Room painting cost: what sets the price

Room size and wall height

The obvious factor is the area of wall to cover. A small bedroom is quicker than a large living room, but height matters too. Rooms in Victorian and Edwardian houses often have taller ceilings, which means more wall, more ladder work and more time cutting in along the top. A stairwell with a high wall over the stairs is one of the slowest areas to paint because it needs safe access equipment.

Ceilings

Painting the ceiling adds noticeably to the job. It is slower work than walls, has to be done first, and every crack or stain shows in the light from the window. Water stains need a stain blocking primer or they bleed through new emulsion. Textured ceilings take more paint and more effort, and cracks in old plaster may need repair first, which is covered on plasterboard and ceiling repairs.

Woodwork

Skirting boards, door frames, doors, window boards and architrave are all painted by hand with a brush and take far longer per metre than walls. A room with several doors, deep skirting and a window seat takes much longer than a plain box room. Old gloss usually needs sanding to give the new paint something to grip, and switching from oil based gloss to water based paint needs the right primer.

Preparation and filling

Preparation is the biggest variable and the part that decides how good the room looks. Filling cracks, holes from old pictures and shelves, and gaps along the skirting, then sanding them smooth, can take as long as the painting itself in an older house. Walls where paint is peeling need scraping and stabilising. Wallpaper removal is a separate task that can uncover damaged plaster underneath.

• Area of wall and height of the ceilings
• Whether the ceiling is included
• Amount of woodwork and number of doors
• Filling, sanding and crack repairs
• Wallpaper removal
• Colour change and number of coats
• Furniture moving and protection
• Access, such as stairwells

Colour changes

Painting a pale colour over another pale colour may need two coats. Going from a dark or strong colour to white or a light neutral can need a primer and three coats before it looks even. Deep colours themselves can need extra coats to cover without patchiness. If you are changing the colour dramatically, mention it when you ask for a quote.

Furniture and protection

An empty room is the quickest to paint. A furnished room needs everything moved to the middle and covered, carpets and floors protected, and fittings taken off the walls. If you can clear the room yourself, say so, as it shortens the job. Heavy items or fitted furniture that cannot move are worked around carefully.

Paint choice

Better quality paint costs more per tin but often covers in fewer coats and wipes clean without polishing, which makes it good value in halls and children's rooms. Kitchens and bathrooms need paint made for humid rooms. If you want to supply your own paint, that is usually fine and is agreed at quotation stage.

Need it sorted? Book painting and decorating

Book through painting and decorating, where the method is explained. For a larger project across several rooms, the renovation cost guide covers the wider picture. Send photos of each room, including the ceiling and woodwork, through the contact page for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

House Interiors