Useful starting prices for homeowners
Published guide prices are useful because they let you decide whether it is worth arranging a visit before either side spends time on a detailed quotation. They are not packages and they are not promises that every job of a certain type will cost the same.
| Type of work | Current guide | What can move it |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward room redecoration | Typically from £650 | Repairs, woodwork, ceiling condition, dark colour changes, furniture and access. |
| Hall, stairs & landing | Typically from £1,400 | Height, number of doors, spindles, detailed joinery, access and wall condition. |
| Straightforward exterior masonry | Typically from £1,300 | Failed coatings, cracks, biological growth, height, access, weather exposure and repairs. |
| Larger interiors / full exteriors / period work | Surveyed and quoted | The scope is too variable for a responsible one-line guide price. |
The purpose of these figures is transparency, not to force every project into a preset package. A small room with extensive defects can cost more than a larger sound room. A two-storey exterior that is sound and easy to access can involve less labour than a bungalow with extensive failed coating.
Why there is no single standard decorating price
The visible size of a room or elevation is only one part of the job. Professional decorating is a sequence: protect, diagnose, prepare, repair, prime where needed, apply the finish system, check it and leave the area usable again. Two rooms with the same floor area can need completely different amounts of work.
A bedroom with sound walls, one door and straightforward skirting is not the same job as a bedroom with stained plaster, cracked previous repairs, a detailed window, fitted joinery and several layers of poor gloss. Likewise, “paint the exterior” can mean sound masonry only, or masonry plus soffits, fascias, windows, doors and substantial repairs.
The main things that change a decorating price
1. Surface condition
Sound painted plaster usually needs less work than flaking, cracked, stained, friable or poorly repaired surfaces. Outside, the difference between a sound coating and one that needs extensive scraping can be dramatic.
2. Preparation
Filling, sanding, scraping, stain blocking, local repairs, caulking and priming all take time. Good preparation is not “extra” decoration; it is part of building a finish on a sound base. But preparation should also be proportionate. A sound wall does not need aggressive work just so a decorator can say it was heavily prepared.
3. The surfaces actually included
Walls only is not the same job as walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirting, windows, radiators and fitted joinery. A hallway can contain more woodwork than several bedrooms combined.
4. Access
Tall stairwells, awkward exterior elevations, steep ground, conservatory roofs and other restrictions can add access time or equipment. If a tower, scaffold or MEWP is needed, that should be identified before work starts.
5. Existing coatings and defects
Unknown or failing coatings create more diagnostic work than a known sound system. On older properties, mixed substrates and historic coatings can mean different areas need different treatment.
6. The finish and durability required
A normal bedroom wall and a high-traffic hallway do not necessarily need the same product. Exterior coatings must suit the substrate and exposure. Materials can change the total, but the largest price movement is often the labour required to prepare and apply them correctly.
Labour versus materials: what are you actually paying for?
Paint matters, but professional decorating is usually labour-led. The time required to protect the property, prepare the surfaces, work around edges and details, manage drying stages and achieve a consistent finish often outweighs the cost of the tins themselves.
This is why saving £30 or £50 on paint is not automatically a meaningful saving on a project costing four figures. Equally, choosing the most expensive paint on the shelf does not turn poor preparation into a durable job. The useful question is whether the chosen system is appropriate for the surface and use.
Why can two decorating quotes vary so much?
The most common explanation is simple: the decorators are not actually pricing the same amount of work. One may have allowed substantial preparation, all woodwork, protection and access; another may have assumed sound surfaces and a lighter-touch repaint. Both quotations may be described as “decorating the room” or “painting the exterior”, but the underlying jobs differ.
Different decorators also have different labour speeds, overheads, staffing, travel, equipment, insurance, availability and margins. A price difference is not proof that the cheaper decorator is cutting corners or the dearer decorator is overcharging.
If the prices are far apart, ask what each one includes.
What should a professional decorating quote include?
A quote does not need to be fifty pages long. It does need to make the job understandable. You should be able to tell what you are buying, what is excluded and what happens if something changes.
- Surfaces: walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirting, windows, radiators, exterior joinery and other items should be clear.
- Expected preparation: the normal repairs, scraping, filling, sanding, priming or stain blocking that are anticipated.
- Finish or coating system: enough detail to understand the intended result and suitability.
- Protection: normal floor/furniture protection and unusual requirements where relevant.
- Access: whether ladder, tower, scaffold, MEWP or another arrangement is included or separate.
- Exclusions: for example major plaster failure, rotten timber, hidden structural defects or specialist access not yet priced.
- Price and payment terms: the amount, any deposit/stage arrangement and whether optional items are optional.
- Variations: how unexpected additional work will be explained and approved before it is carried out.
“Prepare as necessary and apply two coats” is rarely enough detail on its own. No decorator can predict every hidden defect, but a homeowner should not have to guess what level of work has been allowed.
How to compare decorating quotes properly
Work down the scope before you look at the total. A simple comparison is:
- List every surface included.
- Compare the preparation described.
- Check products or finish expectations.
- Check protection and furniture handling.
- Check access equipment.
- Read exclusions and assumptions.
- Check how variations are approved.
- Then compare the totals.
If one quote is still substantially cheaper after that, ask why. A straightforward answer such as “I have less overhead”, “I am allowing fewer days”, or “I do not think that repair is needed” gives you something meaningful to judge.
Should you choose the cheapest decorating quote?
Sometimes, yes. There is nothing inherently wrong with choosing the lowest price. If the cheaper quote covers the preparation, surfaces, products and service you actually want, it may be the best value.
The mistake is assuming all quotes describe identical work when they do not. The opposite mistake is assuming the highest price guarantees the best result. The price alone cannot tell you how well the work will be done.
Look at real projects, reviews, written scope, the quality of the survey and how clearly the decorator communicates. Then decide whether the difference in price buys something you value.
What if you have a fixed decorating budget?
Tell the decorator. A fixed budget is useful information, not an invitation to spend every penny of it. It may be possible to phase rooms, prioritise the most important surfaces, keep upgrades optional, or do fewer areas properly rather than stretch the same money over too much work.
A responsible decorator should also say when the budget and desired scope simply do not match. It is better to work that out before spending time planning the job.
Questions worth asking before you accept
- Which surfaces are included?
- What preparation have you allowed for?
- What would count as an unexpected variation?
- How will extra work be agreed?
- Is access included?
- Who supplies the paint and what type of finish is proposed?
- How will floors, furniture and access routes be protected?
- What is specifically excluded?
- What happens after I accept the quote?
A good quote makes the job clear.
Your proposal should be easy to understand. The scope should be clear enough that you can compare it, question it and know what happens if the real property reveals something unexpected.
If you are still deciding who to invite to quote, read how to choose a painter and decorator without relying on guesswork. For examples of what preparation can involve, see the Dolgellau exterior case study.
Prices shown are Abermaw Decorating's current website guide figures, not universal trade rates or fixed packages. This article is general homeowner guidance; a real quote depends on the surveyed property and agreed scope.
