House painting works best when the whole job is planned as one: roof and gutters, outside walls, ceilings, walls, doors and trims, in the right order and with one set of colours that suits the house. Done that way, you get one painting team, one quote to check and one guarantee. Whether you are refreshing the family home, getting a house ready for sale or fixing years of tired paint, describe the house and what it needs, and local painters quote you directly. The request is free and you are under no obligation to accept.
Planning a whole-house repaint
Most painters start outside in dry, mild weather and move indoors if it rains. Work from the top down: fix the roof, ridge cappings and gutters first, because a leak that stains a fresh ceiling wastes the inside job. Outside, walls go before fascias, windows and burglar bars. Inside, ceilings go first, then walls, then doors, skirtings and frames. Plan where furniture will go, which rooms you need to use each night, and who has the keys.
Choosing house painting colours inside and out
Paint large test patches, at least an A3 sheet in size, on two or three walls and look at them at different times of day. Colour on a chip looks darker on a whole wall indoors and lighter outside in full sun. A few practical rules:
- White and off-white make small rooms feel bigger but show marks; a washable low sheen helps in passages.
- Greys range from cool blue-grey to warm greige; check them beside your floors and roof colour.
- Outside, keep to two or three colours: walls, trims and perhaps a front door.
- In a complex or estate, check the approved colours before you choose.
For more ideas, see paint colours.
What drives the cost
Cost guides put house painting at about R50 to R250 per m² with paint, or about R25 to R100 per m² for labour only. The m² are wall and ceiling area, not floor area. Price rises with crack repair, damp treatment, burglar bars and window frames, double-storey access, colour changes and the paint grade you choose.
Painting a house to sell or let
Buyers and tenants notice stains, peeling and dark, dated colours. A neutral repaint of the main rooms, a clean front wall and fresh trims often does more than a new colour scheme. Fix the damp and leaks first: paint over a damp stain usually shows through again before transfer. See interior painting and exterior painting for the detail on each.
What to include in your request
- Number of rooms and storeys
- Which parts: inside, outside or both
- Colours, or whether you want advice
- Known problems: cracks, damp, peeling
- Whether you will live in the house meanwhile
House Painting for different clients
- Homeowners: the family home repainted inside and out in one planned job with one guarantee
- Landlords and sellers: a rental house repainted in neutral colours between tenants or before listing
- Body corporates and estates: a unit owner repainting inside while the body corporate handles the outside
- Shops, offices and restaurants: a guest house or home office repainted in phases around bookings and clients
- Factories, farms and mines: farmhouses and staff houses on a farm painted in one visit by one team
- Builders and developers: renovated houses repainted inside and out before handover to the buyer
- Schools, churches and public buildings: church manses, caretaker houses and staff housing repainted on one contract
- Painters and contractors: painters pricing full house repaints and splitting crews between inside and out
Frequently asked questions
Should I paint the inside or the outside of the house first?
How do I measure my house for a painting quote?
Which house painting colours work outside in South Africa?
Do you send your own painters?
House Painting by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg