How Much Does a Painter and Decorator Charge in the UK? (2026)

UK Painter & Decorator Rates at a Glance (2026)

Region	Hourly Rate	Day Rate
National average	£25–£45/hr	£140–£220/day
London	£40–£65/hr	£220–£340/day
South East	£33–£55/hr	£190–£295/day
Midlands	£22–£40/hr	£130–£205/day
North England	£20–£36/hr	£120–£195/day
Scotland	£22–£38/hr	£125–£200/day
Wales	£20–£35/hr	£115–£185/day

What Do Painters and Decorators Charge for Common Jobs?

Most decorators quote per job or per room. Hourly rates tend to be used for smaller jobs — touching up woodwork, painting a hallway ceiling, that sort of thing. Here are typical 2026 prices for the most common jobs:

What Drives the Price for Decorating Work?

The big variable is prep. A room where the walls are in perfect condition takes half the time of one with hairline cracks, blown plaster, or nicotine staining. Decorators who quote cheap often cut corners on preparation — and that's where you end up with paint cracking off or wallpaper bubbling within 12 months.

• Prep condition: Filling, sanding, and priming properly takes time. Don't expect it to be free.
• Paint quality: Trade paints used by professionals (Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Dulux Trade) genuinely cover better and last longer. If a decorator quotes very cheaply and then uses budget emulsion, you're not getting the same job.
• Type of surface: Emulsion on smooth plasterboard is quick. Gloss on old sash windows with multiple paint layers is slow, painstaking work.
• Wallpaper: Standard wallpaper is straightforward. Large-pattern matches, grasscloth, or fabric-backed wallcoverings require real skill and take longer.
• Access: Stairwells and double-height spaces add time for setup and make painting awkward. Expect to pay more for these.

Should You Supply Your Own Paint?

You can, but it's not always the right call. Experienced decorators use trade accounts to buy better-quality paint at better prices than you'll get retail. If you supply inferior paint to save money, the finish suffers — and the decorator knows it. Most decorators would rather supply materials and charge a small markup than be held responsible for a finish that fails because you bought cheap emulsion.

Exception: if you've got a specific colour that's only available from one brand, or you want to match an existing colour exactly, supply it yourself and tell them upfront.

Why Preparation is 80% of a Good Decoration Job

The single biggest differentiator between a good decorator and an average one isn't paint application — it's surface preparation. What prep actually involves:

• Filling and sanding — hairline cracks filled, nail holes stopped, sanded smooth. A rushed decorator fills holes but doesn't sand them flush, leaving visible bumps under paint
• Sugar soap wash — removing grease, nicotine, and dust from surfaces before painting. Skipped regularly; paint adhesion suffers as a result
• Sanding woodwork — existing gloss needs to be abraded before new paint will stick properly. Many decorators apply new paint over unsanded gloss, which peels within a year
• Primer on bare wood or new plaster — critical for adhesion. Bare MDF without primer will soak up topcoat and never look right
• Tape and dust sheets — proper protection of floors, switches, and adjacent surfaces. Shows whether the decorator respects the property

When getting quotes, ask specifically what prep is included. A lower price that skips prep will cost more in the long run when you need to redecorate in two years instead of eight.

Interior vs Exterior Decorating: Different Skills and Risks

Interior decoration — controlled environment, no weather risk, standard tools. Most residential decorators do interior work primarily.

Exterior decoration — requires working at height (scaffold or MEWP hire), dealing with weathered surfaces, choosing appropriate exterior products (masonry paint, exterior gloss or satinwood), and timing around weather. A good exterior decorator knows which days are suitable for painting (dry, above 10°C, no direct sun on the surface) and will reschedule rather than apply paint in unsuitable conditions.

Exterior repaints on a standard 3-bed semi typically take 3–5 days and include prep, primer where needed, and two coats of masonry paint to walls, plus gloss to windows and fascias. Scaffold adds £400–£800 to the project cost and is usually hired separately. Ask whether your decorator includes scaffold in their quote or expects you to arrange it.

How to Get Consistent Paint Colours Across Rooms

A frequent issue on multi-room decoration projects is colour consistency — the "same" colour looking different in different rooms due to lighting. To avoid it:

• Test paint in the actual room under the actual lighting before buying in bulk
• Order all paint for the same colour from the same batch number — colours vary slightly batch-to-batch
• Use a tinted primer in the same colour family — it reduces the number of topcoats needed and improves uniformity
• Confirm your decorator will mix all tins together (boxing the paint) before starting a large wall — tins from the same batch can vary slightly

How to Find a Reliable Painter and Decorator

• Ask to see a recently finished interior in person — look at the cut-in lines where wall meets ceiling, whether skirting has paint on the floor side, and how door frames are finished at the mitres
• Clarify number of coats in writing — "2 coats" on a quote means different things. Specify: 1 mist coat (for new plaster) + 2 topcoats, or 2 coats on existing painted walls
• Check reviews mention tidiness — a friendly decorator who leaves paint on light switches and door handles is not a good decorator
• Agree who supplies paint — supplying your own paint saves 15–25% on materials but you take responsibility for colour choice. If the decorator supplies, they carry the risk
• Dulux Select Decorators or Guild of Master Craftsmen — not a guarantee of quality but indicates ongoing professional development

Frequently Asked Questions

• How much does a painter and decorator charge per day?
  UK decorators typically charge £140–£220 per day nationally. London and South East decorators charge £220–£340/day. Rates depend on work type — emulsion is quicker than gloss or wallpaper.
• How much does it cost to paint a bedroom?
  Painting a standard double bedroom (walls and ceiling, two coats) typically costs £250–£450 for labour. Paint adds £50–£100 on top. London prices run 30–40% higher.
• How much does it cost to wallpaper a room?
  Wallpaper hanging typically costs £150–£300 per room in labour, plus the cost of the wallpaper. Pattern-matching wallpaper costs more. Lining paper adds £100–£200 to labour.
• How much does exterior house painting cost?
  A full exterior repaint of a semi-detached house typically costs £800–£2,000 including prep. The prep — filling, sanding, priming — often takes longer than the painting itself.
• Do painters and decorators charge VAT?
  Only if VAT registered (turnover over £90,000/year in 2025/26). Many decorators work below this threshold. Check whether your quote is ex-VAT — on a large job the 20% difference is meaningful.

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