Should I Hire a Painter? A London Decision Guide for 2026
Hire a painter if the job covers more than one room, needs real surface preparation, or has to look good for several years rather than several months. A professional decorator in London typically charges £150 to £250 a day, or £300 to £600 per average room including materials. DIY suits small touch ups and single feature walls if you have the time and the right tools. For high ceilings, damp patches, old plaster, or anything external, hiring someone is almost always cheaper in the long run than redoing a failed DIY job a year later.
Contents
- Should You Hire a Painter or Do It Yourself?
- How Much Does a Painter Cost in London in 2026?
- Painter vs Handyman: Who Should You Call?
- Signs You Actually Need a Professional
- What Should Be in a Painter's Quote
- How Long Does Professional Painting Take?
- Common Mistakes When Hiring a Painter
- Areas We Cover
- FAQ
Should You Hire a Painter or Do It Yourself?
The honest answer depends on three things: how much time you actually have, how much prep the walls need, and how fussy you are about the final finish. Painting one wall in a bedroom with reasonably flat plaster is a realistic weekend job for most people. Painting an entire flat with woodwork, a stairwell, or a ceiling with hairline cracks is a different job entirely, and it is where most DIY attempts go wrong.
What people underestimate is prep time, not painting time. A decorator will spend as much time filling, sanding, taping, and priming as they do with a roller in hand, often more on older properties. Skip that stage and the paint looks fine for about six months, then flashes, flakes at the edges, or shows every brush stroke under lamp light. If you are weighing up should I hire a painter against a weekend of DIY, the real question is whether you are willing to do the boring 70% of the job properly, because that is the part that determines how long the finish lasts.
How Much Does a Painter Cost in London in 2026?
Prices in London vary by borough, by how much prep is needed, and by whether you supply your own paint. The figures below are typical ranges for a decorator working solo or in a small team, not a national contractor rate. Always get a written quote for your specific property rather than relying on averages, because a Victorian terrace in Clapham with original cornicing costs more to prep than a new-build flat in Canary Wharf.
| Job | Typical price range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Day rate, one decorator | £150 to £250 | Higher in central areas like Mayfair and Knightsbridge |
| Single room, walls and ceiling | £300 to £600 | Includes two coats, basic filling, paint |
| Full flat (2 bed) | £1,800 to £3,500 | Depends on condition of existing plaster |
| Full house repaint (3 to 4 bed) | £3,500 to £8,000 | Period properties in Fulham or Wimbledon often at the top end |
| Exterior render or brickwork | £1,500 to £5,000+ | Scaffold cost adds significantly on taller terraces |
| Touch up or single wall | £80 to £180 | Often better value from a general handyman |
These are guide figures only and they move with paint brand, scaffold access, and how many coats the existing colour needs to cover. A dark feature wall going to white can need three or four coats, which changes the price more than most people expect.
Painter vs Handyman: Who Should You Call?
A dedicated painter and decorator makes sense for full rooms, whole-property repaints, and specialist finishes like Farrow & Ball lime-based paints or Dulux Trade matt emulsion on large open-plan spaces. A handyman makes more sense for small jobs: touching up scuffed skirting, repainting a single door, covering over a water stain, or doing the odd bits that don't justify booking a full decorating job. If you've got a short list of small touch ups rather than a full room, our small jobs and odd job handyman service usually works out cheaper than calling a decorator for an hour's work.
There's also a middle category worth knowing about: ongoing upkeep. If you're a landlord in Battersea or a homeowner in Richmond who needs paint touch ups done alongside gutter checks, fence repairs, and general wear and tear every few months, a property maintenance plan often costs less over a year than booking separate tradespeople each time something needs attention.
Signs You Actually Need a Professional
A few situations almost always need a specialist rather than a DIY attempt or a general handyman:
- Cracked or blown plaster. Paint will not hide structural cracking. If walls are flaking or hollow-sounding when tapped, that needs re-plastering before any paint goes on. Our plastering services page covers what that work involves and roughly what it costs.
- Damp patches or mould staining. Painting over damp without treating the cause is a short-term fix that fails within months.
- High ceilings or stairwells. Common in period conversions across Notting Hill and Primrose Hill, these need proper access equipment, not a stepladder.
- Conservation area restrictions. Properties in parts of Chelsea, Kensington, and Belgravia fall under conservation rules that affect external paint colours. Check with the local planning office before repainting a front elevation.
- Multiple coats of old paint or wallpaper. Stripping layers properly takes skill and the right chemical strippers, especially on older plaster in Victorian houses in Dulwich or Wimbledon.
What Should Be in a Painter's Quote
A proper written quote protects you from the two most common disputes: scope creep and unfinished prep. Before you sign anything, check it states:
- Number of coats per surface (ceilings often need only one, walls usually two)
- Whether filling, sanding, and priming are included or charged separately
- Paint brand and finish (trade matt, eggshell, satinwood for woodwork)
- Who supplies the paint and whether cost is included in the quote
- Furniture moving and dust sheet protection
- Estimated start date and number of working days
- Whether VAT is included
- Any guarantee on workmanship, typically six to twelve months for interior work
If a quote is missing most of these, it usually means the prep work is being assumed rather than priced, and that's exactly where costs get added later.
How Long Does Professional Painting Take?
| Job | Typical duration |
|---|---|
| Single bedroom, walls and ceiling | 1 to 2 days |
| Full 2 bed flat | 4 to 6 days |
| Full 3 to 4 bed house | 1.5 to 3 weeks |
| Exterior render, mid terrace | 3 to 5 days, weather dependent |
| Staircase and hallway, period property | 3 to 5 days |
Drying time between coats is the part people rush. Most trade emulsions need four to six hours minimum, longer in cold weather or poorly ventilated rooms, and gloss or satinwood on woodwork can need 16 to 24 hours. A decorator who finishes a whole house in three days flat is often skipping that wait, which shows up in the finish within weeks.
The most expensive mistake: hiring the cheapest quote without checking what's included. A painter who skips filling, sanding, and priming can finish a job in half the time and charge half the price. The walls look fine for a few months, then paint starts lifting at joints and corners. Redoing a badly prepped room costs more than paying properly the first time, because the old failed coat has to be stripped back before anyone can start again.
Common Mistakes When Hiring a Painter
- Choosing on price alone. A £200 gap between quotes is usually explained by prep time, not profit margin.
- Not asking for photos of past work on similar properties. A painter used to new-build flats in Canary Wharf may not have experience with lime plaster in a period house in Barnes.
- No written contract. Verbal agreements leave no record if the number of coats or finish quality is disputed later.
- Using the wrong paint finish. Matt emulsion in a hallway or kitchen marks easily and can't be wiped clean. Trade eggshell or washable matt holds up better in high traffic areas.
- Ignoring who's liable for damage. Ask whether the painter carries public liability insurance before they move furniture or work near flooring and fixtures.
- Painting over unresolved damp or cracking. Covered above, but worth repeating: it is the single most common callback reason.
Areas We Cover
We work across most of London, with a high proportion of jobs in Chelsea, Kensington, and Wimbledon, plus Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Belgravia, Notting Hill, Holland Park, Fulham, Hampstead, Richmond, Marylebone, St John's Wood, Battersea, Clapham, Putney, Islington, Highgate, Primrose Hill, Barnes, Dulwich, Canary Wharf, Kew, and South Kensington. Property types vary a lot across these areas: period terraces in Clapham and Fulham usually need more plaster prep than newer conversions near Canary Wharf, and conservation area rules in Kensington and Chelsea can affect external colour choices, so it's worth checking with us or your local council before committing to an exterior repaint.
FAQ
Is it worth hiring a painter or doing it yourself?
It's worth hiring a painter when the job involves more than one room, requires plaster repair, or needs to last several years without touch ups. DIY is worth it for small single-wall jobs where you have the time and tools. Factor in your own time at a realistic hourly rate before assuming DIY is cheaper, since prep alone can take a full weekend for one room.
How much does it cost to paint a room in London?
A single room, walls and ceiling, typically costs £300 to £600 including two coats and standard filling, though this rises with the amount of prep needed, the number of coats required to cover a dark colour, and whether woodwork is included. Central London postcodes and period properties with cornicing or high ceilings tend to sit at the top of that range.
How much do painters charge per day in the UK?
A solo decorator in London typically charges £150 to £250 a day, with rates varying by borough, experience, and whether materials are included. Day rates in central areas like Mayfair or Knightsbridge usually sit higher than outer boroughs. Always confirm whether a quote is a day rate or a fixed price for the whole job, since these are calculated differently.
Can a handyman paint a room instead of hiring a decorator?
Yes, for small jobs like touching up one wall, repainting a door, or covering a stain, a handyman is usually cheaper and faster to book than a dedicated decorator. For full rooms needing proper surface prep and multiple coats, a decorator with specific painting experience generally gives a more durable finish, particularly on older plaster.
What should I ask a painter before hiring them?
Ask for a written quote detailing number of coats, whether filling and sanding are included, the paint brand and finish, whether VAT is included, and what guarantee they offer on the finished work. Also ask to see photos of recent jobs on properties similar to yours and confirm they carry public liability insurance before work starts.
How long does it take to paint a full house?
A full repaint of a 3 to 4 bedroom house typically takes 1.5 to 3 weeks depending on the number of rooms, amount of prep needed, and drying time between coats. Period properties with more detailed woodwork and cornicing, common in areas like Wimbledon and Fulham, usually sit at the longer end of that range.
Do I need to move my furniture before a painter arrives?
Most decorators will move furniture to the centre of the room and cover it with dust sheets as part of the job, but check this is stated in your quote. For full house repaints, it's worth clearing smaller items and valuables yourself and confirming in writing who's responsible for larger furniture.
What paint finish should I use for a hallway or kitchen?
Trade eggshell or a washable matt emulsion holds up better than standard matt in high traffic areas like hallways, kitchens, and stairwells, since it can be wiped clean without marking. Standard matt emulsion is better suited to bedrooms and living rooms where walls aren't handled as often.