Panel beater

Panel beaters in Australia: hiring, licences and what to ask

Updated 4 November 2026

Panel beating in Australia is priced by the hour and by the job. Workshops in Sydney's Eastwood area list about A$80–A$120 per hour for labour, and a small repair typically costs A$350–A$700 depending on the city. These are the prices customers pay, not employee wages; to get current pay and terms for your role, post a request on BlaBlaPrice.

Licences and rules to check

Motor vehicle repair businesses need a state licence, and the rules differ by state. In New South Wales the repairer licence is issued for one, three or five years, and the applicant must be at least 18 and considered fit and proper. In Western Australia the licence is valid for three years, and a new licence costs A$448. Ask the workshop for its licence details before you accept, and confirm that the licence is held by the business that will employ you.

Season and start dates

November is late spring. Summer runs from December to February and winter from June to August, so a start in December falls in the hot season and a start in July in the cold one. Name your earliest start date in the request, so the workshop can plan its staffing for the months you can work.

Pay, hours and units

The search results gave no wage figures for panel beaters, so this article does not quote pay. Workshops in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide work in metric units: damage is measured in centimetres and paint is mixed in litres. Say which city the job is in, because a small repair costs A$500–A$700 in Melbourne but A$350–A$500 in Brisbane.

What to write in your request

Describe the duties you expect, the pay you can offer and the schedule, including the days and hours. Name the workplace city and suburb, the machine types the person should use, the equipment you provide, and the years of experience you need. Clear details make it easier for workshops to reply with a real offer.

BlaBlaPrice is free for buyers. You describe the role in your own words in a chat and can add a photo. Our AI asks for missing details, looks through workshop websites and price lists in Australia, and shows the prices and businesses it found. Registered sellers receive your request and reply in the chat with their terms, while your contact details stay hidden until you choose whom to share them with. Start with a request on the home page, or read how it works.