Decorating & finishing
Painting and decorating cost calculator
Painting is the cheapest, lowest-risk way to change a room, and the best-value DIY job there is. The result is all in the preparation, so most of the steps below happen before you open the tin.
- Full DIY
- £60
- Smart Hybrid
- £60
- Full Trade
- £480
Typical mid-range job, Midlands rates. Yours updates below.
Updated November 2026. Estimates based on typical UK prices.
Cost calculator
Price this job three ways
Answer a few questions and watch the numbers move. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Smart Hybrid saves £420 against a full trade job.
Smart Hybrid
You take on what you can, a trade handles the rest.
£60
- Materials
- £60
- Labour
- £0
- You take on: decorating.
- Everything else stays with a trade.
Turn this into a plan
Get the order of work, who to book and a budget tracker, all editable.
Order of work for this job
A typical order. Always confirm timing with whoever you book, since some steps can overlap.
- 1
Decorating
- DecoratingYou · ~1.89 days
How we worked out the materials›
- Wall paint£4433.2 m² of wall × 2 coats ÷ 12 m² per litre = 5.53 L needed → 1 × 5L + 1 × 2.5L = 7.5 L for £44
- Ceiling paint£1614 m² of ceiling × 2 coats ÷ 12 m² per litre = 2.33 L needed → 1 × 2.5L = 2.5 L for £16
Estimates only, based on regional averages. Always get 2 to 3 written quotes from local trades.
The price
What affects the cost?
- 1
Room size
Wall and ceiling area set how much paint you need. Paint covers roughly 12 m² per litre per coat.
- 2
Number of coats
Two coats is the norm. Dark-to-light colour changes or new plaster may need a primer or extra coat.
- 3
Wall condition
Filling and sanding add time. Badly damaged plaster may need a plasterer first.
- 4
Paint quality
Premium paint costs more per tin but covers better and lasts longer.
- 5
Woodwork
Painting doors, skirting and window frames adds a lot of time. It is slow, detailed work.
Be honest with yourself
Can you do this yourself?
You can do
- The whole job. Painting needs no certificates and little equipment
- Filling, sanding and priming
- Cutting in and rolling ceilings and walls
- Gloss and satin on woodwork
Leave to a pro
- Re-skimming walls that are crumbling or very uneven
- High ceilings and stairwells you cannot reach safely
- Spraying or specialist finishes
The rules
No regulations apply to ordinary painting. In homes built before the 1960s, old paint may contain lead. Wet-sand rather than dry-sand.
DIY guide
How to paint a room, step by step
Tools you'll need
- Roller, tray and extension pole
- Quality angled brush for cutting in
- Masking tape and dust sheets
- Filler knife and sanding block
- Step ladder
Materials
- Matt or silk emulsion for walls
- Ceiling paint
- Primer or mist coat for new plaster
- Gloss or satin for woodwork
- Filler, caulk and sandpaper
- 1
Work out how much paint you need
~0.5 daysMultiply wall length by height, subtract doors and windows, and add the ceiling. Divide by 12 for litres per coat and double it for two coats. Buy it all in one go so the batch matches.
Tip: Our painting calculator does this for you, including tins to buy.
- 2
Clear and protect
~0.5 daysMove furniture out or to the middle, cover floors and anything left behind, and remove sockets covers and light fittings or mask them.
Switch the power off at the consumer unit before taking off any socket or switch faceplate.
- 3
Clean, fill and sand
~1 dayWash walls with sugar soap, fill every hole and crack, let the filler dry, and sand smooth. Dust, then wipe down. Prep is 70% of a good finish.
- 4
Prime where needed
~0.5 daysPrime patches, stains, bare plaster and any strong colour you are covering. On new plaster, use a thinned mist coat first.
- 5
Cut in, then roll the ceiling
~0.5 daysBrush a neat 5cm border where the ceiling meets the walls and around fittings, then roll the ceiling in parallel strips towards the window light so overlaps stay wet.
- 6
Paint the walls
~1 dayCut in at the corners and edges, then roll top to bottom in sections. Do not press hard: load the roller and let the paint do the work. Apply a second coat after the first is touch-dry.
Tip: Remove masking tape while the last coat is still slightly tacky. It stops the paint peeling away with it.
- 7
Woodwork last
~1 dayLightly sand, then paint skirting, door frames and window frames in satin or gloss. Work top to bottom and keep a wet edge.
- 8
Clean up and put back
~0.5 daysWash brushes and rollers promptly, refit faceplates, put furniture back after the paint is fully dry, and ventilate the room.
Learn from others
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the cleaning and sanding, which is the main cause of peeling
- Painting walls before the ceiling and dripping on finished work
- Overloading the roller, which leaves splatter and thick patches
- Buying paint in several shops, so the shades differ slightly
- Taking tape off after the paint has fully dried and pulling the edge with it
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a room?
For a typical medium room with walls, ceiling and no woodwork, expect from around £60 doing it yourself (materials only — your time isn't costed) to £480 with a decorator. Painting is the cheapest job in this whole calculator to DIY — there’s no notifiable work involved at all, unlike plumbing or electrics.
How much does paint cost?
Mid-range emulsion costs around £16 per 5L tin, covering roughly 60 m² over two coats. Budget paint is noticeably cheaper per tin but often needs an extra coat to cover properly, which can cancel out the saving.
Do I need a plasterer before painting?
Only if the walls need a full skim coat — a bad skim shows through every coat of paint after, so it’s worth leaving to a trade. Minor filling before painting is a normal DIY job.
How long does it take to paint a room?
A decorator typically covers around 25 m² of wall and ceiling a day, including prep and two coats — so a medium room is usually a one to two day job.
Ready to plan it?
Add this job to your renovation plan to get the order of work, who to book and a budget you can track.