DATA-BACKED GUIDE · UPDATED JULY 2026
Painting and decorating cost in the UK: per room and whole house
Painting and decorating looks like a simple job to price, but the number moves a lot depending on prep, ceiling height and the state of the walls before anyone picks up a brush. A single room is one job, a whole house is a different calculation, and in both cases most of what you pay is time, not tins. The real prices on this page let you budget room by room or for the whole job, and show why two quotes for what looks like the same work can land far apart.
The quick version
- Most of the cost is labour and prep, not the paint itself.
- Filling, sanding and priming tired walls can take longer than the actual painting.
- Whole-house work is usually cheaper per room than booking one room at a time.
- A VAT registered decorator adds 20% VAT to labour and materials, so always check whether a quote includes it.
- Dark colours, feature walls and gloss woodwork tend to need an extra coat, which adds time and cost.
- Access, such as stairwells or high ceilings, slows the job down and pushes the price up even before the first coat goes on.
What people actually paid
Real prices, in people's own words
- £1,000“We paid about £1000 for hallway and landings up two flights of stairs one large bedroom and one bathroom ( including woodwork) Northwest.”
- £1,550“The work took 4 days and cost £1550.”
- £2,000“We've paid just over £2k for living room, hall stairs and landing, lots of doors. About 10 days work”
- £2,000“he's invoiced £2,000 as there were a couple of extras”
- £10,000“We recently paid £10K for four weeks' work (2 men).”
Genuine amounts posted publicly. We publish the price and the quote, never the person.
Why the price varies so much
The price of decorating is driven by preparation far more than by the number of walls in the room. Smooth, sound walls need little more than a couple of coats and the job moves quickly. Cracked plaster, flaky old paint, woodchip coming off or damp staining all need filling, sanding, stripping or stain-blocking first, and that prep work is where most of the hours go, often more than the painting itself. High ceilings, stairwells and awkward access mean ladders or towers instead of a quick roller job, which slows everything down. The finish you choose matters too: a flat matt wall is fast to do, while gloss woodwork, a feature wall or wallpaper takes more care and more coats. Who you hire changes the number as well. A sole trader working alone, without a VAT registration or a team to manage, will typically price differently from a larger local firm with employees, insurance overheads and VAT to add on, and neither is automatically the better choice, it depends on the size and complexity of the job. Where you live plays a part too, since labour rates and demand vary by region, and a decorator busy with a full diary in a high-demand area will generally charge more than one with quiet weeks to fill. Doing the whole house in one visit usually works out cheaper per room than calling someone back for a single space later, because setup and access equipment only has to go up once.
How to pay less
- Do the simple prep yourself where you can, such as clearing the room, moving furniture and filling small holes before the decorator arrives.
- Book several rooms or the whole house in one go rather than calling someone back room by room, since this usually costs less per room overall.
- Get three written quotes and check exactly what each one covers, including whether paint is supplied by you or the decorator.
- Pick standard colours and matt or standard finishes rather than dark shades or gloss, which often need an extra coat and more drying time.
- Ask the decorator to flag any prep work, such as damp patches or old wallpaper, before the quote is fixed rather than as an add-on once the job starts.
- If you're doing several rooms, ask whether buying the paint yourself in bulk works out cheaper than having the decorator supply it.
Common questions
Is it cheaper to paint the whole house at once?
Usually yes, per room. A decorator already set up on site with dust sheets and equipment out can move from room to room efficiently, so the rate per room tends to fall compared with booking a single one-off room. The real prices on this page show that gap clearly.
Why is the paint such a small part of the cost?
Because decorating is mostly labour. Prep, cutting in, applying multiple coats and waiting for drying time between them all take hours, and the tins themselves are a modest slice of the total bill. Walls that need heavy filling or stripping push the labour cost up well beyond anything the materials add.
Do decorators charge VAT?
If they are VAT registered, yes, 20% VAT is added to labour and any materials they supply. A smaller sole trader working below the VAT threshold may not charge it at all. Always ask whether a quote includes VAT so you're comparing quotes on equal terms rather than against a figure that's about to jump by a fifth.
Should I supply my own paint or let the decorator buy it?
Either can work out cheaper depending on the job. Some decorators get trade discounts that beat retail prices, so letting them supply it can save you money on a bigger job. On the other hand, if you already know the exact colours and finishes you want, buying it yourself gives you control and lets you compare the true labour-only cost between quotes.
Why do two quotes for the same room come out so different?
Usually because the decorators are pricing different amounts of prep. One may have looked at the walls and assumed a straightforward two-coat job, while another has spotted damp, old wallpaper or cracked plaster that needs sorting first. Ask each one to explain what prep they've included so you're comparing like for like rather than just the bottom line.
Does the time of year affect the price?
It can, mainly through how busy a decorator's diary is rather than the weather itself for interior work. A decorator with a full book will often price higher or push your start date back, while quieter periods can mean more room to negotiate. It's worth asking about availability alongside price when comparing quotes.