HOW TO HIRE · HOME REPAIRS & HANDYMAN

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

No register applies to spray painters. COSHH covers the coatings, and listed homes may need consent before a colour change.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a spray painter in five steps

  1. Listed? Ask firstChanging frame colours can need consent.
  2. Ask about the coatingMade for uPVC, timber or metal — and the guarantee.
  3. Check the forecastA dry, mild, still day.
  4. MaskingGlass, brick and sills masked properly.
  5. Move cars and furnitureAway from the spray area.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Nothing licenses spray painters in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, so the quality of spray painting lies in the preparation and the materials, which a cheap quote tends to leave out. Two rules sit behind it, below.

Ask for a written scope of the spray painting: 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 spray painting are that kind of product.

Ask what products the spray painting uses, and how the room will be ventilated. hse.gov.uk →

Listed buildings

Section 7 of the 1990 listed buildings legislation for England and Wales says that works altering a listed building in a way that affects its character need listed building consent, and section 9 makes doing them without it an offence. If your home is listed, ask the council before the spray painting.

For a listed home, ask the council whether the spray painting needs listed building consent before booking. legislation.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 spray painting a work-at-height job.

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

VAT

Spray painting is standard-rated at 20% when the painter is registered, preparation and masking included. Over the £90,000 registration threshold a trader must charge it and show it separately; under it there is no VAT and no VAT number.

Ask the spray painter for a VAT number on the quote. gov.uk →

“Which coating will the spray painting use on my uPVC?”

A good answer: A named product made for the surface.

“What guarantee comes with the spray painting finish?”

A good answer: A period in writing.

“How will the spray painter protect glass, brick and cars?”

A good answer: Masking and sheeting, described.

“What weather do you need for spray painting?”

A good answer: Dry, mild and still; they rebook otherwise.

“Is my building listed or in a conservation area?”

A good answer: They tell you to check before a colour change.

“Is your spray painting insured if overspray damages something?”

A good answer: Public liability, insurer named.

Getting the quote right

  • Items to be sprayed, listed
  • Preparation and masking
  • Coating named and colour
  • Guarantee
  • Who actually attends to mask and spray — the painter who quoted, or a subcontracted crew
  • The VAT number, and VAT at 20% as its own figure

Walk away if

  • Sprays on a wet or windy day
  • No masking of glass and brick
  • Coating not made for the surface
  • No guarantee
LOW
£150
TYPICAL
£350
HIGH
£500

What a spray painter costs: £150–£500 per job

Spray painting is priced per job by the items and the masking needed. Spray Painting 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

Spray painters 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. MaskGlass, brick and sills masked.
  2. PrepareSurfaces cleaned and keyed.
  3. PrimePrimer for the material.
  4. SprayThin, even coats.
  5. Unmask and checkMasking off, finish checked.

Keying
Lightly abrading a surface so paint grips.
Overspray
Spray mist landing where it should not.
Masking
Covering areas not to be painted.
Primer
A first coat that bonds to the surface.
COSHH
HSE's rules on hazardous substances.
RAL colour
A standard colour reference code.

AFTER

When the job is done

Check in daylightEven finish, no runs, clean glass.
Keep the guaranteeAnd the colour reference.
Wait to cleanAs long as the maker says.
Write the reviewSay what the spray painter did well on the spray painting and what they did not. If it fell short, use the make-it-right step first, so the spray painter can put it right before you publish.

STEP 1Put it in writing to the spray painterWrite it down: what the spray painter did, what is wrong with the spray painting and what would fix it. Reasonable care and skill is the standard section 49 of the 2015 Act sets; if the spray painting missed it, ask for the work to be redone free, or for part of the price back.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right stepBelow four stars, Locufy offers to pass the problem with the spray painting to the spray painter before your review is published, and follows it up with both of you.
STEP 3Trading Standards, through the helplinesFor advice about the spray painting, 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 owedA claim against the spray painter that will not settle can go to court without a lawyer — the small claims track for up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure for up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court for up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a spray painter: questions people ask

No. No licence or register applies.

On a listed building in England or Wales, possibly; ask the council.

HSE's COSHH rules apply to hazardous substances self-employed people bring onto your premises.

£150–£500 per job, about £350 typical. The spray painting price guide has the detail; enter your town above for painters near you.

No set period in law, so ask for the coating name and a written guarantee.

One to three hours for a frame or door; a full day for a frontage.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in home repairs & handyman

How to hire: Painter & DecoratorHow to hire: uPVC RepairHow to hire: Window RepairHow to hire: Garage Door RepairHow to hire: Door Hanging & RepairHow to hire: Wallpaper HangingHow to hire: French PolishingHow to hire: Sealant & CaulkingAll 701 hiring guides →

Spray painters near you

Spray painters in LondonSpray painters in ManchesterSpray painters in BirminghamSpray painters in GlasgowSpray painters in BelfastAll spray painters on Locufy →Do it yourself: spray painting small items outdoors →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. HSE — does COSHH apply to the self-employed?
  2. Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, section 7 — restriction on works (England and Wales)
  3. HSE — types of ladder and using them safely
  4. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  5. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue (England)
  6. Buildings and construction (VAT Notice 708) — 2.1 Construction services: work to an existing building is normally standard-rated
  7. GOV.UK — VAT rates
  8. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register