What are average painting and decorating prices in the UK?
On average painting and decorating prices range from £9 – £18 per square metre in the UK. In most cases, the cost of paint, masking and covering is included in the price. The exact cost depends on the skills and area of the painter, the services required and the condition of the walls and ceilings.
AVERAGE: £9 – £18 PER SQM
There can also be a big difference in the cost of paint materials. Regular white paint is usually in the range of £2 – £3.5 per m2. If special paint is required, e.g. for smokers’ flats (with nicotine barrier) or a glossy look for certain rooms such as the kitchen, prices can rise to £30 per sqm.
The same applies to wall patterns or design walls (one wall is painted in a different colour than the rest of the walls), as the material costs for the paint increase. A colour consultation, which is offered by most painters if one is requested, also increases the price.
Should it be desired or necessary to paint doors or windows, further costs will result. As a special paint or varnish is used and the work is more delicate and lengthy, most painters charge per door or window. For doors, a flat rate of around £70 – £140 per door including paint can be expected and for windows, £25 – £50 for windows.
As a rule, the skirting boards are also painted. This can be expected to cost around £3 – £5 per metre. If it is necessary to fit and paint new skirting boards, the cost will rise to around £10 per metre. If the walls have any damage and need to be filled or old wallpaper needs to be torn down first before painting, the prices will increase. For the removal of old wallpaper, approximately £8 – £10 per sqm can be added.
If the walls need to be plastered beforehand, an additional cost of around £10 – £25 per sqm can be expected, depending on whether it is a new build or just replastering the surface of existing walls. Further costs may apply for the removal of old plaster.
Below is an example of costs for painting 100 sqm in a suburb of London. The walls will be masked off and painted white twice. Windows and doors will also be painted. All figures are estimates including VAT and may vary.
Example: Painting and Decorating Prices – UK – 100 m2
Mask off wall surface + paint 2x, 125 m2 | £12 / m2 | £1,500 |
Paint the ceiling surface, 100 m2 | £10 / m2 | £1,000 |
Painting windows, 5 pcs. | £50 each | £250 |
Paint doors, 4 pcs. | £100 each | £400 |
Painting skirting boards | £5 per metre | £183 |
Total cost | £3,333 |