Certificate IV in Building and Construction
Typical income$90,000 – $160,000+
- Site Supervisor
- Builder
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Cert III
CPC30620
Certificate III in Painting & Decorating
High Demand
RPL
Gap Training
Full Course
Typical income$75,000 – $120,000+
$50k$115k$180k
Licensed contractors quoting commercial and new-build work earn above the employed range.
Photographic evidence significantly speeds up RPL assessment
Course overview
About this qualification
Painting is the trade most often dismissed as unskilled by people who have never had to colour-match a heritage render or hang a lining paper straight. In New South Wales, painting work above the prescribed value threshold requires a trade licence from Fair Trading — which means the certificate is the difference between quoting the job and labouring on it.
The qualification is heavier on preparation than most people expect, because preparation is where paint jobs succeed or fail: substrate assessment, stripping, filling, sanding, priming, and dealing with moisture and existing coatings. From there it moves through interior and exterior application, protective and special-effect coatings, wallpaper hanging, colour matching, and estimating materials accurately enough to quote profitably.
Painters who have been working under someone else's licence, or subcontracting for years with no certificate, are the classic RPL candidate here. The evidence is usually photographic and reference-based, and most tradespeople already have more of it on their phone than they realise.
What you'll learn
Course contents
- Surface preparation, stripping and substrate assessment
- Apply paint by brush, roller and spray
- Interior and exterior painting systems
- Apply protective and specialised coatings
- Wallpaper and wall covering application
- Colour matching, tinting and finishing techniques
- Estimate and cost materials and labour
- Erect and work safely from ladders and scaffolding
- Handle hazardous materials, including lead paint awareness
- Work health and safety on residential and commercial sites
Exact units are set by the training package and confirmed by your RTO at enrolment.
Where it leads
Career opportunities
Painter
Residential, commercial and new-build contracts
$75,000 – $120,000+
Decorator
Wallpapering, special finishes and heritage work
$75,000 – $120,000+
Protective Coatings Applicator
Industrial and commercial coating systems
$75,000 – $120,000+
Painting Contractor
Running your own licensed painting business
$75,000 – $120,000+
Licensed contractors quoting commercial and new-build work earn above the employed range.
Is this you?
Who this course suits
Painters working without a certificate, subcontractors who want to quote in their own name, overseas-trained tradespeople, and labourers with real painting experience ready to formalise it.
Not sure you fit? Ring anyway. The most common thing Mahmoud hears is “I probably do not qualify” from someone who does. The session costs nothing and the answer is honest either way.
The CME Pathway Method
How we help you get it
Discover
We map your work history and existing tickets against the qualification you need.
Advise
A straight answer on which pathway fits — RPL, gap training or full course.
Connect
We place you with the partner RTO best suited to your evidence and situation.
Support
We stay with you through the paperwork until the certificate is in your hand.
Questions we get asked
Frequently asked questions
Painting work above the value threshold set by NSW Fair Trading requires a licence, and the trade qualification is the core of that application. Below the threshold you can work without one, which is why so many painters operate for years uncertificated and then hit a ceiling on the size of job they can take.
Yes — painting is a good RPL trade. Photographic evidence of completed work over time is particularly persuasive here, alongside references from builders or clients, invoices or ABN records, and any tickets you hold for heights or scaffolding.
Before-and-after photographs of jobs, ideally showing preparation as well as finish; references on letterhead from builders, property managers or repeat clients; invoices, quotes or BAS records demonstrating the volume and type of work; and your White Card and working-at-heights ticket if you have them.
Lead paint and hazardous materials awareness is part of the qualification, and it matters practically — a great deal of Sydney's pre-1970 housing stock still carries lead-based coatings, and getting the handling wrong creates a genuine health and liability problem.
Employed painters commonly sit in the $75,000–$120,000 range. Licensed contractors quoting their own work, particularly with commercial or new-build contracts, earn above that. The licence is what unlocks the larger jobs.
Important. Certification Made Easy is not a Registered Training Organisation (RTO). We operate solely as a consulting agency, providing advisory and referral services to our clients through our trusted RTO partners.
Course codes, units and any licensing requirements are set by the training package and the relevant regulator, and change over time. Confirm current details with your RTO and, where a licence is involved, with the regulator in your state.
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