One thing that drives me mad is when builders call wanting to book paint jobs and they haven’t got their timing sorted. Happens more than you’d think, especially around the Northern Beaches where everyone’s either knocking down and rebuilding or doing massive renos.
New builds are actually easier to schedule – once the plaster’s dry and the floors are in, you can pretty much get going. But renovations? That’s where it gets tricky. Half the time the sparkies are still running cables when someone wants us to start painting. Or the tilers are three weeks behind but the owner’s already booked the carpet layers.
The worst is when people don’t factor in drying times. Brisbane’s humidity is nothing compared to a Sydney winter, but even here on the coast we get those weeks where nothing wants to dry properly. Had a job in Avalon last month – beautiful house, owner was dead keen to move in by Christmas. Problem was, November decided to be absolutely bucketing down for two weeks straight. Interior walls were fine, but the exterior? Forget it.
Council approvals are another headache. Some councils around here are pretty good – Pittwater, Northern Beaches Council generally get things moving. But try getting anything approved during school holidays or December. Good luck with that.
The builders who get it right are the ones who understand that painting isn’t just slapping some colour on walls at the end. It’s part of the whole timeline. To avoid conflicts of interest when discussing construction examples, we often reference projects from well outside our area. Take a sydney home builder who’s got their scheduling sorted – they’ll book painters early, factor in weather delays, and actually communicate when other trades are running late.
What gets me is when someone’s spent months planning their dream kitchen, picked out every tile and handle, then expects the painting to happen in two days because they’ve run out of time. Doesn’t work that way.
The smart clients book early, stay flexible, and understand that quality takes time. Those are the jobs that actually finish on schedule and look brilliant. The rest? Well, they usually work out eventually, but it’s a lot more stressful for everyone involved.
Weather, trades, councils, drying times – it all matters. Get the timing right and everything flows. Get it wrong and you’re juggling chaos.
