One of the best ways to give your home a fresh look is to hire a painter and decorator. Of course, you could choose to try and do it yourself, but trust us when we say that it is very labour intensive and harder than it looks to get a high quality finish!

At Harrison Rose our experienced painters know every trick of the trade and work hard to provide results that you will love. But how much should you expect to pay?

We’ve pulled together this guide to show you the average painter and decorator prices across London and surrounding areas.

It’s important to note that, due to the nature of painting and decorating projects, the average costs can vary massively.

According to an article by Checkatrade, prices across the UK tend most commonly to range from £400 - £6,000, and the average painter and decorator’s day rate is around £325 per day. It’s also important to note that around the capital and the home counties, prices are at their highest due to the wages and expense of living in those areas.

WHAT AFFECTS HOW MUCH A PAINTER CHARGES?

Painting and Decorating rates are affected by a number of a factors including:

MATERIALS:

• the type of materials being used (whether it is standard paint or not)
• the quality of materials being used (some paints cover better than others)
• the cost of the materials (whether they are retail or trade, standard or premium)
• the coverage of the materials (for example, a trade paint would typically take 2 coats to cover well, whereas a retail paint would typically take 3 coats to cover).

SPACE:

• the size of the space being decorated.
• the ease of access - how easy will it be to reach the areas? Will there be any furniture or shelving in the way that will need to be cleared?
• whether there will be any fixtures in place such as lighting or radiators.
  

EXISTING CONDITION:

• whether the walls have been freshly plastered or not (in these cases an additional 'mist' coat is required to help the paint bond to the surface).
• whether the areas have been subject to any damp issues or experienced a leak.
• whether the walls need to be stripped (of wallpaper or lining paper) prior to painting.
• the existing condition of the woodwork and surfaces (the worse the condition, the more preparation time that will be needed).
  

REQUIREMENTS:

• the standard of finish required (here at Harrison Rose we only provide high quality finishes which cost more in time. Painters offering a low or average quality finish will typically be quicker and therefore cheaper. That old adage of 'You get what you pay for' rings true in the painting and decorating world!)

IMPLEMENTATION:

• the standard of covering up/protecting of areas to help keep them free of drips, dust and dirt.
• the standard of customer service provided.
• the standard of preparation undertaken prior to painting (prep is King!!).
• how clean and tidy the area is left after the job has been finished.
• whether or not any rubbish will be removed and disposed of.
• how clean and tidy the area is left after the job has been finished.
• preparation undertaken prior to painting (prep is King!!).
• whereabouts in the UK the work is being undertaken.
  

WHAT ARE THE PAINTING RATES IN HERTFORDSHIRE?

Harrison Rose Painting & Decorating cover Hertfordshire, London and surrounding areas. Typically in these areas, rates are higher than other parts of the UK.

We have included below a table that shows the rates in comparison to the quality of work and materials used for a project. In particular, how much it would typically cost (in labour and materials) to have a medium-sized room, in reasonable condition, painted (based on 2 coats to walls, 2 coats to ceiling, 1 coat of primer plus 1 topcoat to woodwork).

Medium-sized Room - Labour and Materials

WHY HIRE A PAINTER AND DECORATOR?

Overall we would thoroughly recommend hiring a painter and decorator if your home is in need of a refresh. Painting is more than just slapping some paint on the walls. If you want the results to look good, there is a lot of preparation and cleaning involved, and it is a very labour intensive process. What’s more, you may encounter a few challenges along the way – something a professional and experienced painter will be able to deal with easily. Hiring a professional will also be a lot tidier and quicker, meaning you can have your house back to normal in no time, with minimal fuss and disruption.

If you have any questions about starting your project, please feel free to get in touch or request a free online quote.

Sources:

‘What Are Painter And Decorator Prices in 2023?’ – Checkatrade

‘Painters & Decorators’ – uktalent.com

‘Painting Cost Guide 2023: How Much Do Painters Cost? – myjobquote.co.uk