Why does paint peel off in sheets?

Because the layer underneath released, not because the paint was bad. The usual culprits are painting over a glossy or chalky surface without sanding or priming, painting over a damp substrate, or a water-based coat over an oil-based one that was not prepared. The back of the flake tells you which.

Do I need to worry about lead paint?

In Australian houses painted before the 1970s, yes, and the concern is dust from sanding and scraping rather than intact paint. Inexpensive test kits exist, and safe-work guidance for householders is published by government health agencies. If there are young children or anyone pregnant in the house, it is worth testing before disturbing old paintwork.

Who to hire for peeling paint

Short answer

A painter — and a good one will spend more time on preparation and on diagnosing why it failed than on applying paint. Peeling has causes: moisture behind the film, a previous coat applied over a dirty or glossy surface, or incompatible products. All three come back if only the surface is redone.

Plan itThere is time to get more than one quote, which is where the money is.

When it is someone else

Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Painter.

a builder or damp specialist
the paint is peeling at the base of a wall or in a patch that is always damp. That is moisture, not paint.
a roofer
the peeling is on a ceiling or on an external wall below a gutter.

What to do before anyone arrives

Look at where it is peeling and whether it is damp there. Peeling in one patch means one cause; peeling everywhere means the previous job.
Pull a flake off and look at the back. Bare substrate means it never bonded; another layer of paint means the failure is between coats.
If the house predates the 1970s, assume lead paint until tested. Sanding lead paint is how a renovation becomes a health incident, and test kits are cheap.

What to ask when you book

What preparation is included — washing, scraping, sanding, filling, priming — and is it itemised?
What primer are you using on the bare areas, and is it compatible with both the substrate and the top coat?
How many coats, and of what product?
If there is lead paint, how will it be managed?

What changes the price

No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.

Preparation, which on a failing surface is most of the job.
Whether the surface has to be stripped rather than sanded.
Access and height for external work.
Lead paint management in older houses.

What you can do yourself

Is this licensed work?

Painting is generally not separately licensed, though it falls inside building work licensing thresholds in several states. Working with lead paint in older homes has specific safety requirements.

There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.

NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers

Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.

Common questions

Who should I hire for peeling or flaking paint: A painter — and a good one will spend more time on preparation and on diagnosing why it failed than on applying paint. Peeling has causes: moisture behind the film, a previous coat applied over a dirty or glossy surface, or incompatible products. All three come back if only the surface is redone.
Why does paint peel off in sheets?: Because the layer underneath released, not because the paint was bad. The usual culprits are painting over a glossy or chalky surface without sanding or priming, painting over a damp substrate, or a water-based coat over an oil-based one that was not prepared. The back of the flake tells you which.
Do I need to worry about lead paint?: In Australian houses painted before the 1970s, yes, and the concern is dust from sanding and scraping rather than intact paint. Inexpensive test kits exist, and safe-work guidance for householders is published by government health agencies. If there are young children or anyone pregnant in the house, it is worth testing before disturbing old paintwork.

Find a Painter near you

1,277 painters in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.

Who to hire for

General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.