Finding good painters in South Africa is mostly about knowing what to ask. A careful painter spends more time on preparation than on the final coats, names the paint grade in the quote and tells you how many coats you are getting. Whether you need one bedroom freshened up, a whole house repainted, a roof recoated or a flat roof waterproofed, the same rules apply. Tell us about the job and painting contractors near you quote you directly. Sending a request is free and there is no obligation to accept any quote.
Which kind of painter you need
Most painting contractors near you do several kinds of work, but it helps to name the job clearly so the right people quote:
- Interior painting: ceilings, walls, doors and trims in occupied rooms.
- Exterior painting: plaster walls, fascias, gutters, burglar bars and boundary walls.
- House painting: the whole house inside and out, planned as one job.
- Roof painting and waterproofing: often specialist teams with their own pressure washers and membrane kit.
- Commercial painting: complexes, offices, shops and factories with a written scope of work.
What good painters do before the first coat
Most of a good paint job is preparation. Expect the painter to wash dirty and greasy walls, scrape off loose and flaking paint, fill cracks and sand the patches flat, and treat mould before painting over it. Bare plaster, chalky old paint and patched areas need a primer. New plaster must cure fully first, often about four weeks, so ask your painter before rushing it. A painter who skips these steps can still give a neat finish on day one, but it often starts peeling within a season or two.
What drives the cost
Cost guides put labour at about R25 to R100 per m², with the paint extra, or about R50 to R250 per m² with the paint included. Where your job falls depends on the state of the surfaces, the amount of repair work, the paint grade, the number of coats, a colour change from dark to light, and access. A double storey with scaffolding costs more per m² than a single storey a painter can reach from a ladder.
How to compare painting contractors
Ask for a written quote that lists the preparation, the paint type and grade, the number of coats, who supplies the paint and what guarantee is given, in writing. Ask whether they carry public liability cover, how many people will be on site and who supervises them. Ask for photos or addresses of similar jobs. A quote that just says "paint house, R…" gives you nothing to hold the painter to.
What to include in your request
- What needs painting: rooms, outside walls or roof
- Rough size in m², or the number of rooms
- Current condition: peeling, damp, cracks, mould
- Whether you want the paint supplied
- When you want the work done
Painters for different clients
- Homeowners: a bedroom, lounge or the whole house repainted with the prep done properly
- Landlords and sellers: a quick neutral repaint between tenants or before a house goes on the market
- Body corporates and estates: a planned repaint of units, boundary walls and common areas with trustees' approval
- Shops, offices and restaurants: shops, offices and restaurants painted after hours so trading carries on
- Factories, farms and mines: warehouse walls, steel columns and workshop floors painted to a written specification
- Builders and developers: painting subcontractors for new builds, extensions and renovations, ready for handover to clients
- Schools, churches and public buildings: schools, churches and clinics painted in holidays or in phases around their users
- Painters and contractors: painting teams quoting overflow work or subcontracting to bigger contractors
Frequently asked questions
How do I find good painters close to me?
Do painters supply the paint, or must I buy it?
Is WallPaint a painting company?
Should I pay painters a deposit before they start?
Painters 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