Is this the going rate for painting a room???

[Starseeking]

I've just moved house, into a very nice area, which I absolutely love.

Handyman company came to visit to provide me with a quote to paint my living room, dimensions as attached. Ceilings are approximately 8ft high, it's a 1930's solid semi.

He quoted me £1,250 plus VAT, so £1,500 in total plus the cost of the paint. F&B £94 for 5 litres he said, so most likely another £200 on top. He said it would take 2 days maximum.

I honestly thought painting a room would cost £500-600 for labour, plus materials. Am I out of touch, or is this the going rate? I've now got another few companies coming to quote, as I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Does the quote sound reasonable or completely bonkers? Location is West London suburb, if that makes a difference.

I pay a local builder £180 a day plus materials in London, I thought painters were generally the least well paid. He didn’t want the job and is trying his luck.

I'm not surprised by this as we were quoted £5K to do hall stairs and landing, lounge, dining room and conservatory (which is mainly glass!). We couldn't afford this so just had hall stairs landing done as that badly needed doing and was the most difficult room. He hasn't even done an amazing job if I'm honest, not a great finish. so hard to get good reliable trades who won't rip you off.

Yes it is the going rate, probably slightly higher. Just got quoted 2k for my hall.

I would have expected around 600 for a large room although we usually do ourselves or live with it and pretend we will do it

Do the walls have lots of imperfections? That could be why it’s higher but those prices are roughly what I was quoted for our living room, wealthy London suburb.

Blimey I'm in the wrong job if that is now the going rate.
I am actually pretty decent at decorating (taught by my old-school, perfectionist Dad).

(Ponders career change)...

I painted a living room with young kids - think of doing it yourself and treat them to a nice weekend away instead.

Aim to paint one wall a day - even with two coats this would be 8 days at a couple of hours a day

16 hours work - which is what he quoted at £100 an hour - how much do you earn?

Were in a deprived area of our town/city, just been quoted £600+materials to paint our living room, taking 2 days for prep, all woodwork panting, ceiling and walls. 1 wall is bare plaster and some wood is bare. Feel like we've got an absolute bargain now 😁😁😁

I had someone quote £150 to paint our room. He wasn't a painter/decorator but a handyman. It seemed reasonable to me.

There is actually more prep with fresh plaster. You need to key it, fill any imperfections and screw/pin holes, caulk all the gaps, use knotting solution and prime any bare wood, and apply a mist coat(s). Then check for and fill imperfections again that the mist coat has shown up. Then you can start on your top coats... If you skip the prep/sealing it will look a mess, knots will start showing through the gloss work as yellow stains, and you run a very real risk of the paint peeling off (which is a nightmare to correct).

Roughly where abouts are you?

I think some trades know there is going to be a recession and are earning what they can now. But that does seem overly expensive.

I had a quote from a professional for a similar size room with lower ceilings at £600+paint. In the end a competent handy man type friend did it for £200.

I'm an hour outside London.

Get a couple more quotes, with references

The last decorators I had charged £240 as a daily rate so if max two days it would be £ 480 + vat and the paint.

I'm paying £350 per day incl VAT labour at the moment. I provide the paint and he provides filler, caulk, sandpaper etc.
Best value tradesman we've had on the project.

My decorator charged £26 an hour! Yours is having a laugh. Also, the decorating centre colour match farrow and ball very well at a fraction of the price.

The quote in my OP was for one person for 2 days (first day prep and undercoat, second day colour and ceilings), but I suppose as the company is VAT registered, perhaps it's too small a job for them and they were hoping to make up the money.

It's cheaper for me to get someone else in to paint the rooms than to do it myself, as I am a high earner. I do live in a nice area, and my dad's expensive car was in my driveway at the time as I'd borrowed it while he was away, which probably didn't help 🤦‍♀️ It doesn't mean I want/expect to get ripped off though!

As suggested, I've rung a few painters in our local Facebook group, as at least they're recommended (although I'm a bit nervous as that's where I found the first company!) and they're coming to do quotes in the next few days.

I really appreciate all the advice, and I will update the thread with the cost of the person I eventually go with.

I had my whole house done a few months ago - large ish 4 bed with two bathrooms, a study and a big kitchen diner - hallway, landing - everywhere done.

For about 2k for the lot

Nah, bugger that. The worst bit is cleaning the trays & brushes.rollers. And IMO wrapping them isn't worth it as you still get thicker paint, bits drying out, so bits in the paint. Nope hard & fast. Loan the kids out for the weekend... broody friends/grandparents/siblings & just crack on. OR pay someone a reasonable, but not extortionate amount to do it.

my whole house is plastered, needs sanding etc & painting. Then I went & had an accident which means I can no longer do it myself. This is going to hurt my bank account!!

@ChocChipOwl

did they do a really good job? (I'm a real perfectionist, which is why I was going to do it myself, I'm not blowing my own trumpet, at all!!, but because I'm such a fussy pants I'll take my time and keep on at something until it's just right.)

I don't suppose you're in the central SE England ???

if anyone has a recommendation for a good painter in my area I'd be thrilled.

I got my hall stairs and landing done recently. The price knocked me off my feet, well, I knew before hand. But I should have shopped around a bit more but I was ringing decorators who weren't ringing me back and I wanted to get it done before it got too cold. So in the end I just accepted his quote. It was 3,400 euro. He did a lovely job, spruced up the bannisters, stained and varnished the dark wood stairs, re-did the skirting boards so now all heights match, the adjoining wall is beautiful dull tea rose colour and the rest is off-white. Internals doors sanded and given one layer of paint. It looks a lot better but f me how is it so expensive.

i was talking to a woman at work who says she got her hall stairs and landing done for 500 euro but that didn't include any plastering or carpentry and from what she was saying tbh he sounded like he was interested in her, so I wouldn't want those blurry boundaries.

like you @Starseeking I'm a single parent, work full time and I wouldn't take on these jobs. I'd get home from work wrecked and not find the inclination so they'd end up half done for 2 years. I also want it to look really professional and with the best will in the world I don't think I have the patience. It'd end up looking like I'd done it myself which is not the look I'm after.

That’s beyond ludicrous . I pay 150 quid a day for one man.

That's a go away price. He either thinks you're rich and good for fleecing. Or he doesn't like you and this is the cost for 'putting up with you'.