First-year painting apprentice tool list

What you actually need in year one

• •A small set of quality brushes: a 25mm and 38mm angled sash cutter, plus a 50mm or 63mm wall brush. Synthetic filament for water-based, keep them clean and they last.
• •Roller kit: a couple of frames, a range of nap sleeves (short nap for smooth, longer for texture), a heavy-duty tray and liners, and an extension pole.
• •Cutting-in and detail: a good paintbrush comb, a paint pot or kettle, and a couple of small artline/detail brushes.
• •Prep tools: a 25mm and 50mm scraper, a set of filling/putty knives (25mm, 50mm, 100mm), a hand sanding block, and a caulking gun for gap sealant.
• •Measuring and marking: a 5m tape, a pencil, a chalk line and a small spirit level.
• •A sharp utility (Stanley) knife with spare blades, and a 5-in-1 painter's multi-tool.
• •PPE you own and keep clean: safety glasses, a P2 dust mask or half-face respirator, nitrile or work gloves, and steel-cap boots.
• •A sturdy tool bag or bucket organiser to keep it all together and stop it walking off site.

Budget vs good vs premium

Spend where the tool touches the finish, save everywhere else. A first-year does not need a top-tier kit, but a cheap brush will shed bristles and leave marks that you then have to sand back.

• •Budget (get started): supermarket or hardware own-brand rollers, trays, sanding blocks and knives. Fine for rough prep and undercoat work where they cop a beating anyway.
• •Good (worth it): mid-range trade brushes (the sort a paint shop like Inspirations, Haymes or a Dulux/Wattyl trade centre stocks), a solid roller frame, and a decent multi-tool. This is where most of your money should go.
• •Premium (later): high-end brushes, an airless-ready roller setup, and premium respirators. Add these as your hand improves and you know what suits you. No need in the first few months.

What the employer usually supplies vs what you buy

As a rule, you buy the small hand tools you use every day and keep in your bag. The employer supplies the big, shared, expensive or licensed gear because it belongs to the business and needs testing, servicing and insurance.

• •Employer typically supplies: ladders, trestles, planks, scaffold and elevated work platforms; spray guns, airless rigs and compressors; drop sheets and masking film for the job; all paint, fillers, sandpaper and consumables; power tools like orbital sanders and their tagging/testing.
• •You typically supply: your brushes, rollers, knives, scrapers, tape measure, utility knife, multi-tool and your own PPE.
• •Grey area: dust masks and basic gloves are often supplied on site, but many painters keep their own respirator that fits properly. Ask on day one who supplies what, and confirm it in writing if you can.

What NOT to buy yet

• •A spray gun or airless unit. It is a big spend, needs training and maintenance, and the employer supplies it. Learn to spray on their gear first.
• •Your own ladders, trestles or scaffold. Access equipment is the employer's responsibility and must meet site rules.
• •An expensive orbital or random-orbital sander. Handy later, but supplied gear covers you in year one.
• •A giant brush collection. Three or four good brushes beat a drawer full of cheap ones.
• •Two-pack and industrial coating gear. That comes with the job and the correct respirators, not your kit bag.
• •Anything cordless-battery-branded just to match a mate. Buy for the work, not the logo.

The award tool allowance, tax deductions and insurance

Most painting apprentices are covered by the Building and Construction General On-site Award (MA000020). If you supply your own tools, the award includes a tool allowance for the painting stream (signwriter, painter or glazier). It is a set weekly amount (in the order of a few dollars a week; it was $8.96 per week from 1 July 2023) and it is reviewed every year, so check the current figure on the Fair Work pay tool. Apprentices are usually paid it pro-rata against their percentage rate. It is help toward maintaining and replacing your tools, not a full reimbursement.

On tax, keep every receipt. Tools and protective gear you pay for yourself (and are not reimbursed for) are generally deductible against your wage.

• •Items costing $300 or less can usually be claimed in full in the year you buy them. Items over $300 are depreciated over their effective life.
• •You can also claim protective items like your respirator, safety glasses, gloves, sunscreen and the laundering of protective clothing, where they relate to earning your income.
• •If you receive the award tool allowance, you declare it as income, then claim the actual tool spend as your deduction.
• •In Western Australia, the Construction Training Fund runs an Apprentice Tool Allowance: up to $1,000 reimbursement for tools and safety gear at commencement (and a further $1,000 on completion) for eligible apprentices who start between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2029. Note you cannot also claim a tax deduction on the portion that gets reimbursed.
• •Tool insurance: consider portable-tool cover, especially for theft from a vehicle or site, which is common in the trade. Photograph your kit and record any serial numbers. Premiums for insuring work tools are generally deductible too.

How the kit changes across residential, commercial and industrial work

The trade splits into three worlds and your kit leans differently in each.

• •Residential (homes and renovations): brush-and-roller heavy, lots of cutting in, detail work, small patch-and-fill and colour changes. Your personal hand-tool kit matters most here, and a clean, tidy finish is everything.
• •Commercial (offices, schools, retail, new builds): bigger open areas, more spraying and back-rolling, more masking, and a lot of work off scaffold or elevated work platforms. Expect site inductions, hi-vis and a white card. Speed and consistency tools earn their keep, and the employer supplies most of the access and spray gear.
• •Industrial and protective coatings (factories, tanks, steelwork, marine): prep is king, so think abrasive blasting, needle guns, wire wheels and heavy surface prep, then two-pack epoxies and specialised coatings. PPE steps right up to air-fed or full-face respirators and confined-space gear, nearly all supplied and controlled by the employer. Your personal kit here is mostly knives, a scraper and your fit-tested respirator, not brushes.