How much does painting and decorating cost in the UK?
Painting and decorating costs £1,800 on average in the UK. Most jobs fall between £150 and £5,000 for the job. Painting scope: One room £150 to £450; Whole 3-bed interior £1,500 to £4,000; Exterior of a house £1,500 to £5,000. Prices reviewed June 2026.
House painting and decorating, inside or out, is priced by the size of the job and how much preparation the surfaces need. Exterior painting of a whole house is a bigger job than a single room inside.
Painting and decorating cost calculator
Use the calculator to price your painting and decorating in 2026. Adjust the options and area for a UK cost range. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Need to know how much material to order? Try the paint calculator or wallpaper calculator.
Painting and decorating cost breakdown
Typical painting and decorating costs, by option:
| Painting scope | Typical UK cost |
|---|---|
| One room, painted | £150 to £450 |
| Whole 3-bed interior | £1,500 to £4,000 |
| Exterior of a house | £1,500 to £5,000 |
| + Wallpapering (per room) | add £150 to £500 |
| + Heavy filling and prep on poor walls | add £100 to £400 |
What's included in the price?
Typical painting and decorating prices include:
- Preparing, filling and sanding surfaces
- Paint and materials
- Cutting in and applying coats
- Protecting floors and furniture
What changes the price?
The things that move painting and decorating prices most:
Number of rooms, or interior versus exterior
How much filling and prep the walls need
Ceiling height and access
Paint quality and number of coats
Does where you live change the cost?
In London, painting and decorating typically costs around £2,300 for the job, about 30% above the UK average of £1,800. In the North, Scotland and Wales the guide figure is nearer £1,700.
| Region | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midlands / East (UK average) | £150 | £1,800 | £5,000 |
| London | £200 | £2,300 | £6,500 |
| South East / South West | £170 | £2,100 | £5,800 |
| North / Scotland / Wales | £140 | £1,700 | £4,600 |
Guide prices for the job, scaled with the same regional multipliers as the calculator. Not quotes.
Painting and decorating cost in major UK cities
| City | From | Typical | Up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | £130 | £1,500 | £4,300 |
| Birmingham | £150 | £1,800 | £4,900 |
| Bristol | £170 | £2,000 | £5,500 |
| Cardiff | £140 | £1,700 | £4,700 |
| Edinburgh | £150 | £1,800 | £4,900 |
| Glasgow | £140 | £1,600 | £4,500 |
| Leeds | £140 | £1,700 | £4,700 |
| Liverpool | £140 | £1,700 | £4,600 |
| London | £200 | £2,300 | £6,500 |
| Manchester | £140 | £1,700 | £4,800 |
| Newcastle | £140 | £1,600 | £4,500 |
| Sheffield | £140 | £1,700 | £4,600 |
City guide estimates, scaled by local labour costs. Indicative averages for painting and decorating, not quotes.
Prices in London and the South East run above the national figures on labour.
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint a house?
Painting and decorating costs roughly £150 to £5,000 in the UK depending on the job, typically around £1,800. A single room painted is £150 to £450, a whole 3-bed interior £1,500 to £4,000, and the exterior of a house £1,500 to £5,000. Wallpapering and heavy filling on poor walls add to that, and the paint quality and number of coats move the price too.
How much does a painter and decorator charge per day?
Most painters and decorators charge around £150 to £250 a day, or price the job as a whole. A single room is often a day or two, so the labour is a few hundred pounds plus paint, while a whole house runs over one to two weeks. Getting the job priced as a fixed quote rather than day rate makes it easier to compare and avoids surprises.
How much does it cost to paint the outside of a house?
Painting the exterior of a typical 3-bed house usually costs £1,500 to £5,000, depending on the size, the height (which decides whether scaffolding or towers are needed), and the condition of the render or masonry. Poor, flaking surfaces need more prep, which is most of the cost. A masonry paint job should last many years, so it is worth doing the preparation properly.
Is it worth paying for a decorator?
For a quick single room, DIY saves the labour and is very doable. A decorator earns their money on the prep and the finish: filling, sanding, cutting in neat lines and getting an even coat on ceilings and woodwork, which is slow and skilled. For a whole house, high ceilings, or exterior work at height, a good decorator is usually worth the cost and far quicker.
What makes a decorating quote go up?
Preparation, mostly. Walls that need filling, sanding or stripping wallpaper, woodwork that needs rubbing down, and ceilings with cracks all add time before any paint goes on. Height and access matter too, as stairwells and exteriors need towers or scaffolding. Cheap quotes sometimes skip the prep, so ask what preparation is included, because it is what makes the finish last.
Is it cheaper to paint a room yourself?
Yes, for a single room DIY saves most of the cost, since a room painted by a decorator is around £150 to £450 and a big part of that is labour. Buy decent paint and rollers and it is very doable. The skill is in the prep: filling, sanding and cutting in neat lines. Ceilings, woodwork and anything at height are slower and messier, so weigh the saving against your time.
These are independent guide prices based on typical UK jobs in 2026. Your actual cost depends on your property, spec, access and where you live. Always get at least three written quotes before committing.