Cost to Paint the Inside of a House in the UK

What it typically costs to have a whole house interior painted in the UK, with ballpark figures by house size, extras to budget for and ways to save.

Repainting an entire home is a bigger commitment than redoing a single room, and the figures can be hard to pin down. A whole-house job involves walls, ceilings, woodwork, stairs and often some repairs, and each of those is priced differently.

This article gives realistic ballpark ranges, explains how decorators build their price, and shows where you can control costs without compromising the finish.

Ballpark figures by property size

These are typical ranges for labour in a standard condition home, using emulsion on walls and ceilings plus satin or gloss woodwork. Prices vary by region, the number of rooms and the state of surfaces, and London and the South East tend to be higher.

Paint and sundries often add a few hundred pounds. A big job may take one decorator one to three weeks, or a small team a few days.

What is usually included

• Walls and ceilings in each room, with one or two coats
• Basic preparation: light filling, sanding, caulking gaps
• Protection of floors and furniture
• Woodwork such as skirting, doors and frames, if stated

What is often excluded or priced separately: stripping wallpaper, skimming or plastering, treating damp, stairs and landings with a high void, and wardrobes or kitchen units.

Factors that move the price

The amount of woodwork

Doors, frames and skirting boards take disproportionate time. A house with panelled doors, picture rails and deep skirtings will cost noticeably more than a modern property with flat doors.

Wallpaper and old finishes

Removing layers of wallpaper or painted lining paper is slow and messy. Our guide to removing old wallpaper explains the process and why it takes longer than expected.

Access and furniture

Furnished, occupied homes take longer because everything must be moved and put back. An empty property is faster and often cheaper.

Colour changes

Dark to light usually means an extra coat. Painting the same shade as before is quicker.

Phasing the work to manage cost

You do not have to do everything at once. Consider:

1. Start with the rooms that are most worn, such as the hallway and stairs.
2. Do ceilings and walls first, woodwork later, if budget is tight.
3. Book a decorator for a block of days rather than separate call-outs.

Some decorators offer a discount for taking several rooms in one go because set-up and travel are shared.

Getting a reliable quote

A good quote is based on a visit or detailed photos. When requesting quotes, share room dimensions, ceiling heights, photos of problem areas and your preferred finish. How to get an accurate decorating quote goes through what to supply.

Ask each provider to list the rooms, the number of coats and what is excluded. Then use that list to compare offers line by line rather than only looking at the total.

Timing and practicalities

Plan for disruption. You will need access to every room, and some rooms, like kitchens and bathrooms, may be unusable for part of a day. Allow drying time before replacing furniture or hanging curtains, and see paint drying and recoating times for realistic expectations.

A worked example: a three-bed semi, occupied

Say a family wants all rooms refreshed: three bedrooms, a lounge, a dining room, kitchen, bathroom, hall, stairs and landing. A decorator might allocate roughly 12 to 15 working days for one person, or about a week for two. At a day rate of £180 to £250, labour sits somewhere in the £2,200 to £3,800 band before paint, which often adds £250 to £500 for a house that size. Woodwork, stairs and ceilings are what push a job towards the top of the range, while an empty, well-maintained house sits near the bottom.

Where the money goes

The proportions vary job to job, but the pattern holds: woodwork rarely takes the shortest time, which is why it can account for a large slice of the bill.

Common mistakes when budgeting

• Only asking for a price for walls. Add-ons for ceilings and trim then land later.
• Comparing a one-coat price with a two-coat price. Always compare like for like.
• Forgetting the cost of moving furniture. A fully furnished home needs more protecting and shifting.
• Leaving no contingency. A buffer of 10 to 15 per cent for hidden repairs is sensible in older homes.
• Changing colours mid-job. Extra coats and wasted tins add up.

Older homes, flats and rentals

Older properties often have lath and plaster, uneven walls and many layers of paint. That can mean more filling, lining paper or even patch plastering. Flats often have simpler layouts and lower ceilings but tighter parking and access. If you are a landlord, decorating between tenancies is often best done as one block with durable, neutral colours. For lead-paint concerns, read lead paint in older homes.

Questions to settle before you book

1. Which rooms and surfaces are in scope, in writing?
2. How many coats, and is the colour change accounted for?
3. Who supplies the paint and handles any leftovers?
4. What is the plan if hidden damage turns up?
5. What does the payment schedule look like? See paying a decorator: deposits and stage payments.

Frequently asked questions

Is it cheaper to paint all rooms at once?

Often, yes. Set-up, travel and protection are shared, so the cost per room can drop. It also avoids the risk of mismatched colours or finishes from different dates.

How many days will it take to decorate a house?

A typical 3-bed home often takes one decorator roughly one to two weeks, depending on prep and woodwork. Teams can shorten that. See how long it takes to decorate a house for a breakdown.

Should I supply the paint?

It can save money if you buy in bulk, but agree it in advance. The decorator needs to be confident in the product and quantity, and the responsibility for any shortfall should be clear.

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