disappears, or becomes insolvent before completing the work.

Why it matters: your home and contents insurance has subrogation clauses. If an uninsured contractor causes damage, your insurer will pay you out, then come after the contractor. If the contractor has nothing, your premiums go up next year.

A Proper Written Quote

Professional painters provide itemised, detailed quotes. Ambiguity is where every budget overrun and dispute starts. A quality quote should spell out:

• Scope - exactly which elevations, eaves, fascia, windows and doors are included.
• Preparation - washing method, scraping, sanding, filling, priming, crack repair.
• Products - specific brand and product line (Dulux Weathershield, not just “Dulux”), coat count, and approximate coverage.
• Access - scaffold, EWP, or ladder work, and who pays for it.
• Payment schedule - tied to visible milestones, not a single upfront payment.
• Warranty - what is covered, for how long, and how you make a claim.

Red flag: a quote on the back of a business card, or a price given over the phone without anyone actually walking the property.

Questions to Ask Before You Sign

About Their Experience

1. How do you handle cracks in render or weatherboard? A proper answer mentions crack routing, flexible acrylic sealant, and where relevant an elastomeric topcoat. “We just paint over them” is the wrong answer. For more on render repair we have a full guide.
2. Can I see work you did three or more years ago? Fresh paint always looks good. You want to know whether their jobs survive three Melbourne winters.
3. Do you have photos of comparable homes in my suburb? A painter who has done half a dozen weatherboard Edwardians in Clifton Hill knows what your place needs.

About Their Process

4. Will you wash, prep, fill, and prime before any finish coat? You want the exact sequence spelled out, not hand-waved.
5. What product do you recommend for a west-facing wall and why? The answer should mention UV retention and a specific exterior painting product line.
6. Who will be the site supervisor and how do I contact them? You want a named mobile number, not a generic office line.
7. How will you protect our garden, deck and cars? Drop sheets, masking, overspray control on windy days.

About The Business Side

8. What is your VBA registration number? Check it that same day.
9. Are your painters employees or sub-contractors? Employees are typically under closer supervision; subbies can be fine but you want to know.
10. What warranty are you offering in writing? In Melbourne, anything less than a 5-year workmanship warranty on exterior work is a warning sign.

Red Flags That Should Stop You Cold

Pricing Warning Signs

• A suspiciously low quote. If one number is 30 to 40% below the others, the quoter is almost certainly skipping prep, using builder-grade trade paint, or planning to under-hand the labour.
• Large upfront deposits. Victorian law caps deposits at 10% of the contract value for most domestic painting work. Anyone demanding 30 to 50% upfront is a problem.
• Cash-only pressure. Door-knockers after a storm event are a classic scam. Legitimate painters send proper invoices.

Professionalism Warning Signs

• No written contract. Verbal agreements are worthless if something goes wrong.
• Vague timelines. “We can squeeze you in next week” usually means another job just fell through for a reason.
• Unmarked vehicles. Established Melbourne crews brand their utes. They are proud of their work.
• No verifiable references. If they cannot produce past clients willing to speak to you, they probably do not have any.

Technical Warning Signs

• One-coat promises on a colour change. One coat rarely hides a colour change or gives the film build you need for UV protection.
• No mention of pH testing on fresh render. Skipping this causes alkali burn and early failure.
• Generic buckets with no labels. If the painter cannot show you the product he is using, you cannot know what you are paying for.

Compare Quotes Properly

Get three to four quotes and compare them line-by-line. A neat trick is to draw up a table like this:

Item	Quote A	Quote B	Quote C
VBA registration	Verified	Verified	Not provided
Public liability	$20m	$10m	Unspecified
Prep included	Wash, scrape, fill, prime	Wash only	None listed
Product	Dulux Weathershield (named)	“Premium exterior”	Unspecified
Coats	1 undercoat + 2 topcoats	”2 coats"	"2 coats”
Warranty	7 years written	2 years	Tail-light warranty

Two of those quotes are not actually comparable. The cheapest one is almost always missing the most important items.

The Middle Quote Is Usually the Honest One

Across hundreds of jobs we have seen the same pattern. The cheapest quote is either desperate or cutting corners. The most expensive is either a premium-positioned outfit with heavy overhead, or they are testing whether you will pay for a logo.

The middle quote tends to reflect what the job actually costs to deliver properly, including insurance, WorkCover, product, crew time, warranty provisions, and a fair margin.

Protect Your Money With Smart Payment Terms

1. Small deposit capped at 10% of the contract value, paid only after the written contract is signed.
2. Progress payments tied to visible milestones such as “prep complete and signed off” or “first topcoat complete”.
3. Retention of at least 10% held until you have walked the finished job and all defects are rectified.
4. Paper trail for every payment. Pay by EFT or card wherever possible, never cash without a signed receipt.

Why We Run the Business This Way

Paul has been painting in Melbourne for 20 years. Every insurance certificate, VBA check and written warranty we offer is there because we have seen what goes wrong when painters cut those corners.

If you are weighing up quotes for a project, we are happy to sit down and walk through the specifications with you, even if you ultimately go with another painter. Contact Paul Painting Melbourne and we will help you understand exactly what you are comparing.