A two-storey, five-bedroom house interior usually takes 6 to 8 days
A single-storey exterior takes roughly 5 working days
A two-storey exterior takes 5 to 8 working days, not counting time for scaffolding or rain delays.
These timelines assume the surfaces are in reasonable condition and include proper preparation and two coats. Homes that need mould treatment, repairs to peeling paint or a big colour change that requires three coats or converting an existing oil-based finish on timber work to water-based, take longer, and our weather can add days to any exterior job.
Below, we cover typical timelines by home size, what slows a job down, who handles furniture and fittings, when scaffolding or EWPs come into play, and what happens each day of a typical job.
Typical House Painting Timelines at a Glance
These are working-day estimates for a two- to three-person crew doing a full repaint with standard prep and two coats.
- Single bedroom or living room: 1 to 2 days
- Two-bedroom unit, full interior: 3 to 4 days
- Three-bedroom home, full interior: 4 to 6 days
- Four-bedroom home or larger, full interior: 6 to 8 days
- Single-storey exterior: 5 days
- Two-storey exterior: 8 to 14 days, plus scaffolding setup and removal
- Full interior and exterior repaint: 2 to 4 weeks
A larger crew can shorten the job, but only up to a point. Each coat needs time to dry before the next, so adding painters doesn’t cut the wait between coats.
How Long Does Interior Painting Take?
Interior jobs are more predictable because bad weather doesn’t affect them. The main factors are the number of rooms, ceiling heights, how much trim and joinery there is, and the surface condition.
Trims are cut in by hand with a brush and often need a different paint and sheen than the walls, so a home with lots of doors and detailed trims like French doors and windows, sash windows, patterned doors and arches takes longer than a similar-sized home with simple woodwork.
You can paint interiors year-round in Newcastle, but humid days slow drying times, especially in bathrooms and rooms with poor ventilation.
How Long Does Exterior Painting Take?
Exterior jobs take longer because they require more surface prep, harder access and depend on the weather. Rain, damp surfaces, strong winds, or very high temperatures can delay the work or prevent us from working. So a two-week exterior job can stretch out during an unsettled patch of weather.
Coastal homes around Newcastle and Lake Macquarie often need extra prep before painting can start. Salt air, UV exposure, and moisture break down exterior paint faster, meaning more washing, scraping, sanding, and priming.
Many homeowners plan exterior work for autumn or spring, when conditions are milder and more settled.
What Affects How Long a Paint Job Takes?
The condition of the surface
Preparation is often the longest stage of any job. We always say once the brushes are out, the job is done.
Cracks, holes, flaking paint and water damage all need repairing before any paint goes on. Our prep work guide explains each stage and why it matters.
Mould
Mould has to be treated and the surface dried out before priming, and that drying time can’t be rushed. Read how mould should be treated before painting.
Peeling paint
Scrape back failing paint, sand and prime. On an older exterior, this can add several days. See what has to happen before painting over peeling paint.
Colour changes
Going from a dark colour to a light one, or painting over bare or patched surfaces, can mean an extra coat. Our coat guide explains when two coats are enough and when they aren’t.
Access
High ceilings, stairwells, steep blocks and two-storey walls take longer to set up and work around.
Whether you’re living in the home
Painting an occupied home means working room by room around furniture and daily routines. An empty home is faster to paint.
Who Moves the Furniture?
Most painters move larger furniture away from walls and cover it with drop sheets, but homeowners usually clear small items, ornaments, wall art, and anything fragile or valuable before the job starts. Exactly where that line sits varies between painters, so make sure you ask before work begins.
Clearing rooms before the crew arrives also shortens the job, because the painters can start preparing surfaces on day one.
When Do You Need Scaffolding to Paint a Two-Storey House?
Many two-storey exteriors need scaffolding, especially where ladders can’t safely reach the upper walls, eaves, or gables. Steep or uneven blocks, and homes with second-storey walls above a roof, often need it too. Under NSW work health and safety rules, erecting scaffolding where a person or object could fall more than 4 metres requires a licensed scaffolder.
Scaffolding adds a cost and usually adds a day or two at each end of the job for setup and removal. It should be listed as its own line item in your quote.
We usually provide an estimated cost for the required scaffolding work based on what we think a scaffolder will charge. We also obtain two professional quotes for the homeowner to choose from, or the client can arrange their own.
Can You Stay in the House While It’s Being Painted?
Yes, most people stay home during an interior repaint. The crew works through the house in stages so you always have usable rooms, although you’ll have to work around the area being painted each day. Modern low-VOC water-based paints have less odour than older paints, but keep rooms ventilated while the paint dries.
If you have young children, pets or anyone sensitive to smells or dust, talk to your painter about scheduling bedrooms so nobody has to sleep in a freshly painted room on the same day.
How to Keep Your Painting Job on Schedule
- Clear small items, wall hangings and valuables before day one.
- Book an electrician in advance if any fittings need to come off.
- Confirm parking, site access and where the crew can store materials.
- Make colour decisions before the job starts. Changing colours mid-job adds time and cost.
- Keep pets secured and away from wet paint.
Get the Timeline in Writing
A professional painter should include an estimated start date and duration in the quote, and explain how weather or unexpected repairs could affect it.
Our quote guide covers what else a quote should include, and our contracts and deposits guide explains what to agree before work starts.
If you’re planning a repaint in Newcastle or Lake Macquarie and want a realistic timeline for your home, get in touch with George.Painting for a quote.