How Much Should a Painter & Decorator Charge Per Day in the UK? (2026)

Painter and decorator day rates in the UK range wildly — £150 to £400+ per day in 2026. The wide range reflects the difference between someone who's guessing and someone who knows their costs. Here's how to make sure you're the second one.

The trap most decorators fall into

The classic mistake: charge £200/day because that's what others charge, then quietly subsidise jobs with cheap materials, skip prep, or work evenings to "make it work."

The right way is to work your rate out from your costs and what you want to earn. Same approach as electricians — different numbers.

Your real costs

A self-employed painter and decorator typically has £12,000–£22,000/year in non-wage costs:

Van and fuel
Paint, brushes, rollers, sandpaper, fillers, dust sheets
Public liability insurance
Accountancy
Software
Workwear (painters go through kit fast)
Marketing
Tax (treat your own tax as a cost)

Billable days per year

You don't bill 5 days a week. Realistically:

4–6 weeks holiday
1–2 weeks sick
Bank holidays
Rain days and weather stops (exterior work)
Quote time, admin, materials runs

Most decorators bill 180–210 days a year.

The maths

Let's say £18,000 costs + £40,000 target profit = £58,000. ÷ 195 billable days = £297/day.

Round to a clean number: £300/day.

Regional variations

London & South East: typically £280–£400/day
Midlands, North, Wales: typically £200–£280/day
Scotland, rural areas: typically £180–£250/day

These are for a single decorator. Add £80–£120/day per labourer if you bring help.

What's in your day rate

A day rate should cover:

Your time on the tools
Standard materials (brushes, rollers, fillers, tape, dust sheets)
Wear and tear on tools

It should not cover:

Paint and wallpaper (these are pass-through, mark them up 15–25%)
Major prep (plastering, lining paper) — quote separately
Specialist finishes (faux, metallic, textured) — quote by the wall or the room

Always quote paint as a separate line so the customer can see what they're paying for materials vs labour.

How to quote a room

A good quote for "paint living room" should look like:

Item	Detail	Price
Walls — 2 coats emulsion	22 m²	£XXX
Ceiling — 2 coats emulsion	18 m²	£XX
Woodwork — primer + 2 coats	3 doors, skirting, dado	£XX
Materials (paint, brushes, etc.)	At cost + 20%	£XX
Total		£XXX

When the customer sees the breakdown, they understand why a room costs £400 and not £200. They can also see where they could cut costs (e.g. "just the walls, not the woodwork").

Slow jobs kill day rates

A £300/day rate only works if you actually bill close to a day. If a job takes you three days when you quoted for two, your effective rate just dropped to £200.

Two ways to protect yourself:

Quote by the task, not the day. "Walls 2 coats: £X. Woodwork: £Y." Slow jobs cost you nothing extra.
Build in a buffer. When estimating, assume the job will take 20% longer than you think. It usually will.

The bottom line

Work out your real costs, divide by your real billable days, and quote by the task. Don't compete on price — compete on a clear, professional quote that shows the customer exactly what they're paying for.

Generate a professional painter's quote in under a minute →