Painting and Decorating Costs UK — Interior, Exterior and Commercial Painting Pricing Guide (2026)

Decorator Day Rates UK 2026

The typical decorator day rate in the UK sits between £180 and £300 per day for a sole trader working outside London. The lower end reflects less experienced decorators, straightforward refresh work, or lower-cost areas. The upper end covers experienced decorators with a strong local reputation, high-standard finishing, and specialist skills such as spray painting, limewash or specialist faux techniques.

London and the South East commands a 20–30% premium. A decorator charging £220 a day in the Midlands would reasonably charge £270–£300 in outer London and can exceed £350 per day in prime areas such as Chelsea, Kensington or the Surrey commuter belt where clients prioritise quality over cost.

Exterior painting commands a small premium over interior — typically 10–20% more — because prep is harder, working conditions are less comfortable, and access from ladders or scaffold carries genuine physical risk. Decorators working at height should factor this into their rate explicitly, not absorb it.

Trade-qualified decorators with a City & Guilds, NVQ Level 2 or 3, or an apprenticeship certificate can legitimately charge toward the top of the range and will find it easier to win higher-value domestic and commercial work. Membership of the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA) and holding a CSCS Painting and Decorating card both signal professional credibility to clients and site managers alike — mention them on your quote and your website.

Interior Room Painting Costs (Labour)

Interior painting is usually quoted per room rather than per m² for standard domestic work. The ranges below are labour-only benchmarks for 2026 and assume surfaces in reasonable condition, two to three coats of emulsion on walls and ceiling, and cutting-in included. Materials are additional unless stated.

A full house interior repaint for a 3-bedroom semi in average condition lands around £2,500–£4,500 in labour. Larger or older properties with damaged plasterwork, period features, or multiple storeys push toward the top of the range. If the property has been recently plastered and needs mist coat, undercoat, and full topcoats throughout, expect costs closer to £5,000–£7,000.

Why two to three coats matter: a single coat on a previously painted surface rarely gives adequate coverage or durability. On bare plaster, a mist coat (diluted emulsion) is required before any topcoats. On surfaces changing colour — especially from dark to light — three coats may still not achieve full hide without a dedicated primer. One-coat quotes are a red flag. The paint manufacturers' coverage figures are theoretical; real conditions always require more.

Exterior House Painting Costs

Exterior painting costs vary more than interior because the access situation, substrate condition, and scaffold requirement can completely change the economics of a job.

Scaffold: when you need it

For a standard two-storey semi, an experienced decorator can often work safely from a long ladder and a set of hop-ups for much of the job. A three-storey property, a large detached, or any building where the gable end or rear elevation cannot be safely reached from a ladder requires scaffold. The cost of scaffold hire for a standard semi runs £500–£1,200 per week depending on size and location; for a large detached, expect £1,000–£2,000. This is a direct cost that belongs on the quote as its own line item, not buried in the labour rate.

Scaffold is arranged by the decorator on most domestic jobs. Allow two to three weeks lead time for scaffold erection in busy periods. Factor in the erection and strike cost (often included in weekly hire) and the hire duration carefully — exterior painting is weather-dependent and scaffold left standing through a week of rain costs money.

Wallpapering Costs

Wallpapering is priced per roll hung, not per m², which reflects the skill involved in matching patterns, cutting around obstacles, and ensuring seams are invisible. The range is wide because paper type, pattern repeat, and surface condition all significantly affect labour time.

Heavy-duty vinyls, fabric-backed papers, or hand-printed designs require more care and take longer to hang — any decorator who doesn't adjust their rate upwards for premium paper is pricing themselves out of profit. Always confirm who supplies the paper and factor in a 10–15% overage allowance for wastage, especially where pattern repeats are long.

Commercial Painting Costs

Commercial painting is priced differently from domestic work. Large flat areas — warehouse walls, office blocks, car parks — are typically priced per m² because the scope is easily measurable and clients expect transparent, auditable pricing. Detailed commercial work — listed buildings, retail fit-outs, intricate coving or detailed metalwork — is still day-rated.

Spray painting

Spray painting for commercial projects and kitchen cabinets requires specialist equipment — a compressor, spray gun, and full masking and containment to protect surrounding surfaces. The equipment cost (purchase or hire) and setup time must be built into the price. A domestic kitchen respray typically takes two full days including preparation, masking, spraying, and clear-up. The premium finish and speed of spray versus brush justify a higher price point, and many clients are actively seeking this service for kitchen renovations.

Decorators adding spray painting to their offering should invest in proper training before taking on commercial jobs. Overspray contamination and poor masking are among the most common commercial complaints and can be expensive to put right.

Coving and Cornice Painting

Coving and cornice painting is priced per linear metre, not per room. It is fiddly, slow work requiring steady hands and the right brush angle to achieve a clean line against both wall and ceiling. Typical rates run £3–£8 per metre depending on the complexity of the profile.

• Simple cove (straight run, no pattern): £3–£5/m
• Detailed cornice (Georgian or Victorian profile): £5–£8/m
• Gilded or multi-colour cornice (specialist finish): £8+ /m, often day-rated

Measure the full perimeter of the room and multiply by your per-metre rate. Always walk round and look for damage — cracked or poorly-repaired coving takes time to make good before any paint goes on.

Preparation Work: The 50% of the Job Nobody Sees

Good preparation is what determines whether a paint job lasts three years or ten. On most interior jobs, prep — filling, sanding, priming, cleaning and masking — accounts for 40–60% of total job time. This is why one-coat quotes from decorators who don't walk the job are so often loss-making for the decorator and unsatisfactory for the client.

• Filling cracks and holes: hairline cracks are filled with flexible filler, larger cracks with a skim of finishing plaster or fibrous filler. Deep voids need backing material. Each step adds drying time and may require sanding back. Budget for this explicitly on older properties.
• Sanding: between coats on woodwork (gloss, satinwood, eggshell), sanding back is essential for adhesion and smoothness. On walls, sanding down raised areas from previous bad patching is often needed before a topcoat looks right.
• Priming: bare plaster needs a mist coat (diluted emulsion, typically 70/30 paint-to-water), bare wood needs a dedicated wood primer, and previously gloss-painted walls being repainted with emulsion need a stabilising primer or a light sand. Skipping primer leads to poor adhesion, uneven sheen, and early paint failure.
• Cleaning: kitchen and bathroom walls often have grease or moisture staining. These must be cleaned with a sugar soap solution before any paint is applied — paint does not adhere well to grease and will fail within months.

Always itemise prep on your quote. Clients who can see a line for “preparation: filling, sanding, priming” understand what they're paying for and are less likely to challenge the price. Prep buried inside a room rate can be cut by a client who “just wants it painted.” Itemised prep is defensible.

Paint Types and Material Costs

Material costs vary significantly depending on the paint type, brand, and quantity purchased. Decorators with trade accounts at Dulux, Johnstone's, or Crown access prices 20–40% below retail.

Premium brands — Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Mylands — cost significantly more. A 2.5L tin of Farrow & Ball estate emulsion retails at £60–£70 and covers around 35m². If you're supplying premium paint on a client's instruction, pass through the actual cost and apply a modest handling markup (10–15%) rather than the standard 25–35% you'd apply to mid-range trade paint.

Number of coats matters for cost and quality. The manufacturers' coverage figures assume ideal conditions. In practice, highly porous or uneven surfaces, dark colours, or colour changes need additional coats. Always quote based on what the surface actually needs, not what the tin says.

Quoting Guide for Decorators: How to Measure and Price a Job

A strong quote process is what separates decorators who win good jobs at good margins from those who either lose on price or lose on margin after winning.

Step 1: Measure m²

• Walls: room perimeter × ceiling height, minus doors (approx. 2m² each) and windows (approx. 1–1.5m² each)
• Ceiling: floor length × floor width
• Woodwork: door faces, window boards, skirting and architraves measured separately or added as a per-room allowance

Step 2: Assess condition

Walk every room. Look for cracking, staining, old wallpaper, bare plaster, damaged coving, previously gloss-painted walls, or evidence of damp. Each issue either adds time to your prep allowance or becomes a reason to flag a condition caveat on the quote.

Step 3: Price your time

Convert your m² to days based on your known production speed. A reasonable interior decorator on flat, well-prepped surfaces can paint around 30–40m² of walls per hour with a roller. Cutting in is slower — allow additional time per metre of perimeter. Woodwork is slower still — a door face (two sides) typically takes 40–60 minutes including prep.

Step 4: Build the written quote

Issue a written quote, not a verbal price. Break it down: prep, labour per area or room, materials, and any specialist items (wallpaper, coving, scaffold). Include payment terms, start date, duration, and what happens if additional prep issues are discovered on the day. A written quote protects you from scope creep and positions you as a professional.

Finding Qualified Decorators: What to Look For

If you're a homeowner or property manager looking to hire a decorator, look for the following signals of quality and professionalism:

• PDA membership (Painting and Decorating Association): the UK's main trade body for decorators. Members are vetted and agree to a code of practice. PDA members can be found at the PDA's website.
• Guild of Master Craftsmen: another vetted directory covering multiple trades including decorating. Members have been assessed for quality and are bound by the Guild's standards.
• Which? Trusted Traders: decorators endorsed by Which? have been assessed by a Which? surveyor and reviewed by verified customers. The endorsement carries weight because the vetting process is credible.
• CSCS Painting and Decorating card: required for working on most commercial sites. Confirms the holder has the correct Health & Safety knowledge and trade qualification for their skill level.
• Written quote on company letterhead: a professional decorator provides a written quote, not a verbal estimate. The quote should break down prep, labour, and materials separately.

Red flags to avoid

• One-coat quotes: a decorator who quotes for one coat of emulsion on a previously painted surface in average condition is either cutting corners or mispricing the job. Two coats is the professional standard for domestic work.
• No prep included: if a quote doesn't mention filling, sanding, or priming, ask why not. Prep is part of the job. A quote that omits it entirely is either incomplete or leaving you exposed to additional charges mid-job.
• No written quote: never accept a verbal price for any decorating work. If the decorator won't put it in writing, walk away.
• Cash-only, no invoice: legitimate decorators invoice for their work. Cash in hand with no paperwork leaves you with no recourse if the finish fails.

How Trade2Base Helps Decorators Track What's Actually Winning Jobs

For decorators, the most valuable long-term revenue is repeat business — the client who comes back every three to five years for a full interior refresh, refers their neighbours, or asks you to quote their rental portfolio. The challenge is knowing which marketing channel is actually delivering those clients.

A decorator might be getting leads from Google, Checkatrade, Rated People, Instagram, and word of mouth simultaneously. Without tracking, all five feel equally useful — but the data almost never supports that. In practice, one or two channels generate the majority of revenue, and often the highest-value repeat customers are coming from just one source.

Trade2Base tracks every enquiry back to the marketing source that generated it — and then follows through to show which sources produce customers who actually book, pay without chasing, come back, and refer others. For decorators spending money across multiple platforms, this attribution data answers the question that matters: where should I invest my marketing budget to win the full-house, repeat-customer jobs?