Licensing, insurance, references, scope detail, and what red flags to walk away from.
Choosing a painter in Adelaide is mostly about risk management. The paint itself is a solved problem — half a dozen great Australian brands and most painters use them well. What you’re really buying is labour: thousands of brush strokes, hours of surface prep, and care around your home and belongings.
In South Australia, any painting and decorating work over $12,000 (including materials) requires a Building Work Contractor licence from Consumer and Business Services. Ask for the licence number. Verify it on the CBS public register.
Request a current Certificate of Currency before any work starts. It should list public liability cover of at least $5 million (preferably $10 million) and workers compensation if there are employees. A painter who says “I’ll send it through later” is a red flag.
A proper quote is more than a number. It should itemise: areas to be painted (room-by-room or elevation-by-elevation), number of coats, paint brand and grade, prep work included, exclusions, timeline, payment terms, and warranty. A single-number quote (“House paint $8,000”) is unprofessional and makes comparison impossible.
Get three quotes for exactly the same scope. They should cluster within 15-20%. If one is dramatically lower, it’s almost always because the scope is smaller — less prep, cheaper paint, or missing line items.
Ask for three recent references — jobs in the last 12 months, preferably in your suburb. Call at least two. Ask: did they turn up on time, did the quote match the invoice, was there any mess or damage, would you use them again.
Every painter in our network has been vetted on all five points. Get 3 free quotes from pre-vetted Adelaide painters and skip the initial vetting yourself. Full hiring detail in our how to choose a painter guide.
How commercial painting differs from residential — pricing, scheduling, compliance and EBA considerations.
Coverage rates, tin sizes, and how to avoid both over-buying and the dreaded mid-job Bunnings run.
Glenelg, Seaford, Henley, Grange — what’s different about coastal painting and why it costs slightly more.
90 seconds to fill out. Three licensed painters. Zero obligation.