Book a decorating service.

Whether you are refreshing a single bedroom or renovating a period property, hiring a skilled decorator ensures a "trade finish" — characterised by sharp lines, smooth woodwork, and uniform coverage that DIY attempts rarely achieve. This guide outlines the processes, realistic 2025/26 costs, and essential regulations for decorating projects in the UK.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Site Protection: Covering floors with heavy-duty drop cloths and masking off sockets, switches, and glazing to prevent splashes.
• Surface Preparation: Stripping old wallpaper, raking out cracks, and applying high-quality fillers or 2-part wood fillers where necessary.
• Abrasion: Sanding all surfaces to provide a "key" for the new paint, followed by thorough dust removal using tack cloths or HEPA vacuums.
• Priming and Sealing: Applying a "mist coat" to new plaster or using stain-blocking primers on water marks, knots in wood, or greasy patches.
• Wall and Ceiling Application: Typically two coats of trade-grade emulsion (matt, silk, or eggshell) applied via roller or airless spray for a flawless finish.
• Woodwork Finishing: Preparation and painting of skirting boards, architraves, and doors using water-based or traditional oil-based satin, eggshell, or gloss.
• Snagging and Reinstatement: Removing masking tape, cleaning the site, and refitting hardware like door handles or light switches.

Typical Costs

Decorating costs in the UK vary based on your location (with London and the South East carrying a 20-30% premium) and the condition of your walls. Prices below include labour and standard trade-grade materials like Dulux Trade, Crown, or Johnstones.

Note: Premium "designer" paints like Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, or Edward Bulmer can add £100–£300 to the total material cost of a standard room due to the higher price per litre and the occasional need for three coats to achieve full opacity.

How Long Does It Take?

• Small Bedroom: 1–2 days. This allows for filling to dry and two coats of emulsion to be applied to walls and ceilings.
• Living Room/Dining Room: 2–3 days. Larger surface areas and more extensive woodwork (skirting, coving, and window sills) require extra time.
• Hall, Stairs, and Landing: 3–5 days. This is the most complex area due to high ceilings, multiple doors, and the need for safe access equipment.
• Full 3-Bedroom House: 10–14 days. This assumes the property is mostly empty and allows for a logical flow from room to room.

DIY or Professional?

While painting is a popular DIY task, the results often differ significantly from a professional's work. A professional decorator possesses the skill to "cut in" perfectly straight lines without tape and understands which primers will prevent "flashing" or peeling in the future.

Professional decorators spend 70% of their time on preparation. If you aren't prepared to spend hours sanding and filling, the final finish will likely disappoint.

For high-traffic areas or period properties with lime plaster, a professional is essential. Furthermore, working at height in stairwells carries significant risk; professionals use specialized ladders and "ladder helpers" to ensure safety and compliance with UK health and safety guidelines.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check Qualifications: Look for NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Decorative Finishing or membership in the Painting and Decorating Association (PDA).
• Verify Insurance: Ensure they hold Public Liability Insurance (minimum £1 million) to cover accidental damage to your property.
• Review Portfolios: Ask for photos of "cutting in" around windows and ceilings, as this is where skill levels are most apparent.
• Get a Written Quote: Ensure it specifies if paint is included, how many coats will be applied, and how furniture will be protected.

Questions to ask:

• Are you using "Trade" or "Retail" versions of the paint? (Trade paint has higher pigment levels).
• How do you handle "snagging" if I find a drip or a missed spot after you leave?
• Will you be using a dustless sanding system?
• Is the disposal of old paint tins and wallpaper included in the price?

UK Regulations

• VOC Regulations: UK law limits Volatile Organic Compounds in paint. Professionals will ensure they use compliant products, particularly for indoor air quality.
• Lead Paint: Properties built before the 1960s may contain lead-based paint. Professionals must follow specific safety protocols (HSE) for sanding these surfaces.
• Working at Height: Decorators must comply with the Work at Height Regulations 2005, using correct scaffolding or industrial-grade ladders for exteriors and stairwells.
• Asbestos: In homes built between 1950 and 1999, textured coatings (like Artex) may contain asbestos. This should never be sanded without professional testing.

Common Problems

• Flashing: This occurs when the paint has an uneven shimmer, usually caused by failing to prime porous surfaces or "lapping" wet paint over dry edges.
• Grinning: When the old colour shows through the new one. This happens when the paint is over-thinned or an insufficient number of coats are applied.
• Peeling Woodwork: Usually the result of painting over old oil-based gloss with modern water-based paint without using a "bridge" primer.
• Poor Adhesion: Paint bubbling or flaking off new plaster because a "mist coat" (thinned paint) wasn't applied first to seal the surface.
• Cissing: When paint "beads up" and refuses to stick, usually caused by silicone or grease contamination on the wall.

Frequently Asked Questions