Built by a Painter, for Painters

Stop guessing what your painting jobs
actually pay you per hour.

Trackexa was built by Joel Walters, a painting contractor in Cairns who got sick of finishing jobs and not knowing if he made ~$65/hour or ~$100/hour. Now he tracks profit on every job, and you can too.

Try Trackexa Free, No Card Required Read the story ↓
✓ Track profit per hour
✓ Quote accurately
✓ Manage invoices & GST
✓ Made in Cairns
The real story

Why a Cairns painter built Trackexa

This isn't Silicon Valley software adapted for tradies. It's the opposite: a tradie who needed answers and built the tool himself.

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From spreadsheets to sanity

Joel runs Walters Painting in Cairns. For years, he juggled spreadsheets, scribbled notes, and guesswork to track his painting business. He'd finish a big job and wonder: Did I actually make money on that? What was my real hourly rate after materials and time?

The existing software options were either too complicated, too expensive, or built for massive teams with features he'd never use. So he built Trackexa, focused on the one question that mattered: Am I making money, or am I just staying busy?

Example only (illustrative figures, not from a specific Trackexa export): A $4,500 exterior repaint can look great on paper. After paint, supplies, prep hours, and touch-up trips, profit per hour can land much lower than the rate you estimated. Tracking the real number helps you quote the next job smarter.
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Made for painters who want the truth

Trackexa isn't packed with features you'll never touch. It's focused on what painters need: accurate quotes, profit-per-hour tracking, clean invoices, and an Australian FY dashboard that makes tax time less painful.

If you're a painting contractor who wants to know your real numbers without spending hours in software, Trackexa was built for you.

Painter problems

Sound like you?

These are the problems Joel faced before building Trackexa, and ones we hear from other painters.

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No idea what jobs actually pay
You finish a job, send the invoice, and move on. But did you make $40/hour or $90/hour? Without tracking hours and materials per job, you're guessing.
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Quoting is a coin flip
You estimate based on feel or past jobs. But without actual profit data, you don't know if you're undercharging or overcharging, until it's too late.
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Spreadsheets everywhere
One sheet for quotes, one for invoices, another for expenses. By the time you've updated them all, you've wasted an hour and still don't know if you're profitable.
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Tax time is a nightmare
Scrambling to find receipts and work out your Australian FY income. Trackexa tracks paid income and GST collected on invoices (assumes 10% GST) so sales figures for BAS are easier. You still need receipts or accounting software for GST credits on purchases.
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Software is too complicated
You're a painter, not a software engineer. The big job management apps have 50 features you'll never use and take a week to learn. Trackexa stays simple.
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Pricing designed overseas
Most software is priced per user, per month, often with tiers and add-ons. Trackexa is $39 AUD per month including GST: one price, one login, core features included.
The after-job number

What did that last repaint really pay you?

The invoice total doesn't tell you. What matters is what the job paid you per hour once the paint is paid for and every hour is counted.

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Work it out in one line
(Job price ex GST − paint and materials ex GST) ÷ all your hours

"All your hours" means more than time on the brush. Count travel, the quote and site visit, picking up paint, and the admin after the job. Leave those out and the job looks better than it was.

Joel, who built Trackexa, ran his own jobs through this. A 4-bedroom interior repaint came out around $65 an hour after paint and materials (before overheads, tax and super), versus around $100 an hour on other work. That changed how he prices jobs like that.

It works the same for any sole tradie. Swap paint for cable, fittings or tiles.

Work out what your last job paid

Free calculator. No signup, and nothing you type is saved.

Or track it on every job with Trackexa →

Try the Smoko Challenge: which job returned the most per hour?

What you get

Everything a painter needs. Nothing they don't.

Trackexa focuses on the workflows that matter: track your time, materials, and profit. Quote accurately. Send clean invoices. Know your numbers.

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Profit Per Hour Tracker
Track hours worked and materials used on every job. See your actual profit-per-hour instantly. No more guessing if a job was worth it.
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Professional Quotes & Invoices
Create clean, branded quotes with deposit options. Generate deposit and balance invoices. Export as PDFs. Send to clients in seconds.
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Track Materials & Costs
Log paint, supplies, and other expenses per job. Trackexa calculates your true profit after all costs, not just revenue minus labour.
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Australian FY & GST
Dashboard shows your full financial year (July 1 to June 30) with paid income including and excluding GST. GST collected assumes 10% GST on paid invoices. Exports a sales and GST collected summary. Does not yet track GST paid on purchases.
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Business Snapshot
Open the app and see this month's paid income, what's outstanding, your quotes pipeline, and your financial year income on one screen. Business insights shows the last 12 months, inc and ex GST.
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Add to Google Calendar
Send scheduled jobs to Google Calendar with the customer's name, address and phone filled in. One-way: changes in Google Calendar do not come back into Trackexa. See overlapping Trackexa bookings before you choose a date.
Related Resources

More alternatives & resources

Compare job management software options and learn about profit tracking for Australian tradies.

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Free Job Return Calculator
What did that last repaint really pay you? Enter one job's price, paint, costs and every hour. No signup. Work out your real hourly rate
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How to Price a Painting Job
Build a quote from your hours, paint and costs, then check what the job really paid you. Read the pricing guide
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Profit Per Hour Tracker
Track profit margins on every job to know which work is worth doing. Learn about profit tracking
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Australian Tradie Software
Compare job management software built for Australian tradies. View buyer's guide
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Trackexa for sole traders
One login, built for tradies who work on their own: quote, job, invoice and see what each job returned. sole trader job management software
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Tradify Alternative
Simpler alternative for Australian sole traders. Compare Tradify vs Trackexa
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ServiceM8 Alternative
Australian-built alternative with profit tracking built in. Compare ServiceM8 vs Trackexa
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Jobber Alternative
Flat AUD pricing and Australian FY built in. Compare Jobber vs Trackexa
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Fergus Alternative
Lighter alternative with flat AUD pricing. Compare Fergus vs Trackexa
Questions & Answers

Common questions about Trackexa for painters

Here's what painting contractors usually ask about using Trackexa to run their business.

How much does Trackexa cost for painters?
Trackexa is $39 AUD per month, flat. That includes GST, unlimited jobs, quotes, invoices, and profit-per-hour tracking. No per-user fees, no hidden costs. 14-day free trial with no credit card required.
Can I track profit-per-hour on painting jobs?
Yes. Trackexa calculates and displays profit-per-hour automatically for every job. Enter your hours worked, paint costs, and materials, and you'll see your real hourly rate instantly, not just revenue, but actual profit after costs.
Does Trackexa help with quoting painting jobs?
Yes. Create professional quotes with line items for prep, painting, materials, and any extras. Set deposit amounts, add payment terms, and export as PDF. Once you've tracked a few jobs, you'll know your real profit-per-hour and can quote more accurately.
Does Trackexa have Australian financial year and GST tracking?
Yes. Your dashboard shows financial year income (July 1 to June 30) by default, with paid income including and excluding GST. GST collected is calculated as one eleventh of paid invoice totals (assumes 10% GST on all invoices). You can export a sales and GST collected summary for your bookkeeper or BAS. Trackexa does not yet track GST paid on purchases.
Can I use Trackexa on my phone while I'm on site?
Yes. Trackexa runs in your phone's browser on iPhone and Android, plus desktop. Every feature works on every device. Nothing to install. Just open the app in Safari, Chrome, or any browser.
Is Trackexa built for solo painters or painting crews?
Trackexa is built for Australian sole trader painters (one login per account). Team logins are not available yet. An offsider can still get job details via Google Calendar. If you're running a larger operation with dispatch and fleet management needs, other software may fit better.
Can I switch from spreadsheets or another app to Trackexa?
Yes. Most painters start fresh in Trackexa with new jobs and keep their old spreadsheets or app for historical records. Set up takes about 15 minutes: add your business profile, upload your logo, and you're ready to quote. If you need help, email joel@trackexa.com.
How do I start my free trial?
Click "Start Free Trial" below or visit https://app.trackexa.com/signup. You'll have 14 days to test everything: quote jobs, track hours and materials, see your profit-per-hour, and decide if it fits. No credit card required.

Run your painting business like a pro.

Know your real profit on every job. Quote accurately. Manage invoices and GST without the headaches. Free trial, no credit card, no lock-in.

Start Free Trial →

Free to start · $39 AUD/month including GST · Built by a painter in Cairns