Interior Painting Cost in the UK: 2026 Price Guide
Most UK homeowners pay roughly £300 to £500 to have a standard bedroom or living room painted professionally, and between about £2,500 and £6,000 for a full redecoration of a three-bedroom semi. Where you land in those ranges depends less on the paint than on the state of your walls, the size of the room, how much furniture has to be moved and where in the country you live.
This guide sets out the current figures, shows how a decorator builds a price, and explains why two quotes for the same room can differ by hundreds of pounds.
TL;DR
A standard room typically costs £300 to £500 to paint, according to MyBuilder’s room price guide. Small rooms such as bathrooms start lower, and open-plan spaces run well above.
Labour for walls and ceilings is commonly quoted at £8 to £25 per m², with London at the top end.
A full interior repaint of a three-bedroom semi usually falls between £2,500 and £6,000.
A cheap quote usually means thin preparation. Ask for an itemised quote that names the filling, sanding and priming.
Private homeowners pay standard 20% VAT if the decorator is VAT-registered, and the construction reverse charge does not apply to domestic work.
Table of Contents
What painters charge: per room, per m² and per day
There are three ways a UK decorator will price an interior job. Knowing all three lets you sanity-check any quote you receive.
Price per room
Room prices are the easiest to compare. The table below uses MyBuilder’s published averages for walls and ceiling together.
Room | Typical cost (walls and ceiling) |
Small room (bathroom, box room) | £180 to £300 |
Standard bedroom | £260 to £400 |
Large bedroom | £350 to £500 |
Living room | £400 to £700 |
Large or open-plan living room | £600 to £1,000 |
Kitchen | £300 to £600 |
These figures come from MyBuilder’s cost to paint a room guide. Other guides land in the same area: Checkatrade puts the average for a medium room at around £450, and MyJobQuote gives about £400 for a 12m² room, typically one to two days’ work for a professional.
Price per square metre
Some decorators measure the wall and ceiling area and charge a rate per m². MyBuilder reports a typical £8 to £25 per m² for standard interior walls and ceilings. A separate 2026 guide splits that regionally, at £8 to £18 nationally and £14 to £25 in London for labour.
The spread is wide because “per m²” can mean very different things: one coat over sound walls, or filling, sanding, priming and two finish coats.
Day rate
Many decorators quote a day rate, then estimate how many days the job needs. Published ranges differ by source and by region:
Screwfix says painters and decorators typically charge £150 to £250 per day.
A 2026 guide on UK painter day rates puts the national range at £150 to £325, with most regional self-employed painters at £150 to £220 and London and the South East at £275 to £350.
Checkatrade reports a national range of £180 to £325, with London and the South East often higher.
If you are outside the capital, the lower half of these ranges is the realistic reference point. Most painters charge for materials separately from labour, so check whether a day-rate quote includes paint, primer and filler.
What a whole-house interior costs
For a full repaint, the same sources give broad bands rather than a single figure.
A three-bedroom semi-detached usually costs £2,500 to £6,000 for the interior, depending on preparation, paint quality and the number of coats. Premium specifications, such as three coats of high-end paint, can push that to £5,120 to £7,360, while an empty property that needs no furniture moving can come in lower. At the larger end, Checkatrade says a five-bedroom house could cost in the region of £6,000.
A useful way to read those numbers: a house is just a set of rooms with a lot of shared setup. A decorator who is already on site with dust sheets laid and kit unpacked is more efficient on the fifth room than the first. A fair whole-house quote often comes out slightly under the sum of individual room prices.
What pushes the price up or down
Two houses of the same size can cost very different amounts. These are the factors that move a quote most.
Condition of the walls
Hairline cracks, nail holes and flaking paint all need dealing with before any colour goes on. Old wallpaper that has to come off adds a separate job: one guide puts wallpaper removal at around £350 per room. Walls in good condition need little more than a light sand and a clean.
Ceilings, woodwork and doors
A price “for the room” usually covers walls and ceiling. Skirting boards, architraves, doors and window frames are often extra, and gloss or satin work is slower than emulsion because of the preparation and drying time between coats. If you want an idea of individual items, we have separate guides on door painting costs, window frame painting and ceiling painting.
Paint quality and number of coats
Trade emulsion is formulated for opacity and coverage. Dulux Trade states its Vinyl Matt is a high-opacity matt emulsion for interior walls and ceilings, and professional emulsion typically covers around 14 to 17m² per litre, though porous surfaces and big colour changes use more. Going from dark to light usually means an extra coat, which adds labour as well as paint.
Furniture and access
Occupied rooms take longer. Moving and covering furniture, lifting rugs and working around fitted units all add time. High stairwells with a double-height void may need scaffold towers or specialist access, which is priced separately.
Location
London premiums can add roughly 25 to 45% to standard costs according to Checkatrade’s guide. In the South West, including Cornwall, rates sit closer to the regional end of the national range, though travel distance to rural properties can influence the price.
For a longer breakdown of how these elements combine, see our guide to what drives the cost of home painting in the UK.
Why one quote is £400 and another is £700
This is the question we hear most. Two quotes for the same bedroom can be a few hundred pounds apart, and the difference is rarely the paint brand.
Industry guidance points to preparation as the main driver. A £700 quote against a £400 one often reflects time spent sanding, filling, caulking and priming. The same source’s cost calculator says preparation accounts for roughly 70% of the job, and that cheap quotes often skip it, which frequently leads to the finish failing within a year.
So don’t ask only “how much?” Ask:
Which surfaces are included: walls, ceiling, woodwork, doors?
What preparation is allowed for: filling, sanding, caulking, spot priming or full priming?
How many coats, and of what product?
Is furniture moving and dust sheeting included?
Are materials included, and is VAT?
How many days on site, and what is the start date?
We cover the mechanics in how painting quotes work for South West homeowners, and the standards every UK homeowner should know list what a decent job should include.
A worked example: a 3-bedroom semi
Here is how a realistic budget might be assembled. These are illustrative figures drawn from the ranges above, not a quote.
Area | Scope | Illustrative range |
Three bedrooms | Walls and ceilings, two coats | £260 to £500 each |
Living room | Walls and ceiling | £400 to £700 |
Kitchen | Walls and ceiling | £300 to £600 |
Bathroom | Small room | £180 to £300 |
Hall, stairs and landing | Priced on access and woodwork | Varies, quote on site |
Adding the listed rooms gives roughly £1,660 to £3,100 before the hall, stairs and landing, which is where whole-house jobs tend to jump. That is consistent with the £2,500 to £6,000 band for a full redecoration once stairs, woodwork and any repairs are counted. If you want woodwork repainted throughout, expect to be at or above the top of that band.
VAT and what it means for homeowners
If your decorator is VAT-registered, domestic redecoration for a private individual carries standard 20% VAT. The construction reverse charge, which applies to some building services, is a business-to-business measure between VAT-registered contractors, and does not apply to private household work, as CalcHub’s 2026 guide explains. Landlords who are VAT-registered businesses should check their own position with an accountant rather than assume either way. Always confirm whether a quoted figure is inclusive or exclusive of VAT, because that alone can account for a 20% gap between two quotes.
Our perspective
We are a family business run by brothers Gus and Rhys, and most of our interior work starts the same way: someone has two or three quotes that don’t match and wants to know why.
Our honest view is that the cheapest figure is rarely the best value. Painting is a job where the visible part, the last coat, is the smallest part of the work. What lasts is the sanding, the filling and the priming that nobody sees once it’s covered. When we price a room, we want you to be able to see what that preparation involves, so there are no surprises on the day.
We also believe in clear communication. You should know which surfaces are included, how many coats, who is moving the furniture and when we’ll finish. If a quote doesn’t say, ask. A good decorator will be glad you did.
Finally, spraying has changed what is possible indoors. On suitable jobs, such as kitchens, cabinetry, doors and empty properties, airless spraying gives a very even finish. It needs careful masking, so we judge it job by job rather than recommend it for everything.
— Angus
Getting a fair price from us
We cover interior painting for homes and commercial premises across Cornwall and the South West, including walls, woodwork and fine finishing, bathroom paintwork and kitchen resprays. We don’t publish fixed prices, because every property is different, so we price each job after hearing what you need. If you’d like a quote, start with our domestic painting service, or look at our kitchen, bathroom and interiors services. For tips before you call, read how to hire a painter and get a great result.
How to compare quotes properly
Get three quotes for larger jobs. Compare the scope of work and the standard of materials, not just the total, as Digital Tradies recommends.
Check credentials. Trade body membership, such as the Painting and Decorating Association, and TrustMark status are useful signals. An NVQ Level 2 is a benchmark, but isn’t legally required for domestic work.
Look at past work. Photos and reviews of similar rooms tell you more than a brand name.
Ask about safety and waste. Professionals follow COSHH guidance on ventilation and the handling of hazardous substances, and solvent-based waste should go through registered carriers, as set out in HSE’s guidance.
Ways to keep the cost down without cutting corners
Clear the room yourself. Emptying shelves and moving small furniture saves decorator time.
Bundle rooms. Booking several rooms in one visit avoids repeated setup.
Choose your scope. Repainting ceilings and walls while leaving sound woodwork alone can reduce the price.
Fix your colours early. Changing your mind after the first coat adds labour.
Book outside peak weeks. Ask when the decorator has gaps in the diary.
If you’re also thinking about the outside of the house, see our exterior house painting cost guide. For colour inspiration, we have interior painting ideas for South West homes.
FAQ
How much does it cost to paint a 12x12 room?
A room of that size is a standard bedroom, so expect roughly £260 to £400 for walls and ceiling, with MyBuilder’s guide listing a standard bedroom in that band. A 12m² room is quoted by MyJobQuote at about £400. Ceiling height, woodwork and wall condition will move the price.
How much should I pay a painter per hour in the UK?
One 2026 guide says hourly rates generally fall between £25 and £40. Most decorators quote by the day or the job rather than the hour, so compare totals and scope instead.
How much does it cost to paint the interior of a 3-bedroom house?
Typically £2,500 to £6,000 for a semi-detached, based on BestBuilders’ estimate. The final figure depends on preparation, paint quality, coats and whether furniture needs moving.
Is it cheaper to hire a handyman than a decorator?
A handyman may charge less per day, but check the preparation, finish quality and insurance included. For lasting results on walls with cracks or old paint, a specialist decorator’s preparation usually matters more than the saving.
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