Room by room prices
Labour and materials, two coats over sound existing paintwork, walls, ceiling and woodwork.
| Bedroom, average size | £450 to £750 | Two days including preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Living room | £600 to £1,000 | More woodwork and cutting in |
| Hallway, stairs and landing | £900 to £1,800 | Access equipment and high walls |
| Whole three bedroom house | £4,000 to £7,500 | Every room, woodwork included |
| Exterior woodwork and render | £2,500 to £6,000 | Depends on access and condition |
Preparation is most of the job
On a normal room, preparation takes longer than painting. Filling, sanding back flush, caulking the junctions, spot priming bare patches and stain blocking any watermarks all happen before the first coat. Skip them and you get a room that looks acceptable on handover day and poor in raking sunlight a month later.
- Filling and sanding, including caulk to skirting and architrave joints
- Stain blocking watermarks, nicotine and knots in new timber
- Priming new plaster with a proper mist coat, not thinned emulsion by guesswork
- Protecting floors and furniture, and cleaning down every day
Why quotes differ so much
A quote that assumes one coat over sound paint on a wall that actually needs filling and a mist coat will always be cheaper on paper. Ask each decorator how many coats, what preparation is included and whether new plaster is being misted. Those three answers explain nearly every price gap.
Decorating after renovation work
If we have fitted your kitchen or bathroom, decoration is built into the programme rather than being a separate visit weeks later. New plaster needs to dry properly first, which we allow for in the plan rather than painting over damp plaster to finish a day early.
Common questions
- How much to paint a three bedroom house?
- Typically £4,000 to £7,500 for every room including ceilings and woodwork, with full preparation. An empty house is quicker and usually a little cheaper than a furnished one.
- How long should new plaster dry before painting?
- Around four to six weeks in a normal house, longer in winter. It then needs a proper mist coat. Painting damp plaster with standard emulsion is why paint later peels in sheets.
- Is spraying better than brush and roller?
- For large flat areas and new woodwork, spraying gives a superb finish. In an occupied house the masking time often cancels out the speed, so we use it where it genuinely helps.
- Do you move furniture?
- Yes. We move and sheet furniture in the room as part of the job, and we clean down and make the room usable at the end of each day.
- How many coats do you apply?
- Two as standard over a prepared surface, and three where a strong colour is going over a light one or where new plaster is involved.