HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to hire a painter and decorator in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to decorators. The quote is where quality shows, and older homes bring lead paint and textured-ceiling checks.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a painter and decorator in five steps

  1. Get a room-by-room scopeWalls, ceilings, woodwork, preparation and coats, in writing.
  2. Name the paintBrand, range and finish, so quotes compare.
  3. Older home? Ask about leadNo dry sanding of old paint.
  4. Textured ceiling?Have it checked before anyone scrapes it.
  5. Protect the floorsWho covers and moves what.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses painters and decorators in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so the quality of decorating lies in the preparation and the materials, which a cheap quote tends to leave out. Two real hazards apply in older homes, below. No law requires a decorator to carry insurance, but paint on a carpet or a damaged piece is the routine claim. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you decorating done with reasonable care and skill; cover is what pays when it is not.

Ask for a written scope of the decorating: preparation, materials and finish, item by item. Ask the decorator for the insurer and the cover limit before the decorating begins.

Lead in old paint

HSE says lead was widely used in house paint until the 1960s and was not out of all common paint until the early 1980s. It advises against dry sanding or burning old layers; wet abrasives, chemical strippers or extraction are the safer routes for decorating on older paintwork.

For a home painted before the 1980s, ask how the decorating will prepare old paint without dry sanding. hse.gov.uk →

Textured coatings and asbestos

HSE treats drilling a textured ceiling coating or removing a small patch as non-licensed asbestos work, and large-scale steam or gel stripping as notifiable. Before decorating scrapes an old textured ceiling or wall, it should be checked.

Ask whether any textured coating will be tested before the decorating starts. hse.gov.uk →

Ladders and work at height

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (and Northern Ireland's own of the same year) require work at height to be planned and done with suitable equipment; HSE's ladder guidance is a 1-in-4 angle and three points of contact. Stairwells and high ceilings make the decorating a work-at-height job.

For high or stairwell work, ask what access equipment the decorating will use. hse.gov.uk →

VAT

Painting and decorating is standard-rated at 20% when the decorator is registered, labour and paint alike. Registration is compulsory above £90,000 of taxable turnover, and a registered firm has to charge it and itemise it rather than fold it into the price.

Ask the decorator for a VAT number; a sole decorator under the threshold should not add VAT. gov.uk →

“What decorating preparation is included in each room?”

A good answer: Filling, sanding, priming and stain-blocking, listed.

“Which paint will the decorator use, and how many coats?”

A good answer: A named product and the number of coats.

“How will you prepare old paintwork without dry sanding?”

A good answer: Wet abrasives, chemical strippers or extraction.

“Has the textured ceiling been checked for asbestos before the painter starts?”

A good answer: If not, they suggest testing before scraping.

“Are ceilings and woodwork in the decorating price?”

A good answer: A clear yes or no for each.

“How will a painter protect floors and furniture?”

A good answer: Dust sheets, masking and what they move.

“Are you insured if paint gets on a carpet?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Room by room: walls, ceilings, woodwork
  • Preparation listed
  • Paint named, with number of coats
  • Paint supplied by the decorator or by you
  • Who actually attends each day — the decorator who priced it, employed painters or subcontractors
  • The VAT number, with VAT at 20% shown apart from the room prices

Walk away if

  • One price for the house with no room breakdown
  • Dry-sands old paint in a pre-1980s home
  • Scrapes a textured ceiling without asking
  • No dust sheets
  • Paint not named
LOW
£250
TYPICAL
£400
HIGH
£800

What a painter and decorator costs: £250–£800 per room

Decorating is priced per room; size, preparation, woodwork and ceilings set it. Painter & Decorator 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

Painters and 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.

  1. ProtectFloors covered, furniture moved and masked.
  2. PrepareFilling, sanding by safe methods, priming.
  3. Ceilings firstThen walls.
  4. Woodwork lastSkirting, frames and doors.
  5. Clean and snagMasking off, room cleaned, snags fixed.

Mist coat
A thinned first coat on new plaster.
Cutting in
Painting a clean edge by brush.
Stain block
A primer that stops marks bleeding through.
Eggshell
A low-sheen finish for woodwork or walls.
Lead paint
Old paint containing lead; not to be dry-sanded.
Textured coating
A patterned ceiling or wall finish that can contain asbestos.

AFTER

When the job is done

Walk the rooms in daylightLook for missed patches, runs and cut-in lines.
Keep a note of the paintBrand, colour and finish for touch-ups.
Snag listAgree a return visit for any snags.
Rate the jobTell the next person how the decorating went — time kept, mess left, price held. Under four stars, the painter and decorator is offered the chance to fix it first through make-it-right.

STEP 1Tell the painter and decorator, in writingContact the painter and decorator first, in writing, and keep a copy. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the decorating must be done with reasonable care and skill; you can ask for the faulty part to be done again free of charge, and if that fails, for some or all of the money back.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepIf you rate the decorating under four stars, Locufy asks whether to send the problem to the painter and decorator first, and we follow it through before your review goes up.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the decorating, or to have the complaint passed to Trading Standards, call the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133 (England and Wales), Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland.
STEP 4Small claims, if money is owedIf money is still in dispute over the decorating, the small claims routes need no solicitor: up to £10,000 in England and Wales on the small claims track, £5,000 in Scotland under simple procedure, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland's small claims court.

Hiring a painter and decorator: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

It may contain lead if it predates the 1980s; HSE advises against dry sanding or burning it off.

Have it checked for asbestos first; HSE treats large-scale removal as notifiable work.

£250–£800 per room, with about £400 typical for a medium bedroom. For what moves the figure, see the painter and decorator price guide, and search your town above to find decorators nearby.

Ask for public liability insurance; a spoiled floor is the usual claim.

One to two days for a typical room.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: Wallpaper HangingHow to hire: Spray PaintingHow to hire: Sealant & CaulkingHow to hire: Grouting & Re-GroutingHow to hire: HandymanHow to hire: Odd JobsHow to hire: French PolishingHow to hire: Sash Window RestorationAll 701 hiring guides →

Painters and decorators near you

Painters and decorators in LondonPainters and decorators in ManchesterPainters and decorators in BirminghamPainters and decorators in GlasgowPainters and decorators in BelfastAll painters and decorators on Locufy →Do it yourself: painting a room →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — construction hazardous substances: lead
  2. HSE — deciding if asbestos work must be done by a licensed contractor
  3. Control of Asbestos Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012
  4. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  5. Work at Height Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  7. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  8. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  9. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  10. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register