Painting Material Costs in NZ

Resene and Dulux dominate the NZ market. Both offer quality products, but there are pricing and performance differences:

• Resene — NZ's largest paint brand with the widest colour range. Premium products (SpaceCote, Sonyx 101, Lustacryl) are industry standard for residential and commercial work. Trade pricing is available through Resene ColorShops with a trade account — 20–30% off retail.
• Dulux — Strong competitor with slightly lower pricing on some products. Wash&Wear and Weathershield are their premium residential lines. Available through paint retailers and hardware stores. Trade pricing through a trade account.
• Budget brands — Brands like Taubmans and house-brand paints cost 30–50% less but offer lower coverage, durability, and colour accuracy. For professional work, the time savings from premium paint usually outweigh the material cost difference.

Always use the paint specified in your scope of works. Substituting cheaper paint without client agreement is unprofessional and can lead to disputes.

Paint is only part of your material costs. Budget for these consumables on every job:

• Filler — $15–$30 per tube. Interior: Selleys Spakfilla ($8–$15). Exterior: flexible filler ($15–$25). Budget 1–2 tubes per room for repaints.
• Sandpaper — $3–$8 per sheet. Budget $20–$50 per job. P80 for heavy prep, P120 for general, P180 for fine finishing.
• Masking tape — $5–$12 per roll. Budget 3–6 rolls per interior job. Use quality tape (3M, Frog Tape) to avoid bleed-through.
• Caulk — $8–$15 per tube. Budget 2–4 tubes per interior repaint for gap sealing.
• Roller sleeves — $8–$20 each. Microfibre for smooth finishes, medium nap for general use, long nap for textured surfaces. Replace every 1–2 jobs.
• Brushes — $15–$50 each. Quality brushes (Purdy, Hamilton) last longer and give a better finish. Budget for replacement every 3–6 months with heavy use.
• Drop cloths — $30–$80 each for heavy-duty canvas. One-time purchase that lasts years.

Total consumable cost per job runs $100–$300 for a standard residential interior repaint.

Understanding coverage rates prevents over-ordering and under-ordering:

• Standard coverage — Most premium paints cover 12–14m² per litre on smooth surfaces, per coat. Rough or porous surfaces may drop to 8–10m² per litre.
• Primer coverage — 10–12m² per litre on sealed surfaces, 6–8m² per litre on bare timber or plaster.
• Number of coats — Standard is 2 top coats. Dark-to-light colour changes needs 3 coats or a tinted undercoat. Always check the manufacturer's recommendations.
• Waste factor — Add 10% to your calculated quantity. You'll always use more than the theoretical amount due to roller loading, tray loss, and touch-ups.

Example calculation: 200m² of interior walls, 2 coats at 13m²/L = 200 × 2 ÷ 13 = 30.8L. Add 10% waste = 34L. Order 4 × 10L tins. At $140/10L (Resene SpaceCote) = $560 for wall paint.

For help calculating total job costs including labour and overheads, see our quoting guide.

Materials should be 15–25% of your total quote. Here's how to budget accurately:

• Calculate paint quantities — Measure surfaces, apply coverage rates, add waste factor. Order paint before starting the job.
• Estimate consumables — $100–$300 for a standard interior repaint. More for extensive prep or exterior work.
• Add delivery or collection time — Factor in time to pick up or receive materials. Trade deliveries from Resene and Dulux are often free over a minimum order.
• Get trade pricing — Set up trade accounts with Resene and Dulux. Trade discounts of 20–30% off retail significantly improve your margins on materials.
• Track material costs per job — Record what you actually spend on each job. Over time, this gives you accurate material cost averages for different job types.

Materials are the easiest part of a quote to get right — the quantities are mathematical. The challenge is making sure your labour rates and overhead allocation are equally accurate.