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Verified ProOver 50 ReviewsQuotatis Member for 3 year(s)

Colt Property Improvement

74 review(s)
Based in: Dunstable, LU6 2PP
We are a family orientated company established in 1994. Utilising only the best quality materials and a highly skilled wo...
Verified ProQuotatis Member for 1 year(s)

Object Builders

0 review(s)
Based in: Oxted, RH8 9JJ
Welcome to Object Builders, where honesty, integrity, and professionalism form the bedrock of our work philosophy. We take...
Verified ProQuotatis Member for 3 year(s)

Rooftech Solutions

3 review(s)
Based in: Montrose, DD10 9LE
Covering Angus and Aberdeenshire areas we are family run business with more than 20+ years experience. We specialise in ...
Verified ProQuotatis Member for 1 year(s)

A Gallagher And Son

0 review(s)
Based in: Gwynedd, LL57 2DJ
A Gallagher & Son provide roofing and general building works in across North Wales. We employ only local specialist trades...
Verified ProOver 10 ReviewsQuotatis Member for 3 year(s)

A1 Tree Maintenance

10 review(s)
Based in: Auchterarder, PH3 1AZ
A1 Tree Maintenance offer landscaping garden work around Perthshire and beyond from basic maintenance to full garden makeo...
Verified ProQuotatis Member for 1 year(s)

SJW Contracts

0 review(s)
Based in: Milton keynes, MK6 3PQ
We have been in the business of professional decorating since the mid 80s and always no matter how big or how small carry ...

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How much do Decorator services cost?

How much do Decorators charge? Prices for Decorators in 2024 can differ depending upon the sort of task that you need to have carried out in your house. It's the question we receive asked a great deal "how much do Decorators charge?".

Are you planning to hire the services of a decorator for your home or property? If yes, then you’d probably want to know just how much a professional will charge to help get your project over the line. While some home and property owners may prefer to take care of the decorations themselves, there are a number of benefits you stand to derive by calling in a reliable decorator. Not only will you be able to achieve the look and feel you want for your space, but you’d also get more options and varieties to choose from. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into decorator charges in the UK to help you make informed decisions moving forward. Let’s take a look!

Firstly, it should be noted that there are a lot of factors that determines the price charged by decorators to complete a project. These factors include the difficulty of the task, the materials required, the location of the property, the qualification and experience of the decorator and lots more. For example, if you happen to reside in the South East ( especially London), you can expect to pay a higher fee than other areas in the country such as Scotland, Northern Ireland and more.

In general, to hire a decorator in the UK will cost you within the range of £17 to about £30 per hour. However, it should also be noted that you can come across a number of methods of determining cost such as per hour, per day, per M2 or even per bedroom.

View our Decorator cost guide View our Decorator advice

The average price
of a Decorator is:

£2,326

Decorator job Decorator cost in 2024
Painting and decorating £265-£3,328
Exterior painting and decorating £625-£4,727
uPVC Window Spraying £150-£4,500

Decorator service qualifications and accreditations

Decorators breathe a new lease of life into everyday spaces. They beautify through preparation and application of paint, wallpaper as well as other finishes inside and out. Decorators do not only plan, but they also implement decoration schemes for both residential homes and commercial establishments like offices, shops, hotels, restaurants and the likes. They design and plan the overall aesthetic of a space while also supervising and coordinating the activities of tradesmen which includes painters as well as carpet layers.

There are a number of ways to become a decorator such as through a college course, an apprenticeship or a job training. These routes can be explored so as to find the one which is most suitable for you. As expected, some of these routes have some certain qualifications, however many employers are actually more interested in individuals who are enthusiastic, willing to learn and also follow instructions.

As a decorator, to be able to work on a construction site, you’ll need a Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). However, it should be noted that it’s very possible to work as a decorator without qualifications. However, several employers usually prefer individuals with qualifications in the field as it assures them of a top quality work. To achieve this, you can consider the following:

  • You can complete a qualification in Interior Decoration which could be a Certificate IV in Interior Decoration ( MSF40113 ) or a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration ( MSF50213 ).
  • You can also consider getting an assistant role so as to build your practical experience as well as body of the entire decoration work.
  • Create a portfolio of work to show to prospective clients as well as employers.

Services offered by Decorator

A decorator is simply an individual trained in the beautifying a client’s home by dictating its look and feel through the selection and placement of decorative elements which includes textiles, paint, furniture and more. This profession involves meeting the client directly so as to get a sense of how they intend to make use of their space and also how they want it to feel. Decorators work within their clients’ budget to breathe a new lease of life into any particular space or property. The role of a decorator is often confused with that of a designer but the main difference is that decorators don’t make architectural changes but rather work to improve an existing space or property. You’ll find a lot of decorators to be freelancers or consultants, while others work within bigger organizations. In this post, we’re going to give you a good insight into some of the roles of a decorator. Let’s take a look!

Decorator FAQs

What questions should I ask a decorator?

Hiring a decorator for your project always seem easy until you get started. With a wide range of decorators available today, it can be quite tricky separating the boys from the men and selecting the right tradesman for your unique project. There are a number of things to put into consideration, questions to ask and lots more to ensure your decorating job is awarded to the right tradesman. In this post, we’re going to give you an insight on some of the essential questions to ask to make sure the prospective decorator is a good match. Let’s take a look!

  • What qualifications do you possess? With the pool of decorators around in the industry today, qualifications are needed to help you determine the true specialists. A qualified decorator gives you an assurance (to some extent) that a quality work would be done to your requirements. Decorators, generally, can earn a degree which includes course work in architecture and are also licensed.
  • How do you help me identify and communicate my style to you? If you have an idea and know what you want for your space, a good decorator should be able to get it out of you by showing you pictures and asking questions which can vary widely.
  • Do you have examples of previous work that are similar to my project in style, scope as well as budget? A decorator that answers yes to this question is a good indicator that they can handle your project. If they don’t, you can ask for pictures of projects they feel is quite similar to yours
what insurance does a painter need?

What Insurance Does A Painter Need?

As a painter, you’re most likely going to require three forms of insurance which includes public liability, income protection as well as tool insurance. However, you should take note that outside these three, there are also several other forms of insurance whose relevance will only be determined by the nature of your business. Now let’s take a closer look into the three most important forms of insurance for painters.

✓ Public liability. What’s surprising here is the fact that many painters are actually aware that they should have a public liability insurance, but only a few really knows what it actually covers. Essentially, what a public liability insurance does is to protect you in the event whereby you messed up and some else suffers a loss as a result of your actions. Third parties can suffer a property damage or personal injury as a result of your negligence. It does not in any way cover the damages to your own property or injuries suffered by you or your staff.

✓ Income protection. As a subcontractor or self employed painter, you’ll be in the best position to know that if you don’t work, there’ll be no money for you. And with no sick leave and possibly no workers’ compensation, then financial problem looms. But not to worry, you can protect yourself from this risk by getting an income protection insurance.

✓ Tool insurance. It’s always a terrible feeling when you go to the site only to discover your tools such as ladders, spray guns, trestles and equipment are suddenly no where to be found. Upon discovery of this situation, you’ll start thinking about the cost of replacing all the tools. With a tool insurance, you can be protected against these sort of situations whereby your tools are stolen, damaged and lots more.

can you spray upvc windows a different colour?

The quick and simple answer to this question is yes, you can definitely spray upvc window with a different colour. In fact, this represents a much more cost effective mean of changing the upvc windows colour. Back in the days people used to simply replace their upvc windows, doors, fascias, gutters, garage door conservatories and the likes which is actually a much costlier option.

 

Generally, upvc window frames are known to have a lengthy lifespan, however the common misconception is that the colour you pick originally and install is the colour you’d have to keep till you have them replaced. Typically, people will have white upvc windows, however in recent times there has been more colours coming on in the market such as anthracite grey, black, brown and many more when it comes to replacing. However, replacing your upvc window frames come with a greater associated expenses, building works, a lot of hassle as well as mess. As a result, there has been a significant increase in the number of people looking for upvc painting and recoloring as this costs a lot less than replacing existing frames up to 80% in several cases. From the savings that’ll be made by spraying and painting upvc window frames, it makes absolutely little sense replacing the frames. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to have your upvc windows sprayed and painted by an experienced professional who can guarantee the best results the first time.

can you spray upvc windows?

The quick and simple answer to this question is yes, you can definitely spray upvc windows. The upvc looks incredibly great when new and still got that fresh look and smell to it, but like every other thing, with time it begins to fade and look dull. And once it starts to look scruffy there’s no going back no matter how much you cleaned or maintained it. Now instead of going for a replacement upvc windows which can be very costly, you can spend just a fraction of the replacement cost by spraying the upvc windows. The only instance where you’d not be able to paint your upvc window is if the upvc is new or just fitted. This is largely due to the fact that a special type of upvc paint is required. The upvc paint, generally, forms a type of seal and bonds itself to the upvc window. However, it has great difficulty binding to a new upvc but as a large extent of the upvc in the UK is established rather than new, this shouldn’t be a headache for most home and property owners.

 

Another common reason why people decide to update their upvc with painting is due to the sheer number of colours you can incorporate in the painting. With the wide range of available colours, home owners are spoilt for choices and would opt for the colour that’ll add further accent and style to their homes. What’s more? If you don’t find the specific colour you want in your provider’s catalogue, you can always ask for a mixed colour.

how to prepare exterior walls for painting?

How To Prepare Exterior Walls For Painting?

For a great and smooth exterior finish, preparing the walls before painting is crucial. A great painting job melts the heart and even more so if its done by you. This is a relatively easy task that can be completed without much hassle by an expert DIYer. However if you lack the needed confidence to pull off your exterior wall painting preparation task, then hiring the services of a reliable professional who can guarantee the best result would be your best bet. In this step by step, we aim to take you through the steps involved in preparing exterior walls for painting.

Before you get started, you need to make sure you have the necessary tools in place. These includes a filler and filling knife, sandpaper, soap, sponge, wide paint brush, masking tape as well as drop sheets.

✓ Ensure a smooth surface with a filer and sanding. This includes removing and replacing any rotten or decaying timer, proper sanding as needed, scraping off of peeling areas with sanding and filling of cracking areas with the help of exterior grade filler. Once the above is completed, you can then proceed to filling any holes or cracks in your exterior surface with a top quality exterior filler ( the application should be done with a putty knife).

✓ Cleaning. With the help of a quality and soft brush, clear out the dirt and cobwebs on the exterior’s surface. Then wash the walls with a good detergent to remove any remaining dirt and grease. You can use a bristled brush and a high pressure cleaner to make the process easier.

✓ Mask the area. This involves using a top quality masking tape along the edges you do not wish to paint and pushing the tape’s edges down firmly in such a way to get straight edges.

can you spray upvc doors?

If you happen to possess a upvc door, then you’re likely to notice two main things about about it. Firstly, it’s built to last and will most likely work perfectly well for several more years to come. Lastly, after just a couple of years, it’ll start showing signs of ageing - it starts to fade and becomes dull or discolour which is a problem that’s commonly identified with white plastic after some time and even more so when exposed to the sun and rain year in year out. Unlike back in the days where you’d have to replace your old upvc door due to discolouration, now you’d only have to repaint it which will only cost just a fraction of the price that would have been expended to get a replacement upvc door. By painting your upvc door, you’ll have it looking its best again while also adding to the curb appeal of your home.

 

Now painting of a upvc door is a very tricky and dangerous affair as it requires a lot of practice and any if proper care is not taken, you can easily inject yourself with paint. As a result, if you lack the skill or confidence required to carry out this task, then we’d strongly recommend you get in touch with a professional who can guarantee the best results the first time. If you wish to paint your upvc door, here are the four simple steps to it:

  1. Remove any door furniture
  2. Prepare the upvc door for the painting
  3. Select a paint that’ll work on upvc doors
  4. Decide on the finishing touches
how to prep walls for painting?

How To Prep Walls For Painting

This is exactly the part of a wall painting job that can make or mar the whole project. To ensure that your paint project doesn’t end up being disastrous, the most important place to start is from room preparation which includes cleaning, sanding as well as priming the walls before painting. Not every wall will require to go through all the preparation steps as all walls are unique and some are in better conditions than others. However, it’s advisable to thoroughly inspect the surfaces before you proceed to painting and take the necessary actions where required.

This is a very simple DIY job that should be completed in little time, however it’s also perhaps the most important step of the entire painting project. Hence, if you lack the confidence to pull this off, then we’d recommend employing a painting expert who can guarantee the best results for help. In this guide, we’ll should you how you can prepare your wall for painting.

✓ Cleaning. There is no single best way to properly clean a wall, but most walls will be just fine with a sponge and warm water. For walls that have been stained with oil or grime such as kitchen walls, you can apply grease cutting detergent and water mixture to wash and follow up with warm water to clean the residues and a damp cloth wiping to finish it off. Then leave to dry off properly.

✓ Remove mildrew. Wipe out mildrew using a sponge and solution that’s three to four parts water to one part bleach. Apply this solution and scrub the affected surface with a soft brush.

✓ Sanding. This step is only meant for walls with rough spots on its surface. Dull the uneven spots with a sandpaper, wipe away the dust and leave to dry. Use a fine grit sandpaper to sand the surfaces and let it dry properly.

✓ Priming. Prime the wall to get the most out of your paint. They work to disguise imperfections and create a smooth surface on which you can work on.

What sort of jobs will an interior painter and decorator carry out?

Interior painters and decorators will offer a wide range of services. These range from painting and wallpapering to other decorating jobs such as fitting skirting or architrave. Some painters and decorators will be trained to plaster as well, however, you should always ask them about this and not assume they will all be able to.

Decorator help and advice

Your Complete Guide to Removing Wallpaper Published: 19/01/2022 Have you enthusiastically decided to give your home a new refreshing look? Then has your resolve wained as you realise there’s a mass of wallpaper that needs removing? Wallpaper removal can seem like a dunting task but to get that fresh new look it’s worth spending time stripping wallpaper properly so that you have a […] Read this article
TV wall ideas for your home Published: 18/01/2022 TV Wall Ideas Your TV shouldn’t be an eyesore or clash with your room’s decoration. Fortunately, we have some expert ways to make the TV seamlessly blend into your overall homes style without looking out of place. Mounting your TV to a wall can free up space in your home as you don’t need a […] Read this article
7 Home Decor Mistakes and How to Avoid Them Published: 07/02/2020 When you’re decorating, it’s impossible to get everything right – and nor should you. You should think of decorating as an ongoing process. Tweak your home decor to keep updating the feel of your room and remember that decorating isn’t a perfect science. It’s all about what looks and feels right to you, and what […] Read this article

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Recent Decorator Enquiries

26 Mar

Painter | Interior

Aberdeen - AB11

Enquiry from: Teresa S

Start Date: Immediate

customer in aberdeen area has requested that we arrange quotes for their painting & decorating project.ms are considering various options and would like to discuss with a decorator directly.please cal...

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25 Mar

Painter | Interior

Largs - KA30

Enquiry from: Darren J

Start Date: Immediate

14 Flats available to price. Davy. My dad's doing the show flat. Can you give me a phone. Cheers

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23 Mar

Painter | Interior

Salisbury - SP2

Enquiry from: Priya B

Start Date: Immediate

1 room painted will provide dulux paint. require a quote for this are you the property owner: owner of the property property type: terrace how many rooms are you looking to have decorated: 1-2 rooms a...

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21 Mar

Painter | Interior

Peterhead - AB42

Enquiry from: Iain M

Start Date: Immediate

The company I work for has damaged a stair wall when carrying out a heating installation at the above address, I am looking for a decorator that can repaint the stairwell with a similar colour of emul...

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20 Mar

Painter | Exterior

Strathaven - ML10

Enquiry from: Lindsay C

Start Date: Immediate

Exterior of house, front only, painted. Property being sold.

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19 Mar

Painter | Interior

Hungerford - RG17

Enquiry from: Tom R

Start Date: Immediate

Hi - we’re looking for a quote to decorate anything from 2 to 8 rooms and possibly some external areas too. We’re based in Hungerford. If this is something you’re interested in, could you kindly...

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19 Mar

Painter | Exterior

Derby - DE22

Enquiry from: Steve M

Start Date: Immediate

External painting of all brick and rendered areas, including the hard-to-reach 3 chimney stacks. Also, painting of external wooden window frames. Large, 2 story, 5 bed detached house and garage.

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19 Mar

Painter | Interior

Attleborough - NR17

Enquiry from: Roland M

Start Date: Immediate

full external painting including double garage. Walls, windows and doors, fascias.

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17 Mar

Painter | Exterior

Consett, Durham, Stanley - DH8

Enquiry from: Garth J

Start Date: Immediate

uPVC Window Spraying Lead uPVC Window Spraying Lead

exterior shed painting. wooden shed and corrugated roof needs complete repainting are you the property owner: owner of the property property type: detached are you looking to have the whole exterior o...

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16 Mar

Painter | Interior

Coventry Southern Satellite Villages & Kenilworth - CV8

Enquiry from: Richard H

Start Date: Immediate

uPVC Window Spraying Lead uPVC Window Spraying Lead uPVC Window Spraying Lead uPVC Window Spraying Lead

looking to strip old paint and repaint a small bedroom 3.6m long and 2.4m need a price for this :) are you the property owner: owner of the property property type: other how many rooms are you lookin...

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15 Mar

Painter | Interior

West Kilbride - KA23

Enquiry from: Clark G

Start Date: Immediate

Hi, needing wallpaper and a few doors painted in a couple of rooms in our house. If you can come to give a quote that would be great. Regards, Clark

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14 Mar

Painter | Interior

Reading - RG1

Enquiry from: Margaret E

Start Date: Immediate

Please could someone come round to give a quotation for a room to be decorated. I would like,if possible for the quotation visit to be made on 28th march any time from 2:30 onwards. Many thanks, Ma...

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14 Mar

Painter | Interior

Lanark - ML11

Enquiry from: Robbie B

Start Date: Immediate

A foot bridge painted in the woods behind Largs crossing Gogo Water. Located here https://maps.app.goo.gl/z***HNET2MtG6Q7

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11 Mar

Painter | Interior

King's Lynn - PE31

Enquiry from: Michael B

Start Date: Immediate

Two ground floor roos need decorating thanks Mike

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11 Mar

Painter | uPVC Spraying

Horsham - RH13

Enquiry from: Peter G

Start Date: Immediate

To spray new bi fold doors inside to same as the outside

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08 Mar

Painter | Interior

Kilwinning - KA13

Enquiry from: David M

Start Date: Immediate

an estimate for a two bedroom house. Walls and ceilings include bathroom and kitchen

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07 Mar

Painter | Interior

London - N9

Enquiry from: Sengul M

Start Date: Immediate

Dining table / coffee table / sideboard/ t.v stand change colour

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06 Mar

Painter | Interior

Calne - SN11

Enquiry from: Peter B

Start Date: Immediate

Care Home needs communal areas and stairwells painted. National company but would prefer a local contractor to Calne

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05 Mar

Painter | Interior

Stonehaven - AB39

Enquiry from: Jack N

Start Date: Immediate

Exterior painting of wood surrounding six first floor dormer windows required

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05 Mar

Painter | Interior

Ely - CB7

Enquiry from: Helen F

Start Date: Immediate

exterior painting of wooden sash / casement windows front and back of house are you the property owner: owner of the property property type: detached are you looking for any exterior decorating to be ...

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