Inner city
13 suburbsSydney CBD · Surry Hills · Darlinghurst · Paddington · Redfern + 8 more
Residential painters in inner Sydney
A finish that lasts, on a site left spotless. Interior and exterior work for homes and small commercial spaces across Sydney's inner city, inner west & eastern suburbs.
- Licensed & insured
- Free written quotes
- Meticulous prep
- Sites left clean
Services
What we paint
One wall or the whole place — homes, shopfronts and small commercial spaces, inside and out.
Interior Painting
Walls, ceilings, trims and doors — clean cut-ins and a flawless roll, room by room.
Learn moreExterior Painting
Weatherboards, render, eaves and trims — prepped properly to hold up to Sydney weather.
Learn moreHeritage & Restoration
Period terraces and detailed joinery handled with the care older homes deserve.
Learn moreFeature Walls
One considered wall — deep colour, clean edges, and a finish that carries the room.
Learn morePlastering & Repairs
Cracks, holes and patchy walls made good — a sound surface before a drop of paint.
Learn moreCommercial & Shopfront
Shops, stores and offices — staged so you can keep trading while we work.
Learn moreDon't see your job listed? Tell us what you need — we'll say straight up whether it's work we do.
Our work
Before & after
Drag the handle to see the difference proper prep and a clean finish make.
New build exterior
The whole outside of a new build, painted from bare boards up — weatherboards, verandah balustrades, fascias and trim.
How it works
From enquiry to spotless finish
Get in touch
Send your job details through. We answer 7am–5pm, Monday to Friday.
On-site quote
We arrange a time that suits you, look at the work in person, and give you a clear, itemised quote — free, with no obligation.
Prep & paint
We mask up, prep properly, and coat with the right system for the surface.
Tidy handover
We clean down, walk the finished job with you, and leave the site spotless.
Why McGill
Careful work, no drama
The parts nobody photographs — protection, patience, the daily clean-up — are exactly where a paint job is won or lost.
Prep is the job
A finish only lasts if the groundwork is done. We wash, scrape, fill and prime before a drop of colour — no shortcuts under the topcoat.
Respect for your home
Dust sheets down, furniture moved and covered, and the site left tidy at the end of every day. You keep living in your home while we work.
Local & accountable
A local Sydney painting business you can actually reach — the same people quote the job, do the work, and stand behind it.
Reviews
What our clients say
Every review below is a real one, left by a real client on Airtasker and reproduced word for word.
Scroll sideways or use the arrow keys to see all 6 reviews.
Service areas
Painting across Sydney's inner city, inner west & eastern suburbs
A local business, close to the jobs we take on. Here's a taste of each area we cover — the full suburb list is on the areas page. Not sure if we reach you? Just ask.
Inner west
15 suburbsMarrickville · Leichhardt · Balmain · Rozelle · Annandale + 10 more
Eastern & coastal
15 suburbsBondi · Bronte · Coogee · Randwick · Clovelly + 10 more
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I get a quote?
Send through a few details about the job — rooms or areas, rough condition, your timing, and photos if you have them — and we'll arrange a time to see the work in person. Quotes are firm, itemised, and free, with no obligation.
Which suburbs do you cover?
We work across Sydney's inner city, inner west and eastern / coastal suburbs — from Surry Hills, Newtown and Balmain out to Bondi, Randwick and Coogee. If you're in or near those areas, get in touch; if a job's outside our usual patch we'll tell you honestly rather than stretch too thin.
Do you paint shops and offices, or just homes?
Homes are the bulk of the work, and we also take on small commercial jobs — shopfronts, offices and similar spaces. If a job is a large commercial fit-out we'll say so up front rather than take on something better suited to a bigger crew.
How much prep do you do before painting?
As much as the surface needs — it's what makes a finish last. That means washing down, scraping and sanding back failing paint, filling and caulking, and priming bare or patched areas before any topcoats go on.
Do I need to do anything before we arrive?
Not much. It helps if you can clear small items, valuables and breakables out of the rooms we're working in, and tell us about anything fragile or off-limits. We move and cover the larger furniture ourselves, and we'll sort out access, parking and pets with you before the first day.
How long will my job take?
It depends on the size of the job and how much the surfaces need before a brush goes near them. A single room is short work; a full interior or exterior repaint takes considerably longer. You'll get a realistic timeframe with your quote, and we'll tell you straight away if something we find on site changes it.
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Will my home be liveable while you work?
Yes. We work room by room where we can, mask and dust-sheet the areas around the work, move and protect furniture, and keep the site tidy each day so you can still use your home.
Will the paint smell?
Less than you might expect. Modern water-based trade paints are far lower in odour than the solvent-based products people remember, and for occupied homes we can specify low-odour, low-VOC options. We keep the rooms ventilated as we go, and what's left usually clears within a day or so of the final coat. Oil-based enamel on trim is the exception — it's stronger and takes longer to clear, so we'll flag it if a surface calls for one.
What paints do you use?
Quality trade-grade paints matched to the surface and the room — including low-odour, low-VOC options for occupied homes and hard-wearing exterior systems chosen for the substrate and Sydney's weather.
What happens if it rains during an exterior job?
We stop. Paint won't bond properly to a damp surface, and a fresh coat caught by rain has to come back off, so we watch the forecast and work around it. That can mean a day's delay — we'd rather tell you that than rush a coat on and watch it fail. Interior work often carries on in the meantime.
Are you licensed and insured?
Yes. McGill Painting holds NSW Fair Trading contractor licence 486 083 C, carries $5 million public liability cover, and holds a White Card (Construction Induction Card). You can check the licence yourself on the NSW public register — worth doing before you hire any painter, us included. Certificates come with the quote, or ask and we'll send them ahead of it.
Check licence 486 083 C on the NSW register (opens in a new tab)
What if something isn't right after you've finished?
Tell us and we'll come back and look at it — most things end there. Behind that you have warranties that come from the law rather than from us: under the NSW Home Building Act, residential building work has to be done with due care and skill, with materials that are good and suitable, and in line with the law. For painting that runs two years from completion — the six-year period you may have read about covers major structural defects like foundations, roofs and load-bearing walls, which a paint job isn't. None of it can be signed away in a contract, and your Australian Consumer Law rights sit on top. Put it in writing when something comes up and give us the chance to put it right.
NSW Fair Trading on residential building contracts (opens in a new tab)
Get a quote
Ready for a fresh finish?
Tell us about your job — a few quick questions, and photos if you have them — and we'll arrange a time to quote it in person, free and with no obligation. We answer 7am–5pm, Monday to Friday.