Painting & decorating

Painting & decorating explained

Painting and decorating covers interior and exterior painting, wallpapering and the finishing work around both. A decorator paints walls and ceilings, hangs paper, and cuts in woodwork such as skirting, architrave and doors. Most also patch plaster, fill cracks and seal gaps before any colour goes on. Feature walls and panelling sit in the same bracket. Exterior work takes in render, masonry, fascias, window frames and front doors.

Preparation takes most of the time on a decorating job. Sanding, filling, caulking, priming and masking usually take longer than applying the paint. Skipping that work shows up within a year as flaking paint, open paper joints and filler marks. Hire a professional for high ceilings, stairwells, whole house repaints, spray finishes, and any outside work needing ladders or towers. A single room in sound condition suits careful DIY.

British housing stock sets much of the cost. Victorian and Edwardian homes bring lime plaster, deep cornice and layered gloss on woodwork. Walls in older houses often need stabilising or lining paper before they take emulsion cleanly. Damp patches must be traced and fixed first, because paint over damp fails quickly. Outside, most decorators work from April to October, when surfaces stay dry and temperatures sit above about 10C.

What moves the price

Room size and ceiling height

Day rates of roughly £180 to £300 mean a standard bedroom repaint sits near £400 to £650, while a stairwell and landing often reaches £900 to £1,800.

Condition of the existing plaster

Filling, caulking and lining paper on older walls commonly adds £150 to £500 a room, and full re-plastering costs more again.

How much woodwork is included

Skirting, architrave, doors and window frames usually add £120 to £400 per room, and more where old gloss needs sanding back.

Wallpaper instead of paint

Hanging is often priced at £25 to £55 a roll, so a single feature wall typically lands between £150 and £350.

Access for exterior work

Tower hire of about £100 to £200 a week, or scaffolding at £800 to £1,800 for a semi, sits on top of the painting price.

Figures are indicative typical ranges for the UK, not quotes. Always get written quotes before work starts.

Before you enquire

• Clear furniture and small items, or agree who moves them.
• Point out damp patches, cracks and past leaks before quoting.
• Ask what preparation, how many coats and which surfaces are included.
• Mention if the house was built before 1980, for lead paint checks.

Common questions