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Cost guide · 2026
How much does a painter and decorator cost?
Quick answer: most UK painters charge £180–£280 a day. Repainting an average room (walls, ceiling and woodwork) costs £380–£650 including paint.
Day rate
£180–280
One room
£380–650
3-bed house
£2.5k–5.5k
Calculator
Work out the cost of your room
Enter your room size and what needs doing. We show the labour, the paint you’ll need and how long it’ll take, and how the maths works.
Price list
Painting and decorating prices, job by job
Typical 2026 prices across the UK for a professional painter, including standard trade paint unless stated. London and the South East sit at the top of each range.
| Job | Typical price | How long | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Painter’s day rate | £180–£280 | 8 hours | Per person. Paint is usually extra. |
| Small room (walls, ceiling, woodwork) | £350–£500 | 1–1.5 days | Box room, study or bathroom. |
| Average room (walls, ceiling, woodwork) | £380–£650 | 1.5–2.5 days | Double bedroom or dining room. |
| Large living room | £650–£1,000 | 2.5–3.5 days | More if there’s coving or a bay window. |
| Hallway, stairs & landing | £600–£1,200 | 3–4 days | Needs a stair platform. Lots of woodwork. |
| Walls only, per m² | £8–£25 | – | Two coats on sound plaster. |
| Hanging wallpaper, per roll | £25–£45 | – | £40–£75 for patterned or premium papers. |
| Feature wall, wallpapered | £180–£320 | 0.5–1 day | Labour only, about 4 rolls. |
| Stripping old wallpaper | £100–£300 | 0.5–1.5 days | Per room. Can reveal plaster that needs repair. |
| 3-bed semi, full interior | £2,500–£5,500 | 10–18 days | Usually a team of two. |
| 4-bed detached, full interior | £4,000–£8,500 | 15–25 days | |
| House exterior (walls, windows, fascias, doors) | £1,800–£4,500 | 4–8 days | Add scaffolding if needed, often £800–£1,500. |
By region
Day rates across the UK
A painter in London typically charges £60–£100 a day more than one in the North of England. Each bar shows the usual range, and the dot marks the middle.
Extras
What pushes the price up, and by how much
Filling cracks and making good, per room£50–£100
Full skim coat before painting+£370–£750
Moving and covering furniturefrom £20/hr
Designer paint instead of trade (per 2.5L)+£25–£50
Stain block on water marks£15–£40
Very dark to light colour (extra coat)+20–30%
High ceilings or stairwells (platform)+£40–£120
Decorative finishes and stencilling£120–£200
How to keep the cost down
- Clear the room and take pictures and curtains down before they arrive. You’re paying their day rate while they move your sofa.
- Bundle rooms together. A painter who’s already set up charges less per room than for one-off visits.
- Book in winter. January to March is quieter for most decorators, and some will price more keenly.
- Ask whether they buy trade paint at a discount. It’s often cheaper than you’d pay in a shop.
- Keep the same colour if you can. Going darker to lighter usually needs an extra coat.
Before you hire
How to compare painter quotes
Two quotes for the same room can differ by hundreds of pounds because they include different things. Check each one covers:
- Which surfaces: walls, ceiling, skirting, doors, frames, windows, radiators
- How many coats, and whether a mist coat is included on new plaster
- The paint brand and finish, and who buys it
- Filling, sanding and caulking (the prep is where cheap quotes cut corners)
- Dust sheets, masking and clearing up each day
- Start date, how many days, and payment terms. Avoid paying a large deposit up front.
- Public liability insurance
- Recent reviews from verified customers. On Seconded, every review comes from a confirmed job.
Near you
Find a painter your neighbours recommend
Enter your postcode to see painters and decorators near you, ranked by verified reviews.
Example listings, to show the layout. Real painters and their verified reviews appear here at launch.
ED
Example Decorating
Dorking
Dorking
Example
EP
Example Painters
Leatherhead
Leatherhead
Example
ES
Example & Son
Reigate
Reigate
Example
FAQs
Painting and decorating questions
Sources and method. Prices are the typical ranges reported by UK trade platforms and pricing surveys published in 2026, cross-checked against each other. Calculator estimates use regional day rates, standard productivity rates for professional decorators and current trade paint prices. They’re a guide, not a quote.
- MyBuilder, painter and decorator price guide, 2026
- Best Builders, painting and decorating cost UK, 2026 (regional day rates)
- Bark, painting and decorating price guide, 2026
- HaMuch, painter and decorator rates, 2026