Decorating - what to pay

Twice you'd have to tell us whether the quote is per room, or per day, in which case how many days have been estimated for each room ...?

We seem to pay decorators per day where I live

How big are the rooms?

What fiddly bits do they have eg doors, radiators, shelving that needs to come down, sockets, ventilator fans. Take a look around, bet there’s more than you think!

Are you having the gloss done?

How much preparation eg filling, rubbing down is needed.

Where do you live? If living costs are expensve he’ll charge more, he has to pay his mortgage. It’s a business that pays his living.

Can he park his van at home the door or will need extra time to fetch and carry?

All these things will affect the price.

How long is it going to take? My decorator charges by the day (works 8-4.30). He supplies the white paint for woodwork and ceilings, I got the rest.

I'm not having the woodwork done as I've only lived here for a year it's a new build. She has said she will drop the ceiling lights down ( set into ceiling) and move furniture into room and cover ( so small dresser tv unit 2 seater sofa and chair) small dining room table other end. She has included rubbing down and filling but should not be any filling and minimal rubbing down. It's 2 coats so presume it will take her 2 days The living room is 11-9 X 10-11 and the kitchen/diner 15x 11.

No shelving to take down only some pictures which I can take down myself. I live in the SE so guess it is a more expensive area.

Quote is per room she hasn't said it will take 2 days but with 2 coats I presume that is what it will take

I would not pay by the day- I prefer a sum of money, end of.

I supplied the paint, paid £120 per day but I insisted that he kept to the amount of time we had agreed in his quote
2 days for hall stair and landing.
3 days sitting room/dining room and kitchen.
Ceilings and walls all white satin, so no cutting in.
Woodwork also white satin.
All done and dusted in the five days
(and he kindly did downstairs loo whilst waiting on paint drying before applying 2nd coat. we were very grateful so added in some extra to the final bill).

TwiceasNice
I would get a fixed price for the job .
Locally tradesmen seem to work on £120 labour per day + materials.

I Day will be for doing the lights, moving furniture and collecting your paint etc.
1 day for preparation,as she rubs down she will have to dust it all away and clean it, also to redo ceiling around lights.
1 day for undercoat?
I day for top coats ?
Don’t forget there is a lot of work cutting in around door and window frames.

Sounds as though it’s a large room, then theres the bedroom , along with tea and lunch breaks it will probably be 4/5 days, Plus VAT?
There you go, but you really need a fixed quote.
At least you know you will get a good result, personal recommendation is important if you are having tradespeople in your home.

Here (SE) labour would be approx £125 a day if you are very lucky What should also be remembered is that this is not what she will earn - apart from the obvious tax etc, there are running costs of the business - including van, insurance. I always think what is it worth to me - how long do you expect it to be before it needs doing again so what would be the annual cost? I generally compare that with what I spend on wine in a year

Thanks a lot for your responses you've given me lots to think about. I think the bedroom price is more reasonable now I've looked at replies but living room much more expensive, not sure if I can afford it so maybe will get some more quotes but thanks all you've been very helpful

From what you’ve said I would reckon on £500 -600 for the
living room and £200 for the bedroom. plus VAT It sounds pretty much a weeks work to me.
It sounds a lot but if you reckon she works 48 weeks a year(she won’t get paid if she takes holiday) that’s under 40,000 a year. And all her expenses have to come out of that.

I have pm’d you TwiceAs

Thanks, got yours as well.

I had my stairs papered with textured paper and painted. I had stripped the landing and hallway myself and papered/painted it. I also stripped the stairwell apart from about a foot at the very top.
There were 2 men, one cutting and pasting the other put it up. The next morning they emulsioned. I supplied the paper they supplied the paste and white emulsion. I also did the woodwork.
Altogether I would say 20 hours work between them for £500. I doubt the materials they supplied cost more than £20 so the remaining £480 would have worked out at about £24 an hour each. They did a lovely job

Eglantine I have been quoted twice what you have said for the living room and more than three times for the bedroom so I think the quote is quite expensive even for the SE

Yes, me too Twiceasnice. Especially the bedroom!

Gosh, I’ll come and do it for that

Ha Ha! Be my guest I'll throw in lunch as well. Seriously I think I will discuss it with my daughter and get another quote. Thanks so much have a good day

Its a few years since I hired a decorator but she charged £500 per room paint supplied.

I was gonna say I wouldn't be surprised at £2K in my area

I was quoted £500 for Bedroom feature wall and one Living room wall. In the end, I settled for a neighbour £125 to hang three rolls of wallpaper!

My partner works self employed as a bathroom fitter and charges £180 a day. Nice work if you can it some say. Out of that comes, tax, ni, van payment tax and insurance diesel. Public liability etc. Plus you get a really good job. Pay peanuts, you get monkeys. So it sounds reasonable to me

Do it yourself