Exterior House Painting Prices UK: 2024 Labour & Materials

Quick Answer: UK exterior house painting prices at £1,200-£2,200 for a typical 3-bed semi (rendered or painted brick walls), £1,800-£3,200 with woodwork and rainwater goods, and £2,800-£4,800 for a full repaint of a larger or detached property. Scaffold or cherry-picker hire adds £450-£1,500 depending on access requirements. Allow 4-8 working days for a 3-bed semi inclusive of preparation, masonry paint, woodwork, and rainwater goods.

Summary

Exterior painting is the highest-value standalone decoration job in UK domestic property. The visual transformation is significant — a freshly-painted exterior raises kerb appeal and protects the substrate from weather damage. The pricing variability is driven by access (scaffold, cherry picker, or ladders), preparation tier (sound substrate vs failing paint requiring strip), and the scope of woodwork and rainwater goods.

The legitimate pricing variables: (1) wall finish — painted render is easier than painted brick because the substrate is smoother; (2) preparation — sound surfaces need only wash and prime, failing paint needs strip and substrate repair; (3) coats — most exterior masonry needs 2 coats minimum, problematic surfaces 3; (4) access — ladder access is cheapest, tower scaffold for awkward angles, full scaffold for multi-storey, cherry picker for very high; (5) woodwork — fascia, soffits, barge boards, doors, windows take 3-5x time per linear metre of equivalent wall area.

This guide covers the full exterior paint scope plus the access decision and the weather window. For interior decoration see interior decoration pricing guide; for external render see external render pricing guide.

Key Facts

Paint costs (supplied)

Access costs

Labour and crew costs

Regulatory

Quick Reference Table

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Job Type Scope Days Total Range (Regional) Total Range (London)
Render front of 3-bed semi Walls only, 2 coats, ladder access 1-2 £550-£950 £700-£1,200
Painted brick 3-bed semi Walls only, 2 coats, ladder 2-3 £700-£1,200 £900-£1,500
3-bed semi (walls only) Front, back, sides, ladder + tower 3-4 £1,200-£2,000 £1,500-£2,500
3-bed semi (walls + woodwork) Includes fascia, soffit, barge 4-6 £1,800-£3,200 £2,200-£4,000
3-bed semi (full spec) Walls + woodwork + rainwater + doors 5-7 £2,500-£4,200 £3,000-£5,200
4-bed detached (walls + woodwork) Full house with scaffold 6-9 £3,000-£5,500 £3,800-£6,800
4-bed detached (full spec) Walls + all woodwork + scaffold 8-12 £4,200-£7,500 £5,200-£9,200
Period 4-5 bed Specialist materials + heritage 10-15 £6,500-£12,500 £8,000-£15,500
Multi-storey (3-4 storey terrace) Wraparound scaffold + 4-5 weeks 12-18 £8,500-£15,500 £10,500-£19,000

Detailed Guidance

Survey and access planning

A 30-60 minute pre-quote survey is essential. Items to record:

  1. Building height and elevations — number of storeys, accessibility from ground
  2. Wall finish — painted render, painted brick, painted pebble-dash, painted timber cladding, unpainted brick (typically not painted)
  3. Existing paint condition — flaking, peeling, blown patches, organic growth (algae, moss), staining
  4. Woodwork scope — fascia, soffit, barge boards, door frames, window frames (UPVC or timber)
  5. Rainwater goods — cast iron (paintable), UPVC (sometimes paintable with specialist primer), aluminium
  6. Access constraints — narrow side passages, locked rear access, neighbour gardens
  7. Substrate type — solid wall, cavity wall, timber frame, panel construction
  8. Listed / conservation status — affects colour and material choice

The survey determines the access strategy and the preparation tier. Quote without it = guesswork.

Access strategy — the cost variable

Access cost varies more than labour cost on most exterior paint jobs. Options:

Ladder access (cheapest)

Tower scaffold (mid-cost)

Full scaffold (premium for access)

Cherry picker (MEWP) (premium for very high)

Always price access as a separate line. Customer sees scaffold cost as substantial (£450-£2,500 typical) but justified — without proper access, the work cannot be done safely.

Preparation tiers for exterior

Three preparation tiers, similar to interior but with weather-specific considerations:

Tier 1 — Light preparation

Suitable for: sound paint surfaces, minor refresh. Time: 0.5 day for a typical semi.

Tier 2 — Standard preparation

Suitable for: typical 5-8 year recoat cycle. Time: 1-2 days for a semi.

Tier 3 — Full preparation

Suitable for: properties that haven't been repainted in 15+ years, or where paint failure is significant. Time: 2-4 days for a semi.

Weather window — the install constraint

Exterior painting has strict weather requirements:

UK weather windows for exterior painting:

Always quote with explicit weather contingency: "subject to weather delays, no charge for postponement up to 2 weeks; longer delays may incur scaffold extension cost".

Substrate-specific considerations

Painted render — easiest substrate. Wash, fill cracks, apply 2 coats of masonry paint. Most common exterior paint job.

Painted brick — assess paint adhesion. If sound, wash and re-coat. If failing, strip and re-paint with breathable paint (older brick walls need to breathe; non-breathable paint causes moisture trap).

Painted pebble-dash — labour intensive. The textured surface holds 2-3x more paint per m² than smooth render. Cost premium 30-50% over standard render painting.

Painted timber cladding (weatherboard) — needs full prep (sand, fill knots, prime, paint 2 coats). Use exterior microporous paint (Sadolin, Cuprinol) for breathability.

Painted timber doors and windows — sash windows take 3-6 hours each (full prep + 2 coats). Casement windows 1.5-3 hours each. Doors 1-2 hours each side.

UPVC fascia, soffit, doors — possible to paint with specialist UPVC primer (Zinsser AllCoat Primer, Bedec Multi-Surface). Less durable than original UPVC colour; advise customer of risks.

Cast iron rainwater goods — wire brush, apply rust-converter, primer, 2 coats of black gloss. Cost £25-£55/m of gutter; £15-£35/m of downpipe.

Hidden costs and risk premium

The five most-missed cost lines in exterior painting quotes are: (1) lead paint testing on pre-1970 properties (£50-£80 per sample); (2) waste disposal — paint scrapings, masking tape, dust sheets; (3) garden / plant protection (sheets, ties, occasional minor damage compensation); (4) gutter cleaning before painting (often needs doing anyway); (5) chimney stack pointing / lead flashing reset if accessed by scaffold.

Risk premium of 15-25% is standard on pre-1965 properties — likely to find lead paint, failed previous paint, masonry pointing issues. Premium of 20-30% on listed buildings or conservation areas due to specification constraints.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does exterior paint last?

Standard trade masonry paint: 7-10 years before significant degradation. Premium masonry (Dulux Weathershield Diamond, Sandtex Extreme): 10-15 years. Silicone or self-cleaning masonry: 15-20 years. Exterior gloss on woodwork: 5-7 years on south-facing, 8-12 years on north-facing. The variable is exposure — sunny south-facing walls fade and chalk faster than sheltered north-facing.

Can I paint over a stained or damp wall?

Not without addressing the cause. Painting over a damp wall traps moisture; the paint fails (peels, blisters) within 6-12 months. Always identify the cause (rising damp, penetrating damp, condensation, roof leak) and address it before painting. Painting over stains requires stain-block primer (Zinsser BIN) — without it, stains telegraph through paint within months.

What's the best time of year to paint exterior?

April-September is the reliable window. October is borderline (shorter daylight, lower temperatures, more rain risk). May-July are optimal: long days, warm temperatures, predictable weather. Avoid full-sun south-facing walls in mid-summer (paint dries too quickly, causes brushmarks). Best practice is to follow the sun around the building, painting walls in shade or early morning.

Do I need to use breathable paint on old brick walls?

Yes, for pre-1920 solid brick walls. Solid wall construction relies on moisture passing through the brick and evaporating from the surface. Modern acrylic / vinyl-based paints can trap moisture, causing frost damage to the brick and rising damp internally. Use silicone or limewash for breathability on solid brick walls. Modern cavity-walled houses (post-1920) can use any paint type.

Should I quote per m² or per day?

Both — but transparently. The customer wants to compare quotes per m² (easy mental shorthand) but the actual cost is more about time on site. Best practice: provide a fixed-price quote with explicit scope ("Front elevation 60m² walls, 12m fascia, 2 doors") and an itemised breakdown showing rate per m² for walls + linear metre for woodwork + day rate fallback. Avoid pure day-rate exterior quotes — customers fear open-ended billing.

Regulations & Standards