Painting a house in the UK costs anywhere from around £1,200 for a basic interior refresh to well over £5,000 for a full exterior repaint including scaffold. The range is wide because the price depends heavily on the size of the property, the number of storeys, the condition of the existing surfaces, and the quality of paint specified.
As a rough benchmark for 2026, most homeowners pay £2,000–£3,500 to have a typical three-bedroom semi-detached interior professionally decorated, or £2,000–£3,500 for a full exterior repaint on the same property — with those figures converging when both are done at once and a scaffold can be shared.
Cost Breakdown at a Glance
| Scope | Low estimate | High estimate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior, 3-bed semi (all rooms) | £1,200 | £2,800 | Two coats, standard quality paint |
| Interior, single room | £200 | £600 | Prep and two coats |
| Exterior, 3-bed semi | £1,500 | £4,000 | Masonry, soffits, fascias, bargeboards |
| Exterior, 3-bed detached | £2,000 | £5,500 | May require full scaffold |
| UPVC window frames (per window) | £25 | £60 | Specialist adhesion primer required |
| Scaffold (standard semi, 2 weeks) | £600 | £1,400 | Higher for detached or complex rooflines |
| Paint supply (per tin, 5–10 L) | £15 | £80 | Trade emulsion to premium masonry paint |
Figures are 2026 UK averages. London and South East typically sit at the higher end; Scotland, Wales, and the North tend to be 10–20% lower.
What Drives the Price
Labour
Labour is the dominant cost, typically 60–70% of the total bill. A painter and decorator working alone on a standard interior will need three to five days for a three-bedroom semi, depending on the level of prep required. Exterior work often runs longer because of drying time between coats and the physical overhead of working at height.
Interior decorator day rates in 2026 run £180–£300 per day including their own small tools and dustsheets. Exterior painters, where height work, more physical exertion, and weatherproofing expertise are involved, charge £200–£350 per day.
A two-person crew costs more per day but finishes faster, often making it comparable in total cost while reducing disruption.
Prep Work
Paint only performs as well as the surface beneath it. If walls have significant cracks, blown plaster, or flaking old paint, the decorator will spend time (and charge accordingly) on filling, sanding, and priming. This can add £200–£800 to an interior job on a neglected property.
Exterior prep is equally important: algae and moss must be treated, loose render repaired, and bare timber primed before topcoats go on. Skipping prep is the single most common reason exterior paint fails within a few years.
Paint Quality
Paint is a relatively small proportion of the total cost but matters more than most homeowners expect. A budget trade emulsion runs £15–£25 per 10-litre tin; a good-quality washable emulsion for kitchens or hallways costs £35–£55 per tin; premium exterior masonry paint can reach £60–£80 for a 10-litre tin. On a 3-bed semi exterior you might use four to six tins of masonry paint, so upgrading from budget to premium adds roughly £150–£250 to the materials bill — worthwhile given that a quality masonry paint should last 10–15 years vs five to seven for a budget product.
Scaffold
For a two-storey house, a decorator working on the exterior will need either a tower scaffold or a full scaffolding erection. Tower scaffolds are portable and adequate for smaller sections; full scaffold (erect, hire for two weeks, strike) typically costs £600–£1,400 for a semi-detached. On a detached property with four elevations this can reach £1,800–£2,500. Some painters include scaffold in their quote; others price it separately — always clarify upfront.
UPVC Frames
Standard gloss paint does not adhere to UPVC. If you want window and door frames repainted, the decorator must use a specialist adhesion primer followed by a flexible topcoat formulated for plastics. Expect to pay £25–£60 per window frame depending on size, with door frames at the higher end.
Number of Colours and Coats
A single neutral colour across an entire interior is faster to apply than a property with multiple feature wall colours, contrast woodwork, and different finishes room by room. Each additional colour requires cleaning brushes and rollers between switches and often an extra coat to achieve full coverage over the previous colour. Budget an extra £50–£150 per room if you are making dramatic colour changes.
Typical Day Rates (2026 UK)
| Trade | Day rate range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Interior decorator (sole trader) | £180–£250/day | Most residential work |
| Interior decorator (established firm) | £220–£300/day | May include materials |
| Exterior painter (sole trader) | £200–£280/day | Higher for masonry or specialist coatings |
| Exterior painter (established firm) | £250–£350/day | Often supply scaffold |
Most decorators will quote a fixed price for the job rather than charging day rates — ask for a fixed quote so you are not exposed to open-ended costs if prep takes longer than expected.
Worked Example: 3-Bed Semi, Full Interior Repaint
Property: Three-bedroom semi-detached, circa 85 m² floor area. Living room, dining room, kitchen, hallway and stairs, three bedrooms, bathroom. Last painted seven years ago; surfaces in reasonable condition with minor cracks.
| Item | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Decorator labour (4 days @ £230/day) | £920 |
| Filler, sandpaper, prep materials | £60 |
| Emulsion — walls and ceilings (6 tins @ £40) | £240 |
| Gloss/satin — woodwork and doors (2 tins @ £35) | £70 |
| Primer for bare patches | £25 |
| Total | £1,315 |
In practice most decorators would quote this as a fixed job price in the range of £1,400–£1,800, reflecting their assessment of prep time and material waste. The example above is on the lean side; a larger property or one requiring more prep would sit nearer £2,200–£2,800.
Building Regulations and Standards
Interior decorating is not notifiable under Building Regulations for most domestic work. However, a few situations are worth being aware of:
- Fire-retardant coatings on escape routes (hallways and staircases) in houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) are required under fire safety legislation; a standard emulsion does not satisfy this requirement.
- Listed buildings may require consent from the local planning authority before changing exterior colour or finish; check with your local conservation officer before instructing a painter.
- Render repairs carried out as part of exterior preparation may need to comply with the thermal performance requirements of Part L if the area being repaired exceeds a threshold (generally 25% of the element’s total area in a 10-year rolling period); in practice this threshold is rarely triggered by painting work alone, but it is worth being aware of if significant patching is involved.
Tips for Getting Accurate Quotes
- Ask at least three decorators to quote in writing, specifying the exact rooms, number of coats, and who supplies paint.
- Clarify whether paint is included in the price or purchased separately — some decorators mark up materials, others prefer you to supply them.
- Ask specifically about prep: a quote that assumes minimal prep can balloon if the decorator discovers more filling is needed once work starts.
- Agree a start date in writing; good decorators book weeks ahead and late changes are costly for both parties.
- Check that the decorator has public liability insurance of at least £1 million — any reputable sole trader or firm will have this.
