Trim / Architrave Paint (per linear m) cost in Australia
Skirting, architrave, window frame painting. Compare modelled costs, what is and isn't included, and city adjustments — then check your own quote against it.
$8–$22
Midpoint estimate: $15 per m²
Trim / Architrave Paint (per linear m) · Sydney. Modelled estimate, not calculated from consumer submissions. GST included; city, suburb and materials differences are assumptions rather than observed prices. Confirm scope and inclusions with the provider.
How this figure is put together
Estimate from our published model, labelled as such; method and city factors on the page.
Modelled estimate. City, suburb and materials factors are assumptions, not observed price differences. Confirm GST, units and inclusions with the provider.
GST is included in this price basis.
No verified observation date for this model.
Existing guide assumptions; not a measured market sample or verified rate card.
National guide, modelled from the Sydney baseline and adjusted by city below.
Before booking: This model assumes materials are included; confirm the actual quote. This model assumes GST is included; confirm the provider’s GST treatment. Agree callout and additional work in the written total.
Materials
This model assumes materials are included; confirm the actual quote.
Most painters quote trims separately from walls.
GST & fees
This model assumes GST is included; confirm the provider’s GST treatment.
Trim / Architrave Paint (per linear m) prices by city
City figures apply local cost-of-living adjustments to the national guide.
Trim / Architrave Paint (per linear m) by city
Modelled ranges, not observed prices. The spread between cities comes from a published city multiplier applied to the national range — it is an assumption about each market, not a measurement of it.
On a small screen, scroll across to see every column.
| City | Typical range | Around |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | $8 – $22 per m² | $15 per m² |
| Melbourne | $7 – $20 per m² | $14 per m² |
| Brisbane | $7 – $19 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Perth | $7 – $18 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Adelaide | $6 – $17 per m² | $12 per m² |
| Canberra | $7 – $20 per m² | $14 per m² |
| Hobart | $7 – $18 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Darwin | $7 – $19 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Gold Coast | $7 – $18 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Toowoomba | $6 – $17 per m² | $12 per m² |
| Ballarat | $7 – $18 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Bendigo | $7 – $18 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Townsville | $7 – $19 per m² | $13 per m² |
| Mackay | $7 – $20 per m² | $14 per m² |
| Albury-Wodonga | $6 – $18 per m² | $12 per m² |
Before accepting a trim / architrave paint (per linear m) quote
Use these questions to agree the scope before comparing totals.
- Work and quantity
- Ask the provider to define the trim / architrave paint (per linear m) work, quantity and exclusions in writing.
- Materials
- Most painters quote trims separately from walls.
- Price basis
- Confirm whether the charge is per square metre, and how additional work is agreed.
- Final amount
- Confirm callout, access, disposal, making good and GST treatment before approving the work.
FairCost editorial checklist. These are questions to agree with your provider, not promised inclusions.
What pushes a trim / architrave paint (per linear m) quote up
Estimate or verified?
Here trim / architrave paint (per linear m) prices on this page are modelled estimates using existing guide assumptions, without a reconciled source dataset. An observed range is published only when its numbers are computed from at least 10 eligible submissions with matching scope, tax and materials treatment. Quotes and paid invoices are kept separate. How we build estimates · Submit a price
Who can legally do this job
Licensing and permissions guidance
Building and trade work: checked sources
On a small screen, scroll across to see every column.
| Location | Official source |
|---|---|
| NSW | Building Commission NSWAnyone doing general residential building or trade work worth more than $5,000 in labour and materials including GST must hold a licence from Building Commission NSW. A written contract is mandatory once the price is over $5,000 including GST, and work valued between $5,000 and $20,000 must use a small works contract. For work over $20,000 including GST your builder must take out home building compensation (HBC) insurance and give you the certificate before taking a deposit or starting work. Licensing, contracts and insurance do not replace planning approval: most structural work, extensions and decks also need development consent or a complying development certificate. |
| VIC | Building and Plumbing CommissionA builder or tradesperson must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission to carry out domestic building work worth more than $10,000, with limited exceptions for work that is only plastering, tiling or painting. The same $10,000 figure triggers the contract requirement: above it you must have a major domestic building contract in writing. Insurance changed on 1 July 2026 — for eligible contracts signed on or after that date, Home Warranty insurance is required above $20,000, replacing Domestic Building Insurance, which applied above $16,000 for contracts signed earlier. A building permit from a registered building surveyor, and planning approval where required, is a separate obligation. |
| QLD | Queensland Building and Construction CommissionYou need a QBCC licence to carry out building work valued over $3,300 including materials, labour and GST; handyman work at or under $3,300 is exempt provided it is not electrical or plumbing and needs no occupational licence. Written contracts are required at the same threshold in two tiers — a Level 1 regulated contract from more than $3,300 up to $19,999, and a Level 2 regulated contract over $20,000. Queensland Home Warranty Scheme cover is required on residential construction work valued at more than $3,300, and your contractor must pay the premium and give you the notice before starting. A building approval from your council or a private building certifier is a separate requirement for most structural work, extensions and decks. |
| WA | Building and EnergyIn most areas of Western Australia a builder carrying out building work worth $20,000 or more must be registered with Building and Energy; registration requirements differ in some remote parts of the state. The written-contract rule uses a lower figure: the Home Building Contracts Act 1991 applies to fixed-price home building contracts valued between $7,500 and $500,000, and contracts in that range must be in writing. Home indemnity insurance must be taken out by your builder for residential building work valued over $20,000, and you should see the certificate before paying a deposit or allowing work to start. A building permit from your local government is a separate approval for structural work, extensions and most decks. |
| SA | Consumer and Business ServicesSouth Australia sets no dollar threshold for licensing — anyone carrying on business as a building work contractor must hold a building work contractor's licence from Consumer and Business Services, whatever the job is worth. A written contract is mandatory once domestic building work is worth $20,000 or more, and it must show the contractor's licence number, be signed by both parties and come with Form 1, Your building contract: your rights and obligations. Building indemnity insurance is required where the work costs $20,000 or more and also requires development approval; that threshold rose from $12,000 on 10 November 2025, so older guides quoting $12,000 are out of date. Development approval through PlanSA or your council is separate from licensing, contracts and insurance. |
| TAS | Building Standards TasmaniaFrom 1 October 2026 Tasmania's building regulation sits with Building Standards Tasmania, which took this function over from Consumer, Building and Occupational Services. Tasmania sets no dollar threshold for licensing: whether a licence is needed depends on the type of work, so a builder licence is required for building services work at any value, while paving, concreting, painting and landscaping need no licence. The written-contract threshold is separate — the Residential Building Work Contracts and Dispute Resolution Act 2016 applies at a contract price of $20,000 or more, and those contracts must be in writing, dated and signed by both parties, with the Residential Building Consumer Guide given to you before you sign. Approvals are risk-based rather than value-based: low-risk work needs no permit, notifiable work goes to a building surveyor, and permit work requires a building permit from the council. |
| ACT | Construction Occupations RegistrarIn the ACT licensing is tied to the nature of the work rather than its price: a builder must hold the relevant licence class to do or supervise work that requires building approval, and no dollar threshold starts the licence requirement. ACT legislation does not require a written contract for residential building work, although one is strongly recommended, and a contract for a house or for work over $12,000 cannot give the builder power to choose or remove your building certifier. Residential building work insurance, or a fidelity fund certificate, is required before work starts for new homes and for certain alterations or additions valued at $12,000 or more. Building approval is a separate obligation, and it is you as the landowner — not your builder — who appoints the building certifier. |
| NT | Building Practitioners BoardThe Northern Territory uses a single, much higher threshold than the eastern states, built around prescribed residential building work: work worth more than $25,000 on a house or unit, or an extension or renovation that increases floor area. You must use a registered building contractor for prescribed residential building work, and a written contract is legally required for it; below $25,000 neither obligation applies, though a written contract is still sensible. Instead of a warranty insurance policy the NT uses a fidelity fund certificate, which your builder must obtain for each qualifying job before getting a building permit or demanding payment — the triggering value rose from $12,000 to $25,000 on 30 March 2026, so older guides quoting $12,000 are out of date. A building permit is required for most building work, and in a building control area you must also engage an NT registered building certifier. |
| Your location | Australian Business Licence and Information ServiceSearch the exact activity and location to find licensing, regulatory and council requirements. Follow through to the named authority and verify the provider separately. This lookup is not confirmation that a provider is licensed or a job is exempt. |
This is not a complete register of requirements. Where a state-specific source has not been checked, use the government lookup. Qualified trade review is pending; no universal licence exemption is asserted.
Painting cost guides by city
Local pricing, licensing and quote checks for painting in each city we cover in detail.
Trim / Architrave Paint (per linear m): common questions
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