How much do painters and decorators cost?
If you want to get the professionals in to give your room a perfect finish, we’ve looked at how much you might need to pay¹.
Our figures are only a guide to average costs, and there are several factors that can affect how much you’ll be charged, including:
- where you live
- the age and condition of your property
- how long the job takes
- the types of materials (such as the quality of paint) that you want to be used.
Ask traders to break down the quotes they provide, so you know what you’re being charged for.
It’s a good idea to get more than one quote so you have a better idea of the going rate for your particular requirements.
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Cost of painting and wallpapering a room
Unless otherwise specified, prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.
| Job | Details | Typical price quoted | Price range | Time to do job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint a room (small) | Room size approx 2.1m x 2.2m. Repaint walls and ceiling with two coats of light-coloured emulsion. Assumes existing plaster is in good condition. | £325 | £220-£440 | 1-2 days |
| Paint a room (medium) | Room size approx 3.3m x 3m. Repaint walls and ceiling with two coats of light-coloured emulsion. Assumes existing plaster is in good condition. | £420 | £400-£440 | 2 days |
| Paint a room (large) | Room size approx 6.1m x 5m. Repaint walls and ceiling with two coats of light-coloured emulsion. Assumes existing plaster is in good condition. | £550 | £450-£600 | 2-3 days |
| Repaint hallway, landing and stairs | Repaint walls only (not woodwork) in downstairs hallway, upstairs landing and stair area in an average three-bedroom house. Assumes existing plaster is in good condition. | £650 | £600-£720 | 3 days |
| Wallpaper a room | Room size approx 4.4m x 3.3m. Line and paper. Assumes walls are straight and sound with no existing wallpaper to remove. Customer supplying own wallpaper. | £850 | £800-£950 | 4 days |
Cost of painting woodwork
Unless otherwise specified, prices include labour and materials but exclude VAT.
| Job | Details | Typical price quoted | Price range | Time to do job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repaint woodwork that's in good condition (one room) | Room size approx 3.3m x 3m. Assumes existing gloss is good quality but discoloured. Rub down, undercoat and paint with gloss. Cost includes skirting boards and one door frame (no doors or windows). | £320 | £200-£350 | 1-2 days |
| Repaint woodwork that's in poor condition (one room) | Room size approx 3.3m x 3m. Remove old gloss and prepare wood. Undercoat and paint with gloss. Cost includes skirting boards and one door frame (no doors or windows). | £425 | £275-£450 | 1.5-2 days |
Cost of painting exterior of house
| Job | Details | Typical price quoted | Price range | Time to do job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paint exterior of average three-bedroom semi-detached house* | Assumes render is in good condition and just needs a repaint. | £875 | £750-£1500 | 3-4 days |
*Depending on your house, traders will probably need to use scaffolding to complete this job safely. This could add a lot to your quote. Some traders gave us quotes including scaffolding, and some didn’t (hence the large price range). Make sure you ask traders about this to help you compare quotes more easily.
¹Costs were checked and updated in September 2021.