Painting and Decorating Pricing Guide UK — Day Rates, Room Costs & How to Quote (2026)

Decorator Day Rates 2026

Most self-employed decorators in the UK charge between £160 and £280 per day, depending on experience, location and the type of work. Spray painters — who require more specialist equipment and deliver a higher-quality factory finish — command £220–£350/day. In London and the South East, expect to add a 20–30% premium across all these figures.

• Sole trader decorator (UK average): £160–£280/day
• Spray painter: £220–£350/day
• London / South East premium: +20–30% on all rates
• Two-man gang (decorator + labourer or second decorator): £320–£500/day

Day rates suit jobs where scope is uncertain — a property with unknown prep requirements, or a renovation where other trades are still active. For well-defined domestic work, most clients prefer fixed-price quotes. Know which model fits the job before you quote.

Interior Painting: Room-by-Room Costs

These are labour-only ranges for a decorator working alone. Prices assume walls in reasonable condition, two coats of emulsion to walls and ceiling. Materials are additional unless stated otherwise.

• Small bedroom (10–12m² floor area): £200–£400
• Average bedroom (13–16m²): £300–£500
• Large bedroom (17–20m²): £350–£600
• Living room (20–25m²): £400–£700
• Kitchen (12–15m²): £250–£450
• Bathroom (8–10m²): £200–£400 (small but fiddly; moisture-resistant paint required)
• Full 3-bed semi-detached (all rooms inc. hallway, stairs, landing): £2,000–£4,000

High ceilings, ornate coving, picture rails, multiple colours or premium client-supplied paint push these figures upward. A Victorian terrace with elaborate cornicing is a materially different job from a modern box room — price accordingly.

Woodwork Pricing

Gloss and satinwood on woodwork is slower, more skilled and often more contentious than wall emulsion — runs, drips and poor cutting-in are what clients notice most. Price woodwork separately so the client can see the breakdown.

• Skirting boards (labour only, per linear metre): £5–£10/m
• Architrave (labour only, per linear metre): £5–£10/m
• Door (both sides, gloss/satinwood): £50–£120
• Window (per window — size and type dependent, inc. staircase-type): £60–£150
• Full house woodwork (skirting, architraves, doors, stairs): £800–£2,500

The range on full-house woodwork is wide because it depends entirely on the property — a modern 3-bed with flush doors and simple skirting sits at the lower end; an Edwardian house with panelled doors, dado rails and detailed skirting is at the top. Visit the site before quoting.

Wallpapering Costs

Wallpapering is priced per drop (one roll width, floor to ceiling) rather than per m² — this accounts for the skill required to hang, match and seam correctly. Pattern matching increases waste, which increases cost.

• Straight pattern wallpaper (labour only, per drop): £20–£40
• Large pattern match wallpaper (per drop): £25–£50 (more waste; more time aligning)
• Feature wall — approx. 4 drops (labour only): £100–£200
• Full room — approx. 12–15 drops (labour only): £300–£700
• Ceiling papering (per room, labour only): £80–£150

Lining paper before hanging finish wallpaper adds time and cost — typically an extra £150–£300 per room depending on size. Always confirm whether the client wants lining paper and whether you're stripping existing wallpaper first. Both are extras unless explicitly included in the quote.

Exterior Painting

Exterior work is slower, weather-dependent and harder on equipment. Materials — especially masonry paint — are thirstier than interior equivalents, and access often requires scaffolding or a MEWP.

• House exterior full repaint, render or masonry (3-bed semi): £2,000–£4,500 labour only
• Front elevation only: £600–£1,200
• Exterior woodwork (fascias, soffits, barge boards, windows): £800–£2,000
• Scaffolding (2-storey, scaffold hire additional): add £800–£2,500 if required

Popular exterior masonry paints such as Dulux Weathershield and Sandtex cover approximately 4–5m² per litre on a rough or textured surface — significantly less than interior emulsion. Factor this into your materials estimate before pricing. A 3-bed semi with rendered walls can easily require 30–40 litres of masonry paint for two coats.

Always state clearly in your quote whether scaffolding is included or the client's responsibility. An unexpected scaffold hire invoice will cost you the relationship.

Materials: What a Decorator Uses

Most decorators working on fixed-price jobs supply materials and mark them up 10–20%. This is standard and clients expect it. The key is knowing your material costs before you quote, not after.

• Dulux / Crown trade matt emulsion (5L): £25–£45; covers approx. 35m² first coat, 50m² second coat
• Satinwood / gloss (2.5L): £18–£30
• Zinsser BIN shellac-based primer: £30–£50/L — essential for stain blocking (water stains, nicotine, marker pen)
• Filler — Toupret, Polycell (per kg): £5–£20 depending on type (fine surface vs. structural)
• Masking tape — 3M ScotchBlue: £4–£8/roll

If a client supplies their own paint, state clearly in writing that you accept no liability for coverage, finish quality or colour matching. Trade-account purchasing matters — your cost price directly affects margin on every job.

Preparation: The Hidden Time Cost

Preparation typically accounts for 30–50% of total job time, and it's where most decorating disputes originate. Clients see paint; decorators know the prep is what makes paint last. Price it visibly so the client understands what they're paying for.

• Washing down paintwork with sugar soap: essential before any repaint; time depends on surface area
• Light filling and sanding (per room): £40–£100
• Heavy filling and crack repair (per room): £80–£200+
• Mist coat on fresh plaster (per room): £50–£120 labour — always quote this separately
• Wallpaper stripping (per room): £80–£200 — more for multiple layers or anaglypta
• Priming bare areas: included in per-room rates above if light; priced separately for extensive bare timber or bare plaster

Common client complaints — colour looking too light or dark after one coat, runs in gloss, poor coverage — almost all trace back to prep shortcuts or inadequate priming. Educate clients: primer plus two finish coats is the standard. One coat is not a finish; it's a tint.

Spray Painting for Speed and Finish

Airless sprayers — Graco, Titan and similar — have become standard on new builds, large commercial redecorations and kitchen cabinet resprays. The finish is superior to brush and roller on flat surfaces, and throughput on large areas is significantly faster. The trade-off is prep: everything that isn't being sprayed needs masking, and masking takes time.

A decent airless sprayer for trade use costs £1,500–£3,000 to buy. Entry-level units are false economy on commercial work — tip wear, inconsistent pressure and poor atomisation eat into the quality advantage. If you're moving into spray work, buy once at the right spec.

• New build interior (per plot, spray finish): quote on a day-rate or per-plot basis; spray painter day rates apply (£220–£350)
• Kitchen cabinet respray (per kitchen, in situ): £500–£1,200 labour depending on number of doors and drawer fronts
• Large commercial area (corridors, offices): price on m² at a premium to standard roller rates — justify it on finish quality and speed

Spray painting attracts a premium rate because the equipment investment is significant and the skill to achieve a run-free finish is higher. If you offer spray work, market it as a premium service — not as a cheaper alternative to brush and roller.

Pricing Strategy for Decorators

There is no single right pricing model — per-room, per-day and per-m² all have their place. The key is knowing which approach fits which job, and being consistent so clients can compare your quotes fairly.

• Always visit site before quoting. A bedroom is not a bedroom until you've seen the ceiling height, the condition of the plaster and the amount of woodwork.
• Specify coats in writing. State exactly how many coats to walls, ceiling and woodwork. “Two coats” means two coats — not one thick one.
• Clarify who supplies paint. Client-supplied paint changes your liability and your margin. If they supply it, your rate should reflect that you're not marking up materials.
• Break out prep, materials and labour. A transparent quote builds trust and makes it harder for clients to challenge individual line items.
• Day rate for uncertain scope; fixed price for defined scope. If you can see all the walls and know exactly what's needed, fix the price. If it's a renovation with unknowns, day-rate protects you both.

Track which enquiry sources actually convert to paid jobs. If most of your work comes from referrals, protect those relationships. If you're spending on lead platforms, know your cost-per-converted-job — not just cost-per-lead. The two numbers are very different.