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Painters & decorators across the UK

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One room or the whole house, inside or out – describe your painting and decorating job once and compare quotes from professional painters who work in your area.

  • Interior painting
  • Exterior painting
  • Walls and ceilings
  • Woodwork and doors
  • Wallpaper removal
  • Commercial painting

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Quotes from professional painters and decorators

Hiring a painter should be straightforward, but it rarely feels that way. Good decorators are busy, prices vary a lot from one quote to the next, and it can be hard to tell whether a low price means good value or a job that skips the preparation.

Painter Quotes is here to make that easier. You describe the job once – the rooms, the surfaces, inside or out – and add your postcode. Independent painters and decorators who cover your area receive the request and come back to you with a quote or to arrange a visit. You compare them and decide who, if anyone, to hire.

This page explains what a painter and decorator does, the kinds of work they take on, what affects the price and how to choose between quotes, so you can compare them with confidence.

What does a painter and decorator do?

Surface preparation
Filling, sanding, washing down, sealing stains, repairing small areas of plaster and render, and priming bare surfaces.
Painting
Ceilings, walls, woodwork, doors, radiators, masonry and metalwork, using the right paint and finish for each surface.
Decorating
Hanging lining paper and wallpaper, feature walls, and finishes such as eggshell on kitchen units or limewash on older walls.
Protection and clearing up
Moving and covering furniture, masking floors and fittings, and leaving the room clean when the job is done.

Types of painting and decorating work

Most jobs fall into a few broad types. Many painters do all of them; some specialise in interiors, exteriors or commercial work.

Paint roller applying a coat of blue paint to a white wall

Interior painting

Walls, ceilings and woodwork in any room, with the preparation that makes the finish last.

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Two painters on ladders repainting the front of a lilac house

Exterior painting

Masonry, render, pebble-dash, windows, doors, fascias and soffits – timed around the weather.

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Roller applying a fresh coat of white emulsion to a wall

Walls and ceilings

Fresh emulsion on tired or stained walls, cracked ceilings brought back to a clean finish, and mist coats on new plaster.

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Freshly painted white staircase and hallway

Rooms, hallways and stairs

A single bedroom, a living room, or the hallway, stairs and landing that are so awkward to reach.

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Painter on a ladder repainting the white rendered exterior of a house

Whole-house painting

Inside, outside or both – often before a sale, after a purchase, or between tenants.

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Bright, freshly decorated open-plan office interior

Commercial painting

Offices, shops, cafés, communal areas and rental properties, often out of hours to keep disruption down.

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Internal Painting & Decorating

Interior decorating is the work most people picture when they think of a painter and decorator: fresh walls and ceilings, crisp skirting boards and doors, and a room that finally looks finished. Done properly, it is also one of the most cost-effective ways to change how a home feels.

  • Walls and ceilings
  • Single rooms or whole homes
  • Woodwork and doors
  • Feature walls
  • Wallpaper removal
  • Hallways, stairs and landings
Internal Painting & Decorating guide and costs

External Painting

The outside of a house takes a battering from the British weather. Rain, frost, wind and summer sun gradually break down paint, and once it starts to crack and flake, water gets into render and timber and the damage speeds up. A well-timed repaint protects the building as well as improving how it looks from the street.

  • Masonry and render
  • Pebble-dash and roughcast
  • Windows, doors and sills
  • Fascias, soffits and gutters
  • Garden walls and fences
  • Scaffolding and access arranged
External Painting guide and costs
Painter masking a window with protective sheeting before exterior painting

Surface preparation: the part you don't see

Ask any experienced decorator and they'll tell you the same thing: the finish is only as good as the surface underneath. Cracks have to be filled and sanded, stains sealed so they don't bleed through, gloss keyed so new paint grips, and bare timber and new plaster primed.

Outside, walls are washed and treated for algae, flaking paint is scraped back, cracked render is repaired and rotten timber is cut out before anything is painted. It's slow, unglamorous work – and it's the main reason one quote can be higher than another for what looks like the same job.

Painting a whole house

Repainting a whole house, inside or out, is common before a sale, after moving in, or when a rental property changes tenants. A painter will usually work room by room indoors, starting with ceilings and finishing with woodwork, so you can keep living in the house.

Outside, doing every elevation at once is generally better value than painting one side at a time, as ladders, towers or scaffolding only need setting up once. Combining interior and exterior work with the same painter can also make scheduling easier – inside on wet days, outside when it's dry.

Residential and commercial painting

Most of the requests we see are from homeowners, landlords and tenants: bedrooms, living rooms, hallways and the outside of houses and flats. Residential painters are used to working around families, pets and furniture.

Painting contractors also take on commercial work – offices, shops, cafés, surgeries, communal stairwells in blocks of flats and holiday lets. These jobs are often done in the evenings or at weekends to keep the business open, and may call for hard-wearing or specialist coatings. Mention the type of premises and any timing constraints when you request quotes.

When to hire a professional painter

Plenty of people are happy painting a spare room themselves. It's usually worth getting a professional in when:

  • The job involves height – stairwells, high ceilings or anything above the ground floor outside.
  • Walls are cracked, stained, damp-marked or freshly plastered and need proper preparation.
  • You want a smooth, even finish on woodwork, doors or dark colours that show every flaw.
  • The house is older and may have lead paint or textured coatings that shouldn't be sanded.
  • You're short of time – a professional is usually several times faster than doing it yourself.
  • The work is for a sale, a rental property or a business, where the finish has to look right first time.
Sitting room with grey-blue painted panelling and shelves around a fireplace

What affects the price of a painter

Painters price each job on its own merits, usually after a visit or from photos and measurements. These are the main things that move a quote up or down:

Size of the job
Number of rooms or elevations, wall and ceiling area, and ceiling height.
Condition of surfaces
Cracks, flaking paint, stains, old wallpaper and blown render all add preparation time.
What's included
Walls only, or ceilings, woodwork, doors, radiators, windows and fascias too.
Access
Stairwells, high ceilings and two-storey exteriors may need platforms, towers or scaffolding.
Colours and paint
Strong colours and dark-to-light changes need more coats; premium paints cost more per tin.
Location and timing
Prices tend to be higher in London and the South East, and exterior work books up quickly in summer.

Want example prices for a room, a hallway or the outside of a house?

See the painter cost guide

Choosing between painter quotes

When the quotes come in, compare these points as well as the price:

  • A written quote listing the rooms or elevations and every surface included
  • The preparation that will be done before painting
  • The paint brand and range, number of coats and who supplies the paint
  • How furniture, floors, plants and neighbouring property will be protected
  • Who arranges access equipment or scaffolding, and whether it's included
  • Public liability insurance – ask to see the certificate
  • Recent examples of similar work, or references you can contact
  • Start date, expected duration and payment terms

Painters and decorators near you

We have local pages for 170 towns and cities, each covering the homes, typical jobs and conditions in that area. Choose yours for local advice and quotes.

Painters in England

Painters in Northern Ireland

Painters and decorators: FAQs

What does a painter and decorator do?

A painter and decorator prepares and paints interior and exterior surfaces – walls, ceilings, woodwork, doors, masonry and more – and often hangs lining paper and wallpaper too. Much of the job is preparation: filling, sanding, sealing and protecting the rest of the room.

How do I find a good local painter?

Get a few written quotes, ask what preparation each includes, check their insurance and look at examples of recent similar work. Requesting quotes through Painter Quotes means you describe the job once and local painters get in touch with you.

How much do painters charge?

Prices vary with the size and condition of the job, access and location. As a rough guide, many UK decorators charge somewhere around £180–£300 a day, and an average bedroom often costs a few hundred pounds. Our painter cost guide has more examples – but always compare written quotes for your own job.

How many quotes should I get?

Two or three is usually enough to understand the going rate for your job. If one quote is far lower than the rest, check what has been left out – it is often preparation, ceilings, woodwork or the number of coats.

Do painters provide the paint?

Most painters and decorators supply the paint and include it in their price, usually using trade ranges. You choose the colours. If you want a particular brand, mention it when you request quotes.

Do I need to be at home while the painter works?

Not necessarily. Many customers give the painter a key once they've agreed the job. It's sensible to be around at the start to agree colours and at the end to check the work before paying the balance.

Is Painter Quotes free to use?

Yes. Requesting quotes is free and there's no obligation to accept any of them. Painter Quotes introduces you to independent local painters and decorators; we don't carry out the work ourselves.

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