Two men repainting a large wall using a ladder, e ngaged in renovation work outdoors
Whether painting work needs a QBCC licence comes down to the value of the job, not how big the surface looks.

Quick answer

Yes, if the job is valued over $3,300. Under the QBCC Act, painting and decorating work worth more than $3,300, including labour and materials, needs a QBCC Painting and Decorating licence. Smaller touch-up jobs under that value generally do not need a licence.

Painting is often seen as one of the more accessible trades to start in, but Queensland treats it the same way it treats carpentry, tiling or concreting: once the job crosses the standard building work threshold, it is licensed work, not just a service you can advertise freely.

This guide explains exactly when a QBCC licence is required for painting and decorating, what the licence actually covers, the difference between the two licence classes, and the mistakes that catch out painters and homeowners in Queensland.

Table of Contents

1. Do Painters Need a QBCC Licence?

Elderly man wearing a cap paints an exte rior wall while seated on scaffolding
Larger exterior repaints almost always cross the $3,300 threshold once materials, labour and access equipment are counted

Under the QBCC Act, a person must hold a QBCC licence to carry out painting and decorating work valued over $3,300, including labour, materials and GST. This is the same general building work threshold that applies to most QBCC trade classes.

The threshold is based on the total value of the job, not the property type or how the work is described. A full exterior repaint of a Queenslander will almost always cross $3,300. A quick two-coat touch-up of a small bedroom might not. Splitting a larger job into smaller invoices specifically to stay under the threshold does not change the outcome, QBCC assesses the total value of the work. If you are still working out which broad licence category applies to your business, compare the main QBCC licence options.

Situation Typical licensing position
Full interior or exterior repaint over $3,300 Needs a QBCC Painting and Decorating licence.
Small touch-up or maintenance painting under $3,300 May fall outside the licensing requirement.
Employee of a licensed painting contractor Generally does not need a personal licence unless supervising.
Commercial or body corporate painting contract Almost always over the threshold and licensed work.

$3,300 is the whole job, not just labour

Materials, GST and equipment hire all count toward the threshold. A job quoted as $2,900 labour plus $900 in paint and materials is a $3,800 job for licensing purposes, and needs a licence.

2. What the QBCC Painting and Decorating Licence Covers

Side view full body of male worker with tool s tanding near window during renovation works in flat
Surface preparation is part of the licensed scope, not just the paint application itself.

QBCC’s Painting and Decorating licence class covers preparing surfaces for the application of paint or other protective, decorative or technical materials, together with the application itself. It is a broader scope than “putting paint on a wall.”

  • ✓Surface preparation, including sanding, filling, priming and masking, ahead of paint application.
  • ✓Application of paint and protective coatings, interior and exterior, residential and commercial.
  • ✓Application of decorative or technical finishes beyond standard paint, depending on the class held.
  • ✓Incidental work from another licence class, provided that incidental component is valued under $3,300.

The incidental work allowance is useful in practice, a painter can pick up a small amount of adjacent work, like minor patch plastering ahead of a repaint, without needing a separate licence for it, provided that portion genuinely stays minor and under the threshold.

Preparation is part of the job, not a grey area

Surface preparation is explicitly part of the licensed scope. A painter who only ever preps and never coats a surface is still doing painting and decorating work for licensing purposes.

3. The Two Painting and Decorating Licence Classes

Two construction workers painting and renova ting an interior
Whether you plan to offer rendering and texture coating decides which of the two licence classes fits your business.

QBCC issues two distinct classes under painting and decorating, and choosing the right one from the start avoids having to reapply later.

Licence class What it allows Best suited to
Painting and Decorating Full scope, including trowel-on texture coating and rendering, which requires the additional CPCCSP3003 competency. Painters who also offer rendering or textured finishes.
Painting and Decorating (excluding Rendering) Standard painting and decorating scope, without trowel-on texture coating or rendering work. Painters focused on standard interior and exterior paint application.

If you do not plan to render or apply trowel-on texture coating, the excluding-rendering class is the simpler, faster pathway, there is no reason to add a competency requirement you will not use. If your business is expanding into broader trade work beyond painting, compare the QBCC Trade Contractor licence pathway to see how the painting classes sit alongside other trades.

Choose based on your actual scope, not your ambitions

Adding rendering later is straightforward once you have the base painting licence and complete the additional competency. Do not add the extra requirement upfront if it will just slow your first application down.

4. Contractor, Nominee Supervisor and Site Supervisor Licences

Two painters in protective gear workin g on a home renovation project, wearing masks and white uniforms
The licence type you need depends on whether you contract directly, supervise a crew, or work under someone else’s licence.

Beyond the class of work, painters also need to choose the right licence type for how they operate in the industry.

Licence type What it allows
Trade Contractor licence Contract directly with clients, advertise painting services, and issue invoices in your own name.
Nominee Supervisor licence Supervise painting work carried out by a licensed company; does not allow independent contracting in your own name.
Site Supervisor licence Supervise painting work on site for a licensed contractor, and typically perform the work as well.

Painting companies also need to hold a Trade Contractor licence in the company’s name and appoint a nominee supervisor to act on the company’s behalf. See the QBCC Company & Nominee Licence page for the company pathway.

Employees generally do not need their own licence

If you work as an employee under a licensed painting contractor and are not responsible for overseeing, directing or certifying the work, you generally do not need your own QBCC licence.

5. How to Get a QBCC Painting and Decorating Licence

Man painting indoors for a home renovation pro ject using protective gear and paint sprayer
Technique alone is not enough; QBCC also assesses formal qualifications, business training and financial capacity.

Most Painting and Decorating licence applications need the following elements prepared and checked before lodgement.

  • ✓Certificate III in Painting and Decorating (CPC30620), completed through an apprenticeship or a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment.
  • ✓The trowel-on texture coating competency (CPCCSP3003), only if applying for the class that includes rendering.
  • ✓The approved managerial qualification, BSBESB402 – Establish legal and risk management requirements of new business ventures, for a Contractor licence.
  • ✓Financial information to meet Minimum Financial Requirements for a contractor-type licence.
  • ✓Evidence of your business structure, photographic proof of identity, and a pass on the fit-and-proper-person check.

Use the QX Checker to sense-check your application before you lodge it, and see the QBCC licensing FAQs for answers to broader licensing questions.

No quoting before the licence is granted

You cannot lawfully quote or contract for licensed painting work under a contractor licence until QBCC has actually granted it, no matter how far along the application is.

6. Common Mistakes Painters and Homeowners Make

A well-organized setup for a DIY h ome painting project, complete with tools and color swatches
A clear scope and an accurate cost estimate at quoting stage prevents most licensing mistakes before they happen.
Mistake Why it causes problems How to avoid it
Quoting labour only and leaving out materials when checking the threshold The $3,300 test includes materials and GST, not just labour. Cost the whole job, including paint, before assuming it is exempt.
Splitting a job into stages to stay under $3,300 QBCC assesses the total value of the work, and splitting jobs is treated as non-compliant. Quote and invoice the full scope of work as one job.
Rendering or trowel-on texture coating without the additional competency The excluding-rendering class does not cover trowel-on texture coating. Confirm your licence class covers rendering before quoting that scope.
Treating incidental work as unlimited Work from another trade class is only exempt while genuinely minor and under $3,300. Get the appropriate additional licence class if you regularly take on that scope.
Assuming a company licence is not needed if the director is individually licensed A personal licence does not authorise a company to contract painting work in its own name. Confirm whether contracts, invoices and quotes are issued in the company’s name.

7. How QBCC Express Helps Painters

A person painting a wall with a brush, showcasin g a home makeover process
Getting the licence class and evidence right the first time keeps painting crews working without compliance interruptions

Painting licensing looks simple on paper, but the class choice, rendering competency and threshold rules trip up plenty of painters and homeowners. QBCC Express helps painting businesses and companies get the class and licence type right before it becomes a compliance problem.

Support area What it covers
Class selection Confirms whether you need the rendering-inclusive class or the standard painting class.
Licence type selection Matches Trade Contractor, Nominee Supervisor or Site Supervisor licensing to your actual role.
Qualification and experience evidence Helps structure Certificate III and RPL evidence to fit QBCC’s criteria.
Company and nominee structuring Sets up company licensing and nominee arrangements for painting businesses that trade as companies.

Start with the QBCC licence options page to confirm the right pathway for your business.

Confirm the class before the first coat goes on

The safest habit for any painting business is confirming licence class and job value before a quote goes out, not after the client has already signed.

8. FAQs

Do I need a QBCC licence to paint my own house?

Generally no. Painting your own property does not require a QBCC licence. If the total cost of building work you oversee on your own home exceeds $11,000, you need an owner-builder permit, which is a
separate question from trade licensing.

Does the $3,300 threshold include the cost of paint?

Yes. The threshold covers the total value of the work, meaning labour, materials such as paint, and GST combined, not the labour cost alone.

What is the difference between the two painting licence classes?

The full Painting and Decorating class includes trowel-on texture coating and rendering, which requires an additional competency. The excluding-rendering class covers standard painting and decorating
without that extra scope.

Can I split a big painting job into smaller invoices to avoid needing a licence?

No. QBCC assesses the total value of the work. Splitting a job into multiple invoices to stay under $3,300 is treated as non-compliant.

Do employees of a painting company need their own QBCC licence?

Generally no, if they are carrying out work as an employee of a licensed contractor and not responsible for overseeing, directing or certifying the work. Anyone acting as a nominee or site supervisor
does need the relevant licence.

Can my company use my personal painting licence?

No. A company is a separate legal entity and needs its own QBCC licence and a nominee supervisor holding the matching individual class, even if a director is personally licensed.

Where should I start if I am unsure which painting licence I need?

Start with the QBCC licence options page or contact QBCC Express with the type of painting work and typical project value you take on.

Ready to confirm your painting licence class?

Get clarity on which licence class and licence type fit how you run your painting business, before your next quote goes out.

Book a free consultation with QBCC Express