Cost of painter

[PerkyOchrePeer]

I live in a flat with a small hallway and I want to paint it so I got a patron decorated to give me a quote. He came and had a look and he said it would need two coats of paint and the cost would be 200 pounds. I don't know if that's too much because the last time I had my hallway painted was about nine years ago and a friend's husband did it but they've moved away. The patron decorator who gave me the quote cccannot really tell me when he can come and do it so I don't want to wait forever so I'm thinking of trying to get somebody else and this painter and decorator told me to get the paint so that if he gets a cancellation he can suddenly call me and say Im in the area I can do the job and that means I've already got the paint here waiting because he can't do that if we don't have the pain so he needs to paint to be already here so he can say for instance I can come tomorrow but he's too unreliable and I think he's too expensive so can people tell me if he's overcharging

The price is fair but he sounds flaky. I would find someone else and not wait for him.

I didn't ask him about prep and he did mention about that so I pursue he's just going to come and paint the walls as they are. He advertises himself as a painter and decorator where is 10 years experience but that is not a professional because he works by himself and doesn't employ staff and he is a mature man in his 50s so he did something else before and somebody else said on here a professional painter and decorator goes to college to learn the trade and I very much doubt that the patron decorator I found has done that and he is just someone who enjoys doing it and he is thinking why not get paid for doing something I enjoy and there is a difference between that and a proper professional

OP if he is not planning on doing prep then I’d find someone else. Just slapping on paint is not a professional decoration job and you’ll end up disappointed.

Agree. Plus it wont last long before its flaking off.

I think that sounds a fair price. I have someone painting my small kitchen today for £200. I was pleased with that.

As for reliability, yes it’s a problem. This guy was supposed to do it last week but seemed to disappear then last night he said he could come today and he has turned up so happy days.

good craftspeople have busy calendars.
they might be able to fit a small job in whilst waiting for paint to dry on another job nearby, or if a job unexpectedly take less time.
200£ is a good price ime.
This^

I had visions of Bodie & Doyle arriving complete with theme tune! Sorry - showing my age.
I think £200 is ok but not being able to commit to a date would put me off. I found some great trades people through the Next Door app. Maybe check on there if it’s active in your area.

I didn't ask him about prep and he did mention about that so I pursue he's just going to come and paint the walls as they are

If I understand corectly ,you didn't raise the question of prep and he mentioned it ?
That doesn't mean he's not going to do any prep ;prep work wasn't discussed when I had redecs done but it was meticulously carried out .
I do think some tradespeople aren't the best communicators but their expertise lies in their practical skills.

I won't be disappointed because I've already found somebody else who is coming round this week to give me a quote and he said to me he will prep

Over the years as a child my dad decorated all our houses

Frankly, I don't think it is his loss. You are coming over as impossible. Nothing's right, you keep repeating what you've already said, you've been unnecessarily abrupt to two posters (who were trying to help). And you have described painters/gardeners as "so-called professionals." They ARE professionals. You are at perfect liberty to do the work yourself.

£200 sounds more than reasonable for your hallway.

If you think £200 is too much, why don’t you do it yourself?

I'm currently reno-ing a house and doing all the painting decorating myself to save money, 2 weeks in and I'm just getting to the point I can start to paint after prepping (a pro would be quicker but not 2 hours)... its hard work and its not just paint cost.

To give an overview have bought brushes and rollers as expected but also filler knives for the fine filler and the hole filler which then needs sanding with the sanding blocks which then needs the dust cleaning so cleaning products also you have to prep using peel stop and guardz and primer etc... each coat takes like 4 hours to cure too before I can even start to add colour.

If someone just came out and rollered paint straight on then what are you paying them for? you could surely do that, by looking for a professional you are admitting its much hard work than that

We have a decorator doing DDs rooms this summer - one is £400 and the other is £350 (smaller) but we’re supplying paint. It’s the same price as last time he decorated them 8 years ago but he supplied the paint back then.

Well same way I COULD fit the cowl cover to my chimney flue myself for next to nothing (except the cost of a ladder and figuring out where to store it afterwards), but instead I'm paying a couple hundred to a roofer to do it because I'm scared of heights and not gonna fuck around on a windy roof and possibly die.

Me not wanting to do it/not having the equipment to do it/knowing I won't do it well is therefore worth paying for.

You say Professional, remember 'Professional' means 'makes a living doing it' so they have to charge enough to cover costs and to also live off.

Many people are surprised when they say 'but its a small job, I think it would take about an hour' turns to 'it only took 5 hours why am I being charged a full day rate' but it takes a large chunk of a day. If they can't book in other jobs to fit then you took the whole day and have to pay the full day rate they live off just as much as someone with an 8 hour job.

Same way if you book a hotel with check in from 2pm til 10 am and you get their at 8pm and leave at 4am to get an early flight you still have to pay the full rate for the room.

Someone is coming next weekend and charging £150. Im happy with that

I wouldn't pay someone £150 to paint a small hallway. That must be for painting over existing paint, possibly with a bit of light sanding. Anyone can pick up a paint brush and paint. If you think £150-£200 is too expensive, then you should do it yourself. We do. It's a really simple job. Also, for a good job you need to do 2 to 3 coats and leave time in between. You'll find you can do it better than a cheap painter deocrator.

Im not a decorator and it would not look good and would be streaky. Also i have high ceilings and not a high enough ladder and it's only two coats of paint not three and so I will pay a professional decorator to do it and I don't mind

Why don’t you paint it yourself if you don’t want to pay someone op?

It’s a small job for him. He’ll be interested in booking far bigger and more lucrative jobs. The reason he has asked you to supply the paint is so that he can squeeze it in at the drop of a hat if he finishes early one day.
£200 is more than reasonable.

Ibe been told £150

Well good for you.

He’s not overcharging though. That’s his price for the job.
Imagine how many £200 hallways he’d have to haggle over every year to make a living.
Sure he’s relieved you have found an alternative.

I dont understand. The original decorator priced the job at £200. He could not commit tc when he could do it so i found someone else who quoted £150. The second decorator is coming next friday or saturday

if they do not wash it down, and leave it to dry before painting, then they are a cowboy

is the quote for one day's work or two?
£200 is a perfectly fair charge for what is involved.
the fact he is "local" does not mean he does not incur travel time and one thing those who are not self employed never understand, whilst travelling to you and from he cannot do paid work for other people

taking a pot shot at someone who can;t commit a date as being "iunprofessional" is also rather unfair, The person may have a large order book including outside painting, which in the current weather needs to be done when he can and indoor work fitted around that. So flexibility is the order of the day. Again a fact of self employment as a decorator that many do not understand.

That's cleaning and prep, either you do it or pay the painter extra