Summary

Interior decorating is the most-quoted standalone trade job in UK homes — every property is repainted on average every 5-8 years and most owners get 2-3 quotes per project. The pricing variability is significant — quotes for the same 3-bed semi range £600-£2,500 depending on preparation, paint quality, ceiling work, and woodwork scope.

The pricing variables: (1) preparation — sound walls take only sanding and dusting (cheap), damaged walls need filling and sealing (moderate), and wallpaper-stripped walls need significant make-good (expensive); (2) coats — most paint specs are 2 coats minimum but problem walls or strong colour changes may need 3-4 coats; (3) ceilings — slower than walls due to overhead working, typically 30-40% of total wall+ceiling time; (4) woodwork — skirting, architrave, doors, windows take 4-8x the time of equivalent wall area; (5) paint quality — premium paint covers in fewer coats and lasts longer.

This guide covers room-by-room pricing, paint specification, and the preparation tiers. For full house plastering see full house plaster pricing guide; for external painting see exterior painting pricing guide.

Key Facts

Paint costs (supplied)

Materials (preparation)

Labour and crew costs

Regulatory

Quick Reference Table

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Job Type Scope Days Total Range (Regional) Total Range (London)
Single bedroom Walls + ceiling, 2 coats 1 day £180-£320 £220-£380
Single bedroom (full prep + 3 coats) Wallpaper strip, fill, paint 2 days £350-£550 £420-£650
Living room Walls + ceiling, 2 coats 1.5 days £280-£480 £350-£580
Kitchen-diner (no woodwork) Walls + ceiling, 2 coats 1.5-2 days £320-£550 £400-£680
Hallway, stairs, landing Walls + ceiling, 2 coats 1.5-2 days £350-£600 £420-£720
Hallway, stairs, landing (woodwork) Walls, ceiling, skirting, balustrade 2.5-3.5 days £600-£950 £750-£1,150
2-bed flat (whole interior) Walls + ceiling, 2 coats 4-6 days £750-£1,200 £900-£1,500
3-bed semi (walls only) All rooms, walls + ceiling, 2 coats 6-9 days £1,200-£1,950 £1,500-£2,400
3-bed semi (full spec) Walls + ceiling + woodwork + doors 10-14 days £2,200-£3,500 £2,800-£4,200
4-bed detached (full spec) All trades, including stairwell 14-20 days £3,200-£5,500 £4,000-£6,800

Add £18-£35/m² for wallpaper hanging (over and above the labour).

Detailed Guidance

Preparation tiers — the cost driver

Preparation is 50-70% of the labour on most decoration jobs. Three tiers:

Tier 1 — Light preparation

Typical time: 30-60 minutes per room. Suitable for: sound, well-maintained walls being refreshed.

Tier 2 — Standard preparation

Typical time: 1.5-3 hours per room. Suitable for: most lived-in properties.

Tier 3 — Full preparation

Typical time: 4-8 hours per room. Suitable for: full re-decorations, rental property turnover, properties with multiple decoration cycles.

Always quote preparation tier explicitly. The customer should understand what's included; surprises about extra preparation are the most common decorator dispute.

Paint quality — what to specify

Three categories:

Trade vinyl matt (Dulux Trade, Crown Trade, Leyland Trade) — £18-£35/5L. Volume choice. Good coverage, washable, durable 5-8 years.

Trade premium (Dulux Trade Diamond, Crown Solo) — £35-£55/5L. Better coverage (one-coat capable on light colour changes), more durable, scuff-resistant.

Premium retail / designer (Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Edward Bulmer, Annie Sloan) — £55-£140/2.5L. Visual character (deeper pigments, distinctive finishes — chalky matt, Modern Eggshell, etc.). Coverage often inferior to trade paints (needs more coats), but customers buy for the look and brand.

The pricing trap is using premium designer paints without telling the customer about the coverage difference. Farrow & Ball estate emulsion typically requires 3 coats over a basic primer; trade vinyl matt requires 2 coats. The labour difference is significant. Always confirm paint choice and quote coats accordingly.

Ceilings — the labour multiplier

Ceiling work is slower than wall work for the same area:

Pricing rule of thumb: ceiling costs 30-50% more per m² than wall paint. Always price ceilings separately if specifying differently from walls (e.g. white ceiling, coloured walls).

Artex ceilings need special handling — see full house plaster pricing guide for asbestos testing requirements.

Woodwork — the time-consuming detail

Skirting, architrave, doors, windows, balustrades, and built-in furniture take significantly longer per linear metre than wall painting per m². Detailed breakdown:

The "while-you're-here" trap with woodwork: customer asks "can you do the doors too?" mid-job. Always have a published woodwork rate card.

Wallpaper hanging

Wallpaper hanging is a specialist skill — many decorators avoid it, others charge a premium. Pricing per m² of wall:

Always strip the existing wallpaper first — Tier 3 preparation labour applies. Many wallpaper jobs become two-day projects with stripping/preparation on Day 1 and hanging on Day 2.

Spray painting and specialist finishes

Spray painting is the premium kitchen/cabinet/built-in furniture refurbishment service. Specialist decorators use HVLP (high-volume, low-pressure) spray equipment to achieve factory-grade finishes on-site. Cost premium of 2-3x brush rates but the finish is unmatched.

Other specialist finishes:

Specialist finishes are a different trade — typically engaged separately rather than bundled with general decoration.

Hidden costs and risk premium

The five most-missed cost lines in interior decoration quotes are: (1) furniture moving and protection — if the customer leaves furniture in place; (2) snagging — touch-up after carpet fitter / kitchen fitter / electrician follow-on work; (3) curtain rail / blind removal and re-fit; (4) socket / switch face plate removal and re-fit; (5) waste disposal — used roller sleeves, brushes, masking tape.

Risk premium of 10-15% is standard on lived-in properties with significant furniture. Premium of 15-25% in pre-1970 properties (likely lead paint on original woodwork — strip/sand creates lead-dust hazard).

Frequently Asked Questions

How much paint do I need per room?

Rule of thumb: 1L of trade vinyl matt covers ~10m² per coat. A standard bedroom (12-15m² floor area, 35-45m² wall area, 12-15m² ceiling area) needs about 2.5-3L for walls + 1.5L for ceiling per coat. At 2 coats: 5-6L walls + 3L ceiling = 8-9L total. A 5L tub is plenty for one bedroom; a 10L tub for two rooms.

How long does a typical interior decoration job take?

A bedroom (walls + ceiling, 2 coats, standard prep) is 1 day for one decorator. A living room is 1.5 days. A 3-bed semi (whole interior, walls + ceilings, standard prep) is 6-9 days for one decorator, 4-6 days for two decorators. Full spec including woodwork doubles these timings. Always quote calendar days separately from working days — the customer wants to know when they can use the room.

Should I include or exclude paint in the quote?

Mixed practice. "Labour only" quotes are common — the customer supplies paint, the decorator charges labour only. "Supply and apply" includes paint at trade rate + markup (typically 15-25% over trade price). The pros of labour-only: customer chooses brand and colour, lower risk for trade. The pros of supply and apply: better margin, single-point responsibility. For premium designer paints (Farrow & Ball), labour-only is the norm — the customer usually has strong opinions about paint brand.

How long should the customer wait before using the room?

Water-based emulsions: walk-on / use ready in 2-4 hours per coat. Re-coat in 4-6 hours. Touch-dry / use-ready 24 hours after final coat (no banging or contact). Oil-based gloss/eggshell on woodwork: re-coat in 16-24 hours; use in 48 hours; full cure in 7-14 days. Always advise customers on cure time — premature use causes scuffs, fingerprints, and lasting damage.

Can I paint over wallpaper?

Sometimes — but rarely recommended. The paper must be: (1) fully adhered (no lifting edges), (2) non-vinyl (vinyl wallpaper rejects paint), (3) without strong patterns (will telegraph through paint), (4) free from staining or mould. If all of these are met, a coat of stain-block primer + 2 coats of emulsion can work. If any fail, strip the paper first (Tier 3 preparation labour applies). Always advise the customer of the risk — painted-over wallpaper can fail (lifting, bubbling) months later.

Regulations & Standards