HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

How to hire a sealant applicator in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

No register applies to resealing. Old sealant out, mould treated, the joint dry and the right product — those are the checks.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a sealant applicator in five steps

  1. Point out soft areasStained or soft joints can mean a hidden leak.
  2. Fill the bathSo the joint does not split when used.
  3. Plan curing timeA day before the bath or shower is used.
  4. Outside? Dry dayExterior frames need dry weather.
  5. Right productSanitary silicone in wet areas, caulk for painting.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses sealant applicators in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so the quality of resealing lies in the preparation and the materials, which a cheap quote tends to leave out. Method and product are everything.

Ask for a written scope of the resealing: preparation, materials and finish, item by item.

Solvents and COSHH

HSE's COSHH rules on hazardous substances apply to self-employed people who take hazardous products onto other people's premises. The solvents, lacquers and strippers used in resealing are that kind of product.

Ask what products the resealing uses, and how the room will be ventilated. 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 resealing a work-at-height job.

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

Public liability insurance

No law requires a sealant applicator to carry insurance, but paint on a carpet or a damaged piece is the routine claim. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you resealing done with reasonable care and skill; cover is what pays when it is not.

Ask the sealant applicator for the insurer and the cover limit before the resealing begins.

VAT

Resealing is standard-rated at 20% when the applicator is registered, mould treatment included. A trader whose taxable turnover passes £90,000 must register, charge it and show it as a separate line; one below that threshold adds none.

Ask the sealant applicator for a VAT number before paying any VAT on the job. gov.uk →

“Will you cut out all the old sealant first?”

A good answer: Yes, fully, not seal over it.

“How will you treat mould behind the sealant joint?”

A good answer: Treated and dried before resealing.

“Which sealant will the resealing use?”

A good answer: Sanitary silicone with mould inhibitor in wet areas.

“Will you fill the bath while the sealant goes on?”

A good answer: Yes, so the joint is set at full load.

“How long before we use the shower?”

A good answer: A stated curing time.

“Are you insured if a frame is damaged?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Joints to be resealed
  • Removal of old sealant
  • Mould treatment
  • Sealant named
  • Who actually attends to strip and reseal — the person who priced it, or a subcontractor
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% shown separately

Walk away if

  • Seals over old silicone
  • Seals a damp joint
  • Decorator's caulk in a shower
  • No curing advice
LOW
£80
TYPICAL
£115
HIGH
£180

What a sealant applicator costs: £80–£180 per job

Sealant work is priced per job by the length of joint and how hard the old sealant is to remove. Sealant & Caulking 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

Sealant applicators 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. Cut outOld sealant removed.
  2. TreatMould treated and the joint dried.
  3. MaskEdges masked for a neat line.
  4. SealNew bead applied and tooled.
  5. CureLeft untouched for the curing time.

Sanitary silicone
Silicone with mould inhibitor for wet areas.
Caulk
Paintable acrylic filler for decorating gaps.
Bead
The line of sealant.
Tooling
Smoothing the bead into the joint.
Curing
The time sealant takes to set fully.
Movement joint
A joint that flexes, so needs sealant not grout.

AFTER

When the job is done

Leave it to cureA day before use.
Look for gapsA neat, continuous bead.
Watch the jointMould returning early can mean damp behind.
Leave the reviewReviews on Locufy are tied to a booking, so yours about the resealing carries weight. If something is not right, the make-it-right step gives the sealant applicator the first chance to fix it before it is published.

STEP 1Go back to the sealant applicatorSay what is wrong with the resealing and what you want done about it. Under section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the resealing had to be carried out with reasonable care and skill; if it was not, you can ask the sealant applicator to put it right at their own cost (section 55) or for money off (section 56).
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepRate the resealing below four stars and you are asked whether the sealant applicator should see the complaint first; we keep it moving until it is answered, then you review.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the resealing, 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 owedAn unpaid refund or repair bill from the resealing goes to small claims: £10,000 is the limit in England and Wales, £5,000 in Scotland using simple procedure, and £5,000 in Northern Ireland — all designed to be used without a solicitor.

Hiring a sealant applicator: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you can ask for it to be redone at their cost if the work lacked reasonable care and skill.

Often damp behind the joint or old sealant left in place.

£80–£180 per job, about £115 typical. The sealant and caulking price guide explains the range; your town in the search box above shows applicators who cover it.

Silicone in wet areas; caulk for paintable gaps.

One to two hours for a bath, up to a day for a bathroom.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: Grouting & Re-GroutingHow to hire: Painter & DecoratorHow to hire: HandymanHow to hire: Odd JobsHow to hire: Wallpaper HangingHow to hire: Spray PaintingHow to hire: Window RepairHow to hire: uPVC RepairAll 701 hiring guides →

Sealant applicators near you

Sealant applicators in LondonSealant applicators in ManchesterSealant applicators in BirminghamSealant applicators in GlasgowSealant applicators in BelfastAll sealant applicators on Locufy →Do it yourself: resealing a bath, shower or sink →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  2. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  3. Work at Height Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  6. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  7. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  8. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  9. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register