Cost guide
Understand what determines the cost of painting your property.
We have deliberately not published a rate card. Any number we put here would be wrong for most properties, and you would find that out after someone measured. What follows is how a painting quotation is actually built, so you can read anyone's and know what you are looking at.
Reviewed 6 September 2026.
What it costs
We quote after we measure, not before.
Anyone can give you a rate per square foot over the phone. It changes the moment someone actually looks at the walls, which makes it useless for comparing quotes. Here is what genuinely moves the number.
Your quotation itemises every surface, the preparation for each, the products, the number of coats and the schedule — with exclusions listed rather than left vague.
Read the painting cost guide- Measured paintable area
- Not the carpet area. We measure the walls, ceilings, ledges and returns on site, which is why the inspection comes before the price.
- Condition of the existing surface
- A solid wall that just needs a repaint is a very different job from one with peeling coats, hollow plaster or active damp.
- Depth of preparation required
- Whether it is a touch-up and recoat, full putty and levelling, or stripping back to a sound surface. This is usually the biggest single variable in a quote.
- Product and finish grade
- The grade of emulsion, how washable it is, the sheen level, and any specialist or decorative finish. We talk you through the trade-offs instead of defaulting to the most expensive option.
- Number of coats
- Set by the surface, the colour change and the product, not picked to hit a number.
- Height and access
- Ladders, scaffolding, cradles or rope access all change the cost and the safety planning.
- Occupancy and furniture movement
- Working around a family at home or a business that is still trading takes longer than an empty property, and it is phased differently.
- Scheduling constraints
- Night work, weekend-only access, a holiday window or a fixed handover date all affect how we staff the job.
Comparing quotations
Six questions to ask every quotation you receive.
Including ours. If a contractor cannot answer these in writing, the number at the bottom does not mean much.
What is the measured paintable area?
If nobody measured, the price is a guess and will change.
What preparation is included, surface by surface?
This is the largest variable and the easiest one to leave vague.
Which products, and how many coats?
Named products and a coat count, not "premium quality".
What is explicitly excluded?
A quotation with no exclusions has not been thought through.
Who supervises, and what is the schedule?
A named person and dates, not "about a week".
What exactly does the warranty cover, and what voids it?
A period with no stated conditions is not a warranty.
A detailed cost calculator is planned. It will produce a range with its assumptions shown beside it, and it will not replace a measured quotation, an online estimate cannot see your walls. A measured inspection is free.
By scope
Detailed cost guides.
Each one covers how a quotation for that scope is assembled and what moves it.
- Painting Cost per Square FootIs a per-square-foot rate a reliable way to compare quotations?Read
- Interior Painting CostWhat makes interior painting cost more or less?Read
- Exterior Painting CostWhy does exterior painting cost more than interior?Read
- House Painting CostHow is a whole-house painting quotation built?Read
- Apartment Painting CostWhy do apartment painting quotations vary so much?Read
- Roof Painting CostWhat affects the cost of roof painting?Read
- Waterproofing Cost GuideWhy can waterproofing not be quoted over the phone?Read
- Painting Labour Cost GuideHow much of a painting quotation is labour?Read
- Commercial Painting CostWhy do commercial painting quotations vary more than residential ones?Read
- Wood and Metal Painting CostWhy is wood and metal painting priced differently from wall painting?Read
- Wall Putty and Plaster Repair CostWhy does putty and plaster repair cost so much relative to the paint?Read
- Texture and Decorative Finish CostWhy do decorative finishes cost more than a plain painted wall?Read
- Epoxy Flooring CostWhat makes epoxy flooring cost more in one space than another?Read
- Gate and Grill Painting CostWhy does a rusted gate cost more to repaint than one that just looks tired?Read
Questions about cost.
Why will you not give me a rate per square foot over the phone?
Because it would not survive contact with your walls. The same square foot costs very differently depending on whether it needs a wash and a recoat, full putty and levelling, or plaster rebuilding. A phone rate would be revised after the inspection anyway, which makes it useless for comparing quotations.
How is paintable area calculated?
By measuring the surfaces to be painted, meaning walls, ceilings, ledges and returns, not by applying a multiplier to your carpet area. Multipliers are a reasonable rule of thumb for a rough budget, but two homes of identical carpet area can differ substantially in wall area depending on their layout and ceiling height.
Why is one quotation so much cheaper than another?
Almost always because the scope is different, and usually the preparation. Compare what each quotation says about surface preparation, the number of coats, the product grade and what is excluded. If a quotation does not say, that is the answer.
Does a more expensive paint make the job last longer?
Up to a point, and far less than preparation does. A premium emulsion on a poorly prepared wall will fail sooner than an economy one on a properly prepared surface. We will tell you where spending more genuinely buys you something and where it does not.
What is not included in a painting quotation?
Typically: structural repair, plumbing or electrical work behind a wall, civil work, deep cleaning, and anything discovered once loose material is removed. Our quotations list exclusions explicitly rather than leaving them to be argued about later.
Get a number that will not change.
We measure the property, assess the surfaces and issue an itemised quotation. It is free, and you are under no obligation to accept it.
- We call you back the same day to get a picture of the property and the surfaces.
- We agree a time and come out for the free inspection.
- You get the written scope and itemised quotation.
- Nothing starts until you approve it.