Painter in Switzerland: prices, preparation and tips

Most jobs are indoors: one room or a whole flat, walls and ceilings. Good preparation matters as much as the paint itself – covering floors and furniture, filling holes and cracks, and taping edges.

Removing old wallpaper, or dealing with damp patches and mould, is extra work: mention it in your job. If you rent and see mould, tell your landlord.

• Painting walls and ceilings
• Filling holes and small cracks first
• Doors, radiators and window frames
• Covering floors and furniture, and cleaning up
• Small outdoor jobs: a fence, a shed or garden furniture

According to baunex (April 2026), painting interior walls costs CHF 18–28 per square metre, and ceilings CHF 20–32 per square metre, for two coats with material included. Painters charge CHF 70–120 per hour according to renovero (September 2026).

These are company prices. We have not found a reliable price per room, so measure your walls: length times height for each wall, minus doors and windows. A private helper agrees the price with you – per square metre, per hour or for the whole job – in line with minimum wages. Say who pays for the paint.

Give the number of rooms, the rough wall and ceiling area and the ceiling height. Add photos of the walls, especially if there are cracks, stains or old wallpaper. Say which colour you want, whether you already have the paint, and whether furniture needs moving.

If you rent, check your lease and ask your landlord before you paint, especially in a different colour.

Before the helper comes, take down pictures and curtains, clear small items and, if you can, move the furniture to the middle of the room. You can write your job in English: other users can translate it into their language with one click.

Agree the price and what it includes: paint, brushes and rollers, tape and covers, and the clean-up. Agree the dates, how long the room will be out of use and who airs it afterwards. If the helper buys the material, agree how you pay it back – for example against the receipt.

Posting on Workpop is free and there is no commission. People nearby send an offer; when you agree, you both get a digital contract, and you pay the helper directly.

If you pay a private person for this work, you may count as their employer for AHV (Swiss old-age and survivors' insurance). Whether someone is self-employed or employed is decided by the compensation office case by case, based on the actual circumstances. Check with your cantonal AHV compensation office.