We are asked allsorts of Painting and Decorating related questions from our customers, we therefore it maybe a good idea to share the questions and answers with you as they may help you too.
Questions Answered Here Include -
How much does interior painting cost?
How long do you have to wait before painting over new plaster?
How often should a house interior be painted / decorated?
What is the best paint to use for skirting boards, doors, door frames and windows etc?
How much does it cost to paint a room?
How much does it cost to paint a house interior?
How much does it cost to paint a ceiling?
How much do Decorators charge to hang wallpaper?
How much do Painters and Decorators charge per day?
Can you paint Matt emulsion over Vinyl Silk paint?
How much does it cost to paint a 4-5-bedroom house?
How much does it cost to paint a 6 panel door?
Five great questions to ask your Painter and Decorator to help ensure a good job.
How much does interior painting cost?
Are you wondering how much home interior painting costs while preparing the budget for your next home improvement project?
Well you're in the right place! This price guide takes a look at the factors which influence house painting costs to help you get set for your project.
The general rate that interior Decorators and decorators charge is around £20 per hour. An interior Decorator can help you paint a room, from ceilings to walls. The median total cost for a painting and decorating project is around £500.
However, depending on the factors below the average price for how much it costs to paint a room, or tackle other interior painting projects could run higher.
Considerations When Budgeting The Cost to Paint a Room
Interior decorating costs can be influenced by several factors. Here we will look at the top things to consider when planning your painting project. Plus, it also includes some top house painting tips so you can ensure your painting project will go smoothly.
Type of Paint
You should ask your Decorator about the type of paint and materials they will use. High-quality primers and paints will give you better results and last longer. When you choose a high-quality paint, you won’t need to repaint as frequently. While it might seem expensive at first, it’s durability will prove cost-effective in the long run.
When it comes to types of paint, there is also the painting method to consider. While some types of paint are best applied with a roller brush, others adhere better with spray painting.
The price of these paints will vary. When creating your budget be sure to create a price list that compares these material costs.
Repairs and Preparation
One of the biggest factors that can influence the cost of an interior painting project is the condition of your surfaces. If you are working with uneven, cracked, or damaged walls and ceilings, they will need to be prepared before they can be painted.
Often, Decorators will be able to make minor repairs to your plasterwork if necessary. However, these repairs can add extra charges as they will require more materials.
Even if your surfaces are in a good condition, you can still speed up the process and save money by removing furniture ahead of time. If you don’t remove the furniture from the room yourself, your Decorators will need to do so. This will then be added to the cost of the project.
To reduce costs remove any furniture and cover anything you can’t move like a piano, with a drop cloth.
Always Focus on Quality
Painting and Decorating is an investment in your home. A skilled Decorator can transform a room with ease. So, when you are looking to hire a Decorator, you should always prioritise quality over price. An experienced Decorator with great reviews and references will be able to provide you with a top-quality service and finish.
Time Number of Rooms
The time it takes to complete a painting and decorating project typically depends on the size of the job. A single room will, of course, be much faster to paint than an entire house. As a result, hiring a Decorator for a more extensive project will also be more costly.
Price Comparison of The Cost to Paint a Room
Are you curious about how much it costs to paint a room? Then look no further! Below we have a handy chart that compares the cost to paint a room for varying project sizes.
Keep in mind that these are estimates only. The cost to paint multiple rooms can vary depending on the size of the rooms as well. If you plan to paint multiple rooms your Decorator may also be able to offer you a custom pricing plan. The best way to find the exact cost for your painting project is always to contact a professional Decorator directly.
Number of Medium Sized Rooms Average Cost to Paint a Room
One £190.00 - £300.00
Two £380.00 - £600.00
Three £570.00 - £900.00
Number of Coats of Paint
Even for basic painting and decorating jobs, such as painting a small room, you will need to factor in the cost of preparation, including the number of paint coats you'll need to apply when budgeting for the overall cost to paint a room. For the best results, most Decorators recommend applying two coats of your desired colour.
The first coat needs time to dry before the Decorator can apply a second coat. The drying time will depend on what type of paint has been applied, and how well ventilated the room is. Under optimum conditions, latex paint should be ready for a second coat after four hours.
However, oil-based paints will take at least 24 hours to be ready. So, bare this in mind when you are calculating your budget for this project. Often you will need to schedule a minimum of two visits.
Location of the Property
The location will also influence rates which your Decorator and decorator charges. The rates that your interior Decorator charges will be understandably influenced by the cost of living, the price of transportation and the rates of their competitors. If you live in an area with a higher cost of living then you should reasonably expect that your Decorator’s rates will be higher as well.
Experience
As with any other profession, professional interior painting costs are influenced by the experience level of your Decorator. The cost that an interior Decorator who has been working in the home improvement industry for several years charges to paint a room will differ from a new interior Decorator who has just begun taking on clients.
A Decorator and decorator who has been in the industry for years will have extensively proven their skills and expertise. This will be reflected in the ratings and reviews on their profile. On the other hand, a new Decorator who is seeking experience to make a name for themselves will likely charge less.
Whether you choose to hire a seasoned professional or a budding expert be sure to ask for references. No matter who you hire it is a good idea to look at their previous work to see if they are a good fit for your project.
The Details Job Specifications
Last but certainly not least a factor which will inevitably affect the cost to paint a room, and as well as the cost complete all the painting and decorating aspects of your project, is the details you need to tend to.
When you go to paint a room, there is more involved than just painting the walls. Depending on when you last painted the ceiling, this may also need to be done. Otherwise, the fresh paint on your walls will highlight the age of your ceiling paint in an unfavourable light.
Then, there is also the woodwork e.g. skirting boards to tend to. If they are in good shape then they can be painted straight away. However, if they are a tad on the rough side the cost of repairs will add to the total project cost.
Once they are in top shape then they will need to be painted as well. Oftentimes, you will need to purchase a separate accent paint to cover these effectively. Yet, in the end, paying attention to details like this will be worth it. A fresh coat of paint along your skirting boards can add a polished touch to any room.
Popular Home Improvement Services
Are you planning out additional home improvements? Keep in mind that the rate for indoor Decorators will often vary from outdoor painting work, due to the differing conditions. So if you are planning both an indoor and outdoor painting project be sure to ask your Decorators for specific quotes for each aspect of the project.
Home Improvement Service Average Hourly Rate
Exterior Painting £20.00
Plastering £22.00
Wallpaper Removal £17.00
Handyman £22.00
Summary
A painting and decorating project is a fantastic way to refresh your home and update the atmosphere. When you choose a durable paint that will last for several years, it is also an investment. Investing a bit in the cost to paint a room will help you out in the long run. Down the line, if you choose to sell your home, buyers will appreciate the care you took to keep it in top shape.
How long do you have to wait before painting over new plaster?
New plaster can take anything from a day to week or more to dry fully, it all depends upon the drying conditions of the room.
Once the plaster has dried it will be a uniform pale pink colour. However, plaster on plasterboard will dry much quicker than plaster that has been applied to internal render, after damp proofing.
Do not leave heating on to dry it quicker as this could cause shrinkage resulting in cracks in the plaster.
Once fully dried apply a mist coat of watered-down emulsion to seal the fresh plaster.
How often should a house interior be painted / decorated?
There are several factors that need to be considered when answering this question, such as how much traffic the house is subject to?
If it’s a family house with young children you might have to redecorate main areas every 2 years, however if it’s a quieter family home every 4-5 years should be enough.
It really all depends on how busy your home is and how quickly it gets dirty from children and pets etc.
A Top Tip is to use the new scrubbable / washable formula paints in areas of the house that get used the most frequently and also the stairs and hallway can benefit from using this type of paint finish.
What is the best paint to use for skirting boards, doors, door frames and windows etc?
The product choices often depend on what existing finish is on the woodwork.
If it has been painted before there are generally three possible types of paint finishes to consider.
Oil based, Water based or a combination of the two products know in the trade as a Hybrid.
Oil Based.
This type of paint does have a better finish with less coats applied, however it will turn a shade of yellow quite quickly, it also take quite a long time to dry and has a very distinctive smell when drying and for a few days after application as it dries fully.
Water Based.
Decorators that are not experienced using water-based paints will tell you that it doesn’t cover as well as oil.
For some this may be true, however due to the quick drying times it is possible to apply several coats in a day, therefore reducing the drying times. Although extra coats may be required the major advantages of using water-based paint is the finish will stay the finished colour without yellowing, the drying times are reduced dramatically, there is next to no “new paint” smell. Ideal for people with allergies etc.
Hybrids.
These are crossover products that have been introduced into the marketplace to encourage tradesmen etc. to move from oil-based paints to water based. When there wasn’t a great deal of quality water-based products available.
In recent years there have been a wealth of very high quality water based paints made available to the decorating trade and in my opinion these Hybrid paints are now a waste of time.
There are varying degrees of sheen level to choose from, Eggshell has the least level of sheen and Gloss has the highest sheen. Satinwood has a sheen level between Eggshell and Gloss. Each finish if applied correctly will look great and provide longevity.
The trend in trim paint seems to have moved in recent years, as more and more people are starting to use Satinwood rather than using the traditional Gloss finish. I personally believe that satinwood gives a more modern, subtle and pleasing look. It also holds it white colour longer and doesn't go yellow/cream as Gloss tends to over time.
Obtain at least three estimates for the work, also ask to see a copy of their Public Liability insurance.
How much does it cost to paint a room?
This is very much a “how long is a piece of string” question unfortunately. The cost will vary from house to house and room to room.
There are possibly too many variables to state a definitive number, but we can look at the factors to be consider:
Size of Room (height, length and width): This will affect the time it takes to prepare and decorate the areas.
Condition of existing decoration: This will also affect the time it takes to prepare and decorate the room.
Degree of colour change: This will affect the number of coats of paint necessary to finish the ceiling, walls and woodwork in new colours.
How many doors and windows: the more of these elements there are to paint in any given room, the more time it takes to complete.
Room space: An empty room is quicker to decorate than a fully furnished room, including books/bookshelves, cupboards and contents, rugs and carpets, and even lighting. All of these elements if left in place, will add to the cost.
On average as a very loose ballpark figure you are looking at approximately £450.00 to £650.00 for a Bedroom and £450.00 to £750.00 for a Living Room and £550.00 to £1550.00 for a Hall, Stairs and Landing.
As you can see there is a wide variation in prices we are talking totally different sized rooms so it’s worth having each room individually priced to get an exact costing
How much does it cost to paint a house interior?
This is very much a “how long is a piece of string” question unfortunately. The cost will vary from house to house and room to room.
There are possibly too many variables to state a definitive number, but we can look at the factors to be consider:
Size of Room (height, length and width): This will affect the time it takes to prepare and decorate the areas.
Condition of existing decoration: This will also affect the time it takes to prepare and decorate the room.
Degree of colour change: This will affect the number of coats of paint necessary to finish the ceiling, walls and woodwork in new colours.
How many doors and windows: the more of these elements there are to paint in any given room, the more time it takes to complete.
Room space: An empty room is quicker to decorate than a fully furnished room, including books/bookshelves, cupboards and contents, rugs and carpets, and even lighting. All of these elements if left in place, will add to the cost.
On average as a very loose ballpark figure you are looking at approximately –
One Bedroom Flat £900.00 to £1600.00
Two Bedroom House / Flat / Bungalow £1200.00 to £2400.00
Three Bedroom House £2400.00 to £3800.00
Four or Five Bedroom House £2600.00 to £10000.00
As you can see there is a wide variation in prices we are talking totally different sized rooms so it’s worth having each room individually priced to get an exact costing
Obtain at least three estimates for the work, also ask to see a copy of their Public Liability insurance.
How much does it cost to paint a ceiling?
This is very much a “how long is a piece of string” question unfortunately. However here are some factors to consider:
Size of ceiling in square metres: this will affect the time to prepare and paint the entire area.
Height of ceiling: the higher the ceiling, the longer it takes to prepare and paint, as it is further to reach.
Stains and repairs: all stains and any other repairs need to be fixed before any full coats of ceiling paint can be applied.
Number of coats: dependent on whether colour changes are taking place. White on white will take least time.
Room space: An empty room is quicker to decorate than a fully furnished room, including books/bookshelves, cupboards and contents, rugs and carpets, and even lighting. All of these elements if left in place, will add to the cost.
On average as a very loose ballpark figure you are looking at approximately £75.00 to £110.00 for a 3m x 3m ceiling area.
As you can see there is a wide variation in factors to be taken into account when costing the work to be carried out, therefore it’s worth having the ceiling individually priced to get an exact costing
Obtain at least three estimates for the work, also ask to see a copy of their Public Liability insurance.
How much do Painters and Decorators charge per day?
Paying Daywork can be a very cost effective if you have a particular job needing to be completed.
For example Stripping wallpaper doesn't require a highly skilled decorator to carry out the work, therefore a brush hand or labourer would be a the best choice of labour to complete that task.
However a Decorator who hangs wallpaper is considered a highly skilled person and therefore attracts much higher rates.
Spraying again will add to the costs. Dust free sanding is another area that will increase the price although the finish and health benefits to all are incredible. So "day rate" depends on experience as well as tooling for the specified job. Someone starting out will usually be less than an established decorator. And an established decorator who's not busy will be cheaper than a busy one.
As mentioned earlier day rate very much depends on the skill set of the individual decorator, you will be paying for the Decorators knowledge and experience and this in itself can help save you money.
Day Rates can be anything from £120.00 to £300.00 a day.
Consideration must be made on the overall service, finish, quality and compared like for like to reveal the true cost.
For individual jobs i.e. feature wallpaper on one wall you would be approximately £95.00 to £150.00 with materials included.
However overall it is usual far better to hire a Painter and Decorator on a price per job rather than pay Daywork, as this is better for you as the customer.
How much do Decorators charge to hang wallpaper?
This very much depends on the area and what room is being wallpapered. For example a Kitchen or Cloakroom can be a lot more awkward and tricky than standard box room.
To hang a Feature wallpaper would cost approximately £95.00 to £150.00 Labour Only
Another factors to consider is the type of wallpaper to be hung for example is it standard vinyl, wide vinyl etc. also does existing wallpaper need to be removed and the wall prepared before hanging the wallpaper.
Some Decorators may charge to hang wallpaper per roll which on average can be approximately £25.00 to £40.00 a roll, however this can increase to £35.00 to £70.00 If it's a mural or a paper that requires more time ie- extra wide paper, Wilkinson’s or Laura Ashley and so on.
Can you paint Matt emulsion over Vinyl Silk paint?
Yes it is possible to paint Matt emulsion over Vinyl Silk, however you need to follow a simple few steps before applying the matt emulsion over silk emulsion. To begin sand down all areas that have been coated with the Vinyl Silk to provide a good key and also help to remove the shiny sheen from the area. This job can be hard work and very time consuming. An easier way (recommended by Dulux / Akzo Nobel) is applying a coat of soft sheen paint over the Vinyl Silk. Another solution although slightly more expensive is to apply a coat of Zinsser Gardz as a base coat.
Once all the preparation work has been completed and allowed to dry fully, decorations can be carried out as normal, however on some occasions you may need to apply 3 coats of paint over the previously applied sealer.
How much does it cost to paint a 4-5 bedroom house?
This is a question that will have many, many different answers to it.
What is the existing condition of the property?
Has it suffered from years of poor DIY?
Are there layers of wallpaper that needs stripping?
Are there areas of mould and damp need treating etc?
These are just a few of the variables that will incur additional costs involved to achieve a good finish. You will pay for the preparation that is required to obtain an agreeable finish.
If its a relatively new property then generally it will require less preparation.
Another consideration is the type of finish would you like? Different paint finishes cost different amounts, also the paint brand you select will have a bearing on the final costs.
If the whole house is to be wallpapered this will also change the price quoted.
Thirdly is there woodwork to be painted? This can tie in with the amount of preparation required but say if all the woodwork in the property is woodstained and this is to be changed to a white gloss finish, this will cost more than repainting existing white woodwork.
Ballpark figures including materials you can be looking anywhere from £2600.00 to £10000.00
How much does it cost to paint a 6 panel door?
To undercoat and apply a Topcoat to a standard 6 panel door one side is approximately £20.00 to £35.00 depending on the condition. This cost is for the door to be painted while other work is being carried out within the room or house. However, if you require the door to be decorated on its own then this will incur a different costing.
A door in isolation will be at least three visits and will cost around £125.00 for the Labour. The cost of the materials etc. would also need to be added to this figure.
As you can see there is a considerable saving to be achieved if the decorating of the door can be combined with other work around the house.
Five questions to ask your Painter and Decorator.
Asking your painter the right questions will ensure a great result.
Ask about practical issues, as this may save time and help the work run smoothly. For example, what needs to be removed, moved or covered in your room – and do they expect you to do that? The same goes for clearing up afterwards. Find out what hours they work, when they will start, and how long the job will take.
It’s worth checking who will actually be doing the work. You may feel perfectly happy about letting the painter into your home, but what if they send someone else to do the decorating? It’s important to be comfortable with the people who will come into your home and to feel confident about their level of skill and experience.
It’s a good idea to ask for expert advice about how to achieve the level of finish that you want. For example, are you looking for a polished, pristine finish, or do you want to retain the character of an old building? A good decorator will actually ask you the right questions in return, so that you are both clear about the level of finish required.
Where possible, ask for a detailed quote (not an estimate) if you do not have one. This should list every aspect of the job: preparation, materials, how many coats of paint will be applied, how long the job will take, which parts of the room are to be painted, and whether the work is guaranteed.
It's worth asking about the liability of the painter when your furnishings are damaged during the decorating. It may be unlikely, but if they spill paint over your expensive carpet, you don’t want to be the one who ends up paying for everything. So, discussing up front all the details regarding warranty with the painters who are going to work in your house could go a long way to prevent future issues.