Hobart is a hard place for paint. Cold, wet winters, strong UV in summer and salt air near the Derwent all break down exterior coatings faster than many owners expect. Weatherboard cottages in New Town and North Hobart, and Georgian and Victorian homes in Battery Point and West Hobart, need careful preparation and the right products to last.
The house painters in Hobart below range from family firms with decades of history to owner operated crews that focus on heritage homes. Several are members of the Master Painters Association, and a few offer written warranties or decorative finishes that smaller operators do not.
Painting is not one of the trades CBOS (Consumer, Building and Occupational Services) lists among its licensed occupations, so do your own checks. Ask for proof of public liability and workers’ compensation insurance, a written scope that covers preparation, and details of any warranty.
Painters In Hobart At A Glance
Company
Based In
Best For
Known For
Pelham Painters
Hobart
Heritage homes and large jobs
Established 1953, 5 year warranty
Watkins Morgan Painting Service
North Hobart
Commercial, industrial and decorative work
Wood graining, marbling and protective coatings
Willis Painting And Rendering
Cambridge
Rendering, epoxy floors and waterproofing
Dulux accredited for 20 plus years
CDI Painting Services
South Hobart
South Hobart homes and repaints
32 years in South Hobart
Wolfe’s Painting
Hobart
Weatherboard and roof painting
No subcontractors
Top Coat Painters
Bellerive
Eastern shore homes
Painting since 1992
Aponia Painting Services
Hobart
Low rise exteriors and line marking
Online cost calculator
Best Painters In Hobart
1. Pelham Painters — Family Painting Business Established 1953 With A 5 Year Written Warranty
Pelham Painters is a family owned painting and decorating business in Hobart, established in 1953 and now owned and operated by Scott Pelham. It works across southern Tasmania on interior and exterior painting for homes and commercial projects. The company cites Master Painter Awards in 2017 and 2018 and says it follows AS/NZS 2311:2017, the Australian standard for painting buildings.
Two things stand out. Pelham gives a five year written warranty on all work, which is longer than most local painters offer, and Scott says he responds personally to quote requests within 24 hours. Its work also extends to sash window restoration, deck restaining, varnishing and rust protective coatings, which suits older Hobart houses with original joinery. The company reports a 5.0 Google rating from 52 reviews. It is a strong choice for heritage and period homes where preparation and joinery repair matter as much as the topcoat.
Watkins Morgan Painting Service works from 10 Wignall Street, North Hobart, and is led by Graham Watkins and Chris Morgan. The company is a member of the Master Painters Association and says it has a combined 45 years of experience. Its team includes foremen, tradespeople and apprentices.
The service list is one of the widest in Hobart: residential, commercial and industrial painting, rendering and texturing, wallpapering, line marking, colour consultation, rental property work, industrial floor finishes, two pack and protective coatings. It also offers decorative finishes such as wood graining, marbling, rag rolling and limewash, which are useful for restoring heritage interiors. Watkins Morgan says it is fully insured and will supply workers’ compensation and public liability certificates on request. It suits businesses that need a crew with capacity and specialist coatings, and owners restoring period features.
Willis Painting and Rendering is based at Unit 6/3 Abernant Way, Cambridge, and was founded in 1988 by painter and renderer Brett Willis as a small family business. It now runs a team of painters, renderers and colour consultants and works in Hobart and Launceston.
Beyond interior and exterior painting for homes and businesses, Willis offers rendering, epoxy flooring and waterproofing. That mix suits newer brick and block homes around the eastern shore that need a rendered facade, and garages, workshops or commercial floors that need a hard wearing epoxy coat. The company says it has been a Dulux accredited business for over 20 years. Office hours are weekdays from 7:30am to 4pm, and quotes are free. Willis suits owners who want painting and rendering handled by one crew, and businesses needing durable floor coatings.
4. CDI Painting Services — South Hobart Painters And Decorators With Plaster Repairs
CDI Painting Services says it has provided painting and decorating services in South Hobart for 32 years. The business is run by Tim, and client testimonials refer to Tim and his crew. It is a member of the Master Painters Association, and office hours are weekdays from 8am to 5pm, with after hours and weekend work by appointment.
CDI handles domestic, commercial and industrial painting, interior and exterior work, colour consultancy, plasterwork repairs and general building maintenance. The plaster repair and maintenance work is useful in older South Hobart and Sandy Bay homes, where cracked lath and plaster or water damage often needs fixing before a repaint. A client testimonial on the site describes a quote that proved accurate by the end of the job. CDI suits homeowners in the southern inner suburbs who want a long standing local crew and are happy to book weekend work when needed.
5. Wolfe’s Painting — Owner Operated Hobart Painters For Heritage, Weatherboard And Roofs
Wolfe’s Painting is an owner operated Hobart business run by Ben Wolfe and Hayden Early. It services Hobart, Sandy Bay, Kingston, New Town, North Hobart, Glenorchy and surrounding areas, and says all work is done by experienced tradesmen rather than subcontractors.
Services cover interior and exterior house painting, heritage and weatherboard painting, roof painting and coatings, and commercial work including shopfronts. It also offers after hours work, which helps retailers who cannot close during trading hours. Its project gallery includes homes in Battery Point, West Hobart, New Town and Howden, and a Salamanca job. The company reports a five star Google rating from more than 29 Hobart homeowners. Wolfe’s suits owners of weatherboard and heritage homes who want the owners on the job, and shopkeepers who need a repaint done overnight.
6. Top Coat Painters — Bellerive Family Painting Business Operating Since 1992
Top Coat Painters is a family owned business in Bellerive that says it has provided painting services since 1992. It was originally founded by two apprentices who formed a partnership, and it is now solely owned by Steven and Gabrielle Chatterton. The company claims over 30 years of experience.
Top Coat offers residential and commercial painting, covering interiors and exteriors. Its site is simple, with no long list of add on services, which reflects a business focused on doing standard repaints well. Quotes are free, and a client review on the site describes the price as fair. Top Coat suits eastern shore homeowners in Bellerive, Howrah, Lindisfarne and Rosny who want an established local painter for a full interior or exterior repaint, without paying for specialist services they do not need.
7. Aponia Painting Services — Hobart Painters For Low Rise Exteriors, Heritage Homes And Line Marking
Aponia Painting Services is a locally owned Hobart business serving the Hobart and Bellerive area, with Bill as principal painter. It claims over 15 years of experience in painting and decorating, and its hours run from 9am to 5pm.
Services include interior painting for homes and commercial properties, exterior painting with a focus on low rise projects, painting maintenance for businesses, line and sign marking, colour consultations, house paint stripping, wallpapering, heritage house painting and roof painting. A helpful extra is the online cost calculator, which gives an approximate figure for a job based on light sanding, minimal caulking and two topcoats. It is only an estimate, but it helps you set a budget before asking for a quote. Aponia says it carries current liability insurance. It suits owners of single storey homes and businesses that need car park line marking.
How To Choose A Painter In Hobart
Does The Painter Need A Licence In Tasmania?
CBOS does not list painting among the occupations it licenses, so there is no painting licence to check. Instead, ask for certificates of public liability and workers’ compensation insurance, and check memberships such as the Master Painters Association. CDI, Watkins Morgan and Pelham all reference Master Painters on their sites.
How Much Preparation Is Included?
Most paint failures in Hobart come from poor preparation, not poor paint. Ask how the painter will wash, scrape, sand, fill and prime, and whether rotten weatherboards or window sills will be repaired or flagged for a carpenter. Get it written into the quote.
Is Lead Paint A Risk In Your Home?
Homes built before the 1970s, which covers much of inner Hobart, may have lead based paint under newer layers. Ask how the painter tests for lead and how they will contain dust and dispose of waste, especially if children live in the house.
What Warranty Do You Get?
Warranties vary from none to several years. Pelham offers a five year written warranty, while others give workmanship guarantees on request. Ask what is covered, such as peeling or blistering, and what conditions apply.
How Are Painting Jobs Priced?
Most Hobart painters quote per job after a site visit, based on surface area, height, preparation and the number of coats. Aponia’s online calculator gives a rough figure first. For commercial work, ask whether after hours rates apply. Get at least two written quotes so you can compare preparation and coats, not just the total.
Conclusion
Hobart has a strong base of experienced painters. Pelham and Watkins Morgan stand out for heritage and decorative work, Willis covers rendering and epoxy floors, and CDI, Top Coat and Wolfe’s are solid choices for home repaints in their parts of the city. Aponia suits low rise exteriors and businesses that need line marking.
Whichever painter you choose, ask for insurance certificates, a detailed written scope and the warranty terms before work starts.
