Running a Line Marking Business in Australia
The strata committee wants the car park remarked. You quote $1,200. You win the job. On site you find the existing lines are faded but the surface is oil-contaminated in 6 bays, the disability bays aren't compliant with AS 2890, and the strata manager's layout plan doesn't match the actual car park dimensions. You've just won a job that takes twice as long as you priced for, creates compliance risk if you mark to the client's non-compliant plan, and has a surface prep problem you didn't price. This is line marking — a trade where the quote looks simple and the job often isn't.
What a line marking business looks like
What line marking businesses deal with
AS 2890 compliance — know the standard
Car park line marking must comply with AS 2890.1 for general parking and AS 2890.6 for disability parking. Disability bays have specific requirements: minimum 3.2m width, adjacent shared space, blue background with the international symbol of access, and correct signage. Operators who mark to client instructions without checking compliance create non-compliant car parks that the building owner must then rectify — and they look for someone to hold accountable.
Know the standard before you quote. When a client's plan has non-compliant disability bays, flag it: "The disability bay dimensions in your plan don't meet AS 2890.6. We'll need to adjust the layout. Here's the compliant version." Clients appreciate the expertise. The alternative is marking what they've given you and having it fail a compliance audit.
Surface preparation — in scope or explicitly out
Paint applied to a dirty, oiled, or deteriorating surface fails quickly. Pressure washing, degreasing oil-contaminated areas, and confirming a dry surface before application are standard prep steps. If surface preparation is not included in your quote, say so explicitly: "Surface preparation not included. Warranty applies only to surfaces prepared to the required standard." Operators who paint over dirty surfaces and have markings peel within 6 months face expensive warranty disputes on jobs they can't afford to redo.
Inspect the surface before quoting. Oil contamination, spalling, or significant cracking adds preparation time that must be in the price. Clients who receive a quote with surface preparation as a named line item and an explanation of why it's needed accept it far more readily than clients who receive a variation on the day.
Tender and government pricing — price everything
Council and government line marking tenders are competitively priced with thin margins. The operators who make government work financially viable price the total job: mobilisation, traffic management plan, traffic controllers, signage, two-coat application, glass bead reflectivity where specified, compliance documentation, and defect liability period. Operators who price only paint and machine time lose money on every government job. If you're tendering government work, calculate every cost component first. Thin margins are only viable at volume with efficient geographic routing.
Where line marking businesses create compliance risk and lose margin
| Stage | What You Need | What's Actually Happening |
|---|---|---|
| Quoting | Site inspection. Surface condition assessed. AS 2890 compliance confirmed. Surface prep included or explicitly excluded. Traffic management costs included for road or busy car park work. | Quote from plan. Surface not inspected. Compliance not checked. Surface prep assumed included. Traffic management forgotten. Job underquoted. |
| Job Management | Site photos before and after. AS 2890 dimensions confirmed before marking. Surface prep documented. Compliance photos of disability bays. | Marks applied to client's plan. No pre-job photos. Compliance not checked. Non-compliant bays marked. Audit fails 6 months later. |
| Invoicing | Invoice on completion with before/after photos attached. Surface prep itemised. Compliance documentation provided. | Invoice sent. No photos. Client disputes whether surface prep was done. Payment held. |
| Payments | 50% deposit on commercial jobs. Balance on completion. Government work on agreed payment terms with invoice on completion. | No deposit. Government client pays on 30-day terms. Cashflow pressured on materials-heavy job. |
What line marking businesses actually need
Tradify or ServiceM8 with before/after photo capture. Compliance documentation photos attached to each job. Surface condition photographed before work starts — protection against warranty disputes on surfaces you didn't prepare.
Compare job management tools →SafetyCulture for traffic management SWMS templates. Required for any line marking on a road, in a live car park, or in any area with vehicle movement. Completed on site before work starts.
Compare safety tools →Quotient for quote documents that include surface prep scope, compliance standard applied, traffic management costs, and warranty conditions. E-sign before work starts. Compliance notes protect you when a client's non-standard plan is modified to meet AS 2890.
Compare quoting tools →Quoting line marking jobs without a surface inspection or compliance check?
The Strategy Builder identifies the quoting and compliance gaps in your outdoor business and gives you the highest-leverage fix.
Build My Free Strategy →Frequently Asked Questions
AS 2890.1 covers general car park layout dimensions. AS 2890.6 covers disability parking — minimum 3.2m width, adjacent shared space, blue background, international symbol, and correct signage. Mark to the standard, not just the client's plan. When the client's plan is non-compliant, flag it and provide the compliant version.
Critical. Paint applied to a dirty or oiled surface peels within months. Include surface preparation in your scope or explicitly exclude it with a written note that warranty doesn't apply to surfaces not prepared to the required standard. Inspect the surface before quoting — oil contamination adds preparation cost that must be in the price.
Price the total job — mobilisation, traffic management, multiple coats, glass beads where specified, compliance documentation, and defect liability period. Operators who price only paint and machine time lose money on government work. Thin margins are only viable at volume with efficient routing.