Summer is perfect for exterior painting — warm, dry days give the best finish and fastest drying times. Book now.

Find a Painter Near You

Updated May 2026Prices verified 6 May 2026|200 UK cities covered

A painter in the UK typically costs £150–£400 in 2026. TradeMatch connects homeowners with vetted, insured painter professionals across 200 UK locations. Post your job free, compare up to 5 quotes, and pay securely through escrow protection.

Interior and exterior painting and decorating services. Compare quotes from vetted painter professionals across the UK. Typical cost: £150–£400.

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Quick answer

What does a painter and decorator cost in the UK?

A painter and decorator preps and paints walls, ceilings and woodwork, hangs wallpaper and finishes exterior masonry. UK 2026 cost: £200–£350 small bedroom, £300–£500 living room, £400–£700 hall/stairs/landing, £1,800–£3,500 full 3-bed interior. Day rates run £150–£300 (£200–£400 in London). Exterior painting lasts 5–8 years.

Painter vs handyman vs plasterer

Job	Painter	Handyman	Plasterer
Repaint a single room	✅ Recommended	✅ OK	❌ Not their work
Whole-house repaint	✅ Recommended	⚠️ Slow + variable	❌ Not their work
Patch repair before paint	⚠️ Limited	✅ OK	✅ Recommended
Hang wallpaper	✅ Recommended	⚠️ Variable	❌ No
Exterior masonry paint	✅ Yes	⚠️ At height risky	❌ No

Walls in poor condition need a plasterer first, then a painter. Trying to "paint over" deep cracks or blown plaster always fails within a year.

The Complete Guide to Hiring a Painter in 2026

A painter provides interior and exterior painting and decorating services. Whether you need routine maintenance, emergency repairs, or a major installation project, a qualified painter has the skills, tools and experience to complete the work safely and to a high standard. On TradeMatch, every painter is vetted, background-checked, and holds verified public liability insurance — giving you peace of mind that your project is in safe hands.

When Should You Hire a Painter?

•You notice something that needs professional painter attention — don't wait for small issues to become expensive problems.
•You're planning a renovation or home improvement project that requires specialist painter skills.
•You need work that must comply with UK building regulations, safety standards, or manufacturer warranties.
•You want a professional assessment, survey or quote before committing to a larger project.
•You need ongoing maintenance to keep your property in good condition.

PainterQualifications & Credentials to Look For

When hiring a painter, always verify their qualifications. The following are the key credentials and trade body memberships regulated by Relevant trade association:

✓Relevant trade qualifications

✓Public liability insurance

✓Valid public liability insurance (minimum £1M)

On TradeMatch, we verify all of these credentials before any painter can quote on jobs.

Verified Credentials

UK accreditations every painter on TradeMatch is checked against

Every tradesperson is verified against the UK accreditation bodies that matter for the work — before they can quote.

Read the full UK accreditations guide →

Painter tools and workmanship — UK trade professional

Painter Hiring Checklist

Use this checklist before hiring a painter to ensure you get quality work at a fair price:

1Verify qualifications: Relevant trade qualifications
2Confirm valid public liability insurance (minimum £1 million cover)
3Check reviews from previous customers — look for consistent quality and reliability
4Get at least 3 written quotes that itemise labour, materials and VAT
5Ask for references and examples of similar completed work
6Agree a detailed scope of work and timeline in writing before work starts
7Confirm payment terms — TradeMatch escrow protects both homeowner and tradesperson
8Check whether Building Control notification or planning permission is required

Red Flags When Hiring a Painter

Watch out for these warning signs when getting quotes for painter work:

✗No verifiable qualifications or trade body membership
✗Requests full payment upfront before any work has started
✗No public liability insurance or unwilling to provide proof
✗Pressures you to make a quick decision without time to compare quotes
✗Cannot provide references or examples of previous work
✗Unusually low quotes that seem too good to be true

TradeMatch eliminates these risks — every painter is vetted, insured, and payments are escrow-protected.

Best Time to Hire a Painter

Exterior painting and rendering are best done in spring or summer when conditions are dry and warm. Interior work can be done year-round. Booking in the quieter winter months may help you get better rates for interior projects.

Looking for a Painter Near You?

Browse vetted painter professionals across 200 UK cities.

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Average Painter Costs in 2026

Job	Low	Average	High
Paint a room (single)	£150	£300	£500
Full house interior	£1,500	£3,000	£6,000
Exterior painting	£1,000	£2,000	£4,000
Wallpaper a room	£200	£400	£700
Ceiling painting	£100	£200	£400

Prices are estimated UK averages for 2026. Actual costs vary by location, materials and scope of work.

Painter Services

Interior Painting

Professional interior painting for rooms, hallways, staircases and ceilings

£150–£500

Exterior Painting

House exterior painting and masonry painting including preparation and scaffolding

£1,000–£4,000

Wallpapering

Feature wall and full room wallpaper hanging including lining and paste supply

£200–£700

Find a Painter by Location

LondonGreater London BirminghamWest Midlands ManchesterGreater Manchester LeedsWest Yorkshire GlasgowGlasgow City LiverpoolMerseyside NewcastleTyne and Wear SheffieldSouth Yorkshire BristolBristol EdinburghCity of Edinburgh CardiffSouth Glamorgan BelfastCounty Antrim NottinghamNottinghamshire LeicesterLeicestershire CoventryWest Midlands BradfordWest Yorkshire Stoke-on-TrentStaffordshire WolverhamptonWest Midlands PlymouthDevon SouthamptonHampshire ReadingBerkshire DerbyDerbyshire AberdeenAberdeenshire SwanseaWest Glamorgan OxfordOxfordshire CambridgeCambridgeshire YorkNorth Yorkshire BathSomerset NorwichNorfolk PortsmouthHampshire BrightonEast Sussex HullEast Riding of Yorkshire SunderlandTyne and Wear DundeeDundee City MiddlesbroughNorth Yorkshire ExeterDevon PeterboroughCambridgeshire CheltenhamGloucestershire GloucesterGloucestershire LincolnLincolnshire SalisburyWiltshire ChesterCheshire WorcesterWorcestershire InvernessHighland LutonBedfordshire IpswichSuffolk BlackpoolLancashire BoltonGreater Manchester WarringtonCheshire CrawleyWest Sussex ColchesterEssex BasingstokeHampshire MaidstoneKent BedfordBedfordshire NorthamptonNorthamptonshire SwindonWiltshire WiganGreater Manchester MansfieldNottinghamshire WakefieldWest Yorkshire BarnsleySouth Yorkshire DoncasterSouth Yorkshire RotherhamSouth Yorkshire GrimsbyLincolnshire ScunthorpeLincolnshire HarrogateNorth Yorkshire ScarboroughNorth Yorkshire CarlisleCumbria Barrow-in-FurnessCumbria LancasterLancashire BurnleyLancashire PrestonLancashire StockportGreater Manchester OldhamGreater Manchester RochdaleGreater Manchester BirkenheadMerseyside St HelensMerseyside WalsallWest Midlands DudleyWest Midlands SolihullWest Midlands TelfordShropshire ShrewsburyShropshire HerefordHerefordshire KidderminsterWorcestershire StaffordStaffordshire TamworthStaffordshire NuneatonWarwickshire RugbyWarwickshire KetteringNorthamptonshire CorbyNorthamptonshire WellingboroughNorthamptonshire BanburyOxfordshire AylesburyBuckinghamshire High WycombeBuckinghamshire Milton KeynesBuckinghamshire StevenageHertfordshire WatfordHertfordshire St AlbansHertfordshire ChelmsfordEssex Southend-on-SeaEssex GuildfordSurrey Tunbridge WellsKent CanterburyKent DoverKent FolkestoneKent AshfordKent MargateKent DartfordKent HastingsEast Sussex EastbourneEast Sussex WorthingWest Sussex ChichesterWest Sussex HorshamWest Sussex WokingSurrey SloughBerkshire MaidenheadBerkshire NewburyBerkshire BracknellBerkshire WinchesterHampshire AndoverHampshire FarehamHampshire GosportHampshire AldershotHampshire FarnboroughHampshire TauntonSomerset YeovilSomerset TorquayDevon BarnstapleDevon TruroCornwall TrowbridgeWiltshire ChippenhamWiltshire DorchesterDorset WeymouthDorset BournemouthDorset PooleDorset Kings LynnNorfolk Great YarmouthNorfolk Bury St EdmundsSuffolk LowestoftSuffolk HarlowEssex BraintreeEssex BasildonEssex GraysEssex Hemel HempsteadHertfordshire HitchinHertfordshire Welwyn Garden CityHertfordshire LetchworthHertfordshire ChesterfieldDerbyshire LoughboroughLeicestershire HinckleyLeicestershire GranthamLincolnshire BostonLincolnshire Newark-on-TrentNottinghamshire WorksopNottinghamshire BuxtonDerbyshire CannockStaffordshire LichfieldStaffordshire Burton upon TrentStaffordshire Leamington SpaWarwickshire Stratford-upon-AvonWarwickshire RedditchWorcestershire BromsgroveWorcestershire Great MalvernWorcestershire CreweCheshire MacclesfieldCheshire CongletonCheshire WidnesCheshire RuncornCheshire KendalCumbria PenrithCumbria AccringtonLancashire ChorleyLancashire LeighGreater Manchester SaleGreater Manchester BuryGreater Manchester Ashton-under-LyneGreater Manchester FleetwoodLancashire DarlingtonCounty Durham DurhamCounty Durham Bishop AucklandCounty Durham HartlepoolCounty Durham BlythNorthumberland HexhamNorthumberland WhitbyNorth Yorkshire RiponNorth Yorkshire NorthallertonNorth Yorkshire SelbyNorth Yorkshire GooleEast Riding of Yorkshire BeverleyEast Riding of Yorkshire BridlingtonEast Riding of Yorkshire NewportGwent WrexhamWrexham LlanelliCarmarthenshire AberystwythCeredigion BangorGwynedd StirlingStirlingshire PerthPerth and Kinross FalkirkFalkirk DunfermlineFife KirkcaldyFife AyrSouth Ayrshire

Painter — Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a painter cost in the UK?▾

The typical cost for a painter in the UK ranges from £150–£400. Prices vary depending on the scope of work, materials needed, your location and the tradesperson's experience. London and the South East are typically 20–40% more expensive. Get free, no-obligation quotes on TradeMatch to compare prices in your area.

How do I find a reliable painter near me?▾

On TradeMatch UK, every painter is vetted, background-checked and reviewed by real homeowners. Simply post your job, receive up to 5 quotes from local professionals, then compare reviews, qualifications and pricing before choosing who to hire. All payments are escrow-protected.

What qualifications should a painter have?▾

A reputable painter should hold: Relevant trade qualifications, Public liability insurance. They should also carry public liability insurance. The relevant regulatory body is Relevant trade association. On TradeMatch, we verify these credentials before any tradesperson can join the platform.

How long does it take to get a painter on TradeMatch?▾

Most homeowners receive their first quote within a few hours of posting a job. Depending on demand in your area, you can typically have a painter booked within 1–3 days for standard work, or same-day for emergencies.

Are painter professionals on TradeMatch insured?▾

Yes. Every painter on TradeMatch must hold valid public liability insurance before they can quote on jobs. We verify insurance documentation as part of our vetting process, and payments are escrow-protected — your money is only released when you confirm the work is satisfactory.

How much does a painter charge per hour?▾

Hourly rates for a painter in the UK typically range from £150 to £500 depending on the job complexity and location. London rates are 20–40% higher than the national average. Many painter professionals prefer to quote per job — post on TradeMatch for accurate fixed-price quotes.

What guarantee should a painter offer?▾

A reputable painter should offer a written guarantee of at least 12 months on labour. For larger projects, look for guarantees backed by Relevant trade association or an insurance-backed warranty. On TradeMatch, all payments are escrow-protected and every tradesperson is vetted.

Is it worth hiring a painter or doing it myself?▾

For small cosmetic tasks you may be able to DIY, but for anything requiring relevant trade qualifications it's safer to hire a qualified painter. Incorrect work can void insurance, fail inspections, or cause expensive damage. Compare free quotes on TradeMatch before deciding.

What painter services can I book on TradeMatch?▾

Painter services on TradeMatch include: Interior Painting, Exterior Painting, Wallpapering. Each service has vetted specialists. Post your specific job to get quotes from professionals who specialise in exactly what you need.

How to Hire a Painter on TradeMatch

Post Your Job

Tell us what painter work you need — it only takes 2 minutes.

Get Free Quotes

Receive up to 3 quotes from vetted painter professionals near you.

Hire & Review

Compare reviews, choose the best quote, and leave a review when the job is done.

PainterQuestions & Answers

Browse questions from homeowners about hiring a painter, costs, and what to expect.

Browse PainterQ&A →PainterCost Guide →How to Hire a Painter→

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DIY vs Hiring a Professional

How TradeMatch wins for Painter work

Side-by-side with the four most-searched UK trade platforms. No subscription fees, up to 5 competing quotes, escrow-protected payments — three things every other platform misses.

Feature	TradeMatch	Checkatrade	MyBuilder	Bark	Rated People
Up to 5 quotes	✓	Browse	Up to 5	Varies	Up to 3
Escrow payment protection	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗
No tradesperson subscription	✓	£50+/mo	✓	Credits	£15+/mo
Verified reviews (live)	✓	5-day delay	✓	Mixed	✓
Background + qualification checks	✓	✓	Light	Basic ID	✓
Dispute resolution team	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗