HOW TO HIRE · EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a balloon decorator in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
Balloon decorators need no licence in the UK. Read on for the checks, the right questions and a fair quote.
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THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a balloon decorator in five steps
- Check the venue allows balloonsHelium balloons can float into ceilings and sensors.
- Ask about latex allergiesFoil balloons are an alternative for some displays.
- Agree fixingsWeights and fixings that do not mark the venue.
- Fix set-up and removalWith the venue.
- Ask about disposalHow the balloon decorator clears and disposes of balloons.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
No register applies
Nobody licenses balloon decorators in any of the four UK nations, and the law asks for no training or qualification. Venue rules on helium, fixings and high ceilings shape what a balloon decorator can do.
Ask the balloon decorator for references from the last few months and read the written terms before paying.
Public liability insurance for the balloon decorator
Public liability cover is a venue's demand rather than the law's, and the level varies from one venue to the next. Venues often ask the balloon decorator for cover before building displays on site.
Ask the venue for its figure, then ask the balloon decorator for the insurer's name, the cover level and the expiry date.
Trader status and cancellation terms
A firm that hires out balloon decorator for money is a trader: the Consumer Rights Act 2015 applies, including the duty of reasonable care and skill. What usually does not apply is a cooling-off period — regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013 takes services for leisure activities or catering on a fixed date outside it — so read how the balloon decorator handles cancellation and deposits.
Get the balloon decorator's terms on cancellation, date changes and illness on one page before you commit. legislation.gov.uk →
VAT
Balloon displays, with installation and collection, are standard-rated at 20%. Among balloon decorators, any with taxable turnover above £90,000 must be registered, add the VAT and show it apart from the net figure.
Ask for the balloon business's VAT number and for the 20% to be shown under each display's price. gov.uk →
A good answer: A balloon decorator who checks with the venue first.
A good answer: Yes, where the design allows.
A good answer: Weights and approved fixings from the balloon decorator, nothing that marks walls.
A good answer: Yes, priced, with a plan for disposal.
A good answer: Air-filled longer than helium, honestly stated.
A good answer: Public liability cover named.
A good answer: Times agreed with the venue.
Getting the quote right
- Each balloon display, size and colours
- Helium or air-filled, latex or foil
- Installation, collection and disposal
- Travel and out-of-hours access
- Deposit and cancellation terms
- The balloon decorator's VAT number, with VAT listed under the displays and travel
- Who actually attends to install and collect the displays, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
Walk away if
- No check with the venue on helium
- No allergy question
- No plan for removal and disposal
- Fixings that mark walls
What a balloon decorator costs: £60–£260 per job
Balloon decorators price per job by the size of the display, with helium, foil numbers, on-site building and removal adding to it. Balloon Decoration price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Balloon decorators near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- DesignThe balloon decorator agrees colours, displays and venue rules.
- BuildGarlands and arches built off site or on site.
- InstallDisplays weighted and fixed safely.
- EventDisplays in place, clear of exits.
- RemovalBalloons collected and disposed of.
- Garland
- A long cluster of balloons, often organic in shape.
- Arch
- Balloons on a frame shaped into an arch.
- Foil balloon
- A metallic balloon, latex-free.
- Helium
- The gas that makes balloons float.
- Air-filled
- Balloons filled with air; longer-lasting, need a frame.
- Balloon weight
- A weight keeping helium balloons in place.
AFTER
When the job is done
Hiring a balloon decorator: questions people ask
None applies anywhere in the UK. The protection is the written hire agreement for the balloon decorator, backed by the firm's public liability cover.
The law is silent; the venue usually is not. Most want public liability cover from every supplier, so ask both sides.
£60 to £260 per job, typically around £100. See the balloon decoration price guide for what moves the figure, or search your town above for balloon decorators nearby.
They can float into high ceilings and sensors; check the venue's rules.
Ask guests; foil balloons are latex-free.
Agree collection and disposal on the quote.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in events & entertainment
Balloon decorators near you
Sources — checked October 2026
- Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, regulation 28 — contracts the cancellation right does not cover
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
- gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
- mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
- nidirect — small claims process
- Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
- VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
- GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register