Depending on your project, painting and decorating costs can range from around £300 for painting or wallpapering a small room to over £1,000 for prepping and painting a large room, including walls and ceiling.
Painting the outside of a house costs on average around £1,000.
Of course, there are a number of factors that can impact the overall cost, which is why using My Local Toolbox can help you find painters and decorators near you who can give an accurate quote for your project.
If you’ve decided to hire a professional to decorate your home, a painting and decorating price list will help give you an idea of how far your budget will stretch.
In this guide, we cover:
- Average painting and decorating costs
- Painter and decorator day rates
- The additional costs to consider
- Frequently asked questions
How much does painting and decorating cost?
We spoke to homeowners who used My Local Toolbox to find local painters and decorators and asked how much their painting and decorating quotes were. These are the average painter and decorator prices they told us.
To get quotes from painters and decorators near you – post a job now.
| Project | Size | Price | Time |
| Interior painting (preparation of walls, ceiling, and 2 coats) | 1 medium-sized room (around 30m2) | £400 – £600 | 1 – 2 days |
| Interior painting (preparation of walls, ceiling, and 2 coats) | 1 large-sized room (around 60m2) | £800 – £1,200 | 2 – 3 days |
| Interior wallpapering (excludes any painting) | 1 medium-sized room | £275 – £350 | 2 – 3 days |
| Interior wallpapering | 1 large-sized room | £400 – £500 | 3 days |
| Ceiling painting | 1 small room (around 15m2) | £270 | Half day |
| Ceiling painting | 1 large room | £380 | 1 day |
| Exterior painting | 3 bed semi-detached house | £700 – £1,000 | 4 – 5 days |
| Exterior painting | 4 bed detached house | £900 – £1,800 | 4 to 7 days |
How much do painters and decorators charge per day?
Some painters and decorates charge a day rate. The amount charged per day can vary depending on several factors including:
- Location
- Experience of the painter and decorator
- Last-minute call-out charges
- Parking charges
- Additional materials (e.g. scaffolding)
Painter and decorator day rates can range from around £150 in areas like Manchester, Liverpool, and Devon to over £200 in London.
If your job is only small, you may be charged an hourly rate. Hourly rates can range from around £20 per hour to around £50 depending on the area in which you live.
What other factors affect the cost?
When you get a painting and decorating price list, several other factors affect cost, aside from the type of project.
Preparation
If you’ve only budgeted for painting or wallpapering, you may get a surprise if the decorating cost is greater because of the condition of your walls.
For example, if you have damp patches on your walls, these areas will first require treatment with sealants. Similarly, badly stained walls from previous occupants who might have smoked will need sugar soaping, and if you’re removing wallpaper, this will have to be factored into the preparation time – and cost.
Other preparation that can increase decorating costs include filling holes or cracks in walls and sanding wooden surrounds so they’re ready for painting.
Materials and equipment
Depending on your job specification your painting and decorating quote might include some specialist materials such as specialist paints (like anti-mold or hypoallergenic paint) or more expensive brands like Farrow & Ball.
Additional equipment like scaffolding may be required for painting your house exterior or vaulted ceilings.
Size
Understandably, the size of the house or rooms you’re painting or decorating will also have an impact on the price. A larger house or room will inevitably cost more than a smaller one.
If you’re planning on decorating more than one room, it’s best to get a total for the whole job.
If your budget allows, decorate in one go instead of doing one room one month and another room at a later stage. This means your painter can paint another room whilst waiting for it to dry in the previous room.
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Location
Location can play a huge role in painter and decorator rates. If you live in an area where demand is high, you’re more likely to see higher painter and decorator costs, compared with areas where demand is lower. The same also applies in areas that have higher living costs (such as London) where prices are generally higher.
Skill level and experience
Most of your painter and decorator costs will be for labour, which means the prices will vary depending on the skill level of the professionals involved, as well as if they work for themselves or if they’re part of a larger company.
Larger companies may have to charge VAT and will have additional overheads they need to pay for.
Painter and decorator FAQs
How much do painters and decorators cost in London?
You can expect to pay around £200 per day for a painter in decorator in London. As we all know the price of goods and services in London are generally higher than elsewhere due to the higher cost of living.
What questions should I ask a painter and decorator?
When getting a painting and decorating quote, there are some questions you should ask to make sure you won’t be left with a higher bill than you anticipated.
- Will they be providing the materials like paints and wallpaper?
- What is their pricing structure? Does it include prep work? Is it a fixed price or daily rate?
- What relevant experience do they have? Do they have any images or customer reviews?
- What steps will they take to get the job done? How long do they anticipate it will take?
- Ask for proof of insurance.
How can I save money on painting and decorating?
If you’re on a tight budget, you can save money on your painting and decorating quote by doing as much prep work as possible.
This could be removing old wallpaper and moving any furniture, sanding down woodwork or cutting back shrubs and plants if you’re having the exterior of your house painted.
Choose the paints and finish you want and buy the products yourself, that way you’ll avoid a potential markup – although sometimes trade prices can make household brands cheaper, it’s worth shopping around and asking your painter for material costs before starting work.
Include as many rooms in your quote as possible, as this can help lower the overall price per room, instead of having lots of little one-off jobs.
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Related cost guides
- How much does it cost to paint and decorate a room?
- How much does it cost to paint a house?
- How much does it cost to paint a door?
