How much does a painter and decorator charge per day in the UK? (2026)

Published 10 November 2026 · Last updated 10 November 2026 · ~9 min read · By a working Glasgow painter

Short answer: in November 2026, HaMuch's figures for 15 large UK cities put a painter and decorator's day rate at £167 (Belfast) to £233 (London), with most of those cities between £182 and £207, excluding VAT. Cost guides quote wider ranges: £180–£280 outside London and £250–£400 in London and the South East (BestBuilders, 2026). A VAT-registered decorator adds 20%, and paint is normally priced on top of labour.

The figures disagree because they measure different things. Some appear to be averages of rates painters list on a directory, some are ranges written by a cost-guide publisher, and the highest one comes from a page we couldn't open. This guide keeps them apart, shows what one day of decorating actually buys, and shows the sum that turns a day rate into the price of a room. None of the UK day-rate guides we read in November 2026 showed that sum.

How much does a painter and decorator charge per day in the UK?

Most of the 15 large UK cities on HaMuch's November 2026 list sit at £182–£207 a day, with London at £233 and Belfast at £167, all excluding VAT and call-out charges. HaMuch does not explain its method, but its averages appear to come from rates on its painter directory. It shows a national hourly average of £28 from 6,294 painters.

Source: HaMuch, painter and decorator rates page, as we saw it on 10 November 2026. HaMuch lists about 180 towns and cities; these are the 15 large cities at the top of its list. Across the full list, figures run from £161 (Londonderry) to £256 (Peterborough). HaMuch updates these figures as painters change their listings, and they move. Its Glasgow figures were £166–£171 when we recorded them in summer 2026, so treat any single number as a dated snapshot, not a fixed price.

Why do day-rate figures differ so much between websites?

Because they come from different kinds of source, and none of the guides we read says which kind it is. We don't average them. A rate a painter lists on a directory, a range a publisher writes and a figure we couldn't check are three different things.

Two patterns stand out. First, the publisher ranges sit well above the directory rates, and the Checkatrade figure is about £130 a day above HaMuch's typical city rate. Second, some publishers' hourly and day figures don't line up neatly: BestBuilders gives £25–£40 an hour outside London, which over its own 7–8 hour day is £175–£320, a wider spread than its £180–£280 day range. If you compare a quote against one of these figures, compare it against the same kind of source each time.

What does one day of a decorator's time actually buy?

Often less than one room, once preparation is included: about 22 m² of finished wall and ceiling a day by our sums. HaMuch estimates that an 11.5 m² double bedroom takes about two days. A similar-sized 4 m × 3 m room with a 2.4 m ceiling has about 45.6 m² of wall and ceiling, so two days works out at roughly 22–23 m² a day. trade2base, a trade site, puts preparation for a double bedroom at “typically 1.5 to 2 full days” and says a single-room redecoration “is rarely less than three full days' work”.

Paint is on top. Two coats of trade emulsion cost roughly £0.65–£1.30 per m² (our price per square metre guide shows the sum), so a 4 m × 3 m room needs about £30–£60 of paint. Add 20% to the whole bill if the decorator is VAT-registered.

Why doesn't my quote equal days × day rate?

Because a quote also pays for drying time, part-days, preparation and materials, and none of those shows up as a full working day. The main reasons:

• Drying time between coats. A job with a few hours of work per coat can still need two or three visits. You pay for the time slot the decorator can't sell to anyone else, not just the hours with a brush in hand. Our front door guide shows this: about two hours of work, priced as a half-day or more.
• Half-days and minimum charges. BestBuilders puts minimum charges at £100–£180 outside London and £150–£250 in London and the South East, “usually equivalent to a half day”.
• Preparation you don't see. Filling, sanding, caulking and mist coats on new plaster all take time before the finish coat goes on.
• Materials. Paint, filler, caulk, tape and dust sheets are usually on top of the labour.
• VAT. A VAT-registered firm adds 20% to everything.

To check a quote, take away the paint and VAT, then divide what's left by the day rate. That tells you how many days the decorator has priced. If a double bedroom comes back at five days, ask what the preparation involves. Our guide to checking whether a painting quote is fair works through this step by step.

Is a day rate cheaper than an hourly rate or a fixed price?

For a full day, yes: HaMuch's typical city day rates of £182–£207 work out at about £23–£26 an hour over 8 hours, against its national hourly average of £28. HaMuch shows hourly rates from £18 to £64, and BestBuilders quotes £25–£40 an hour outside London and £35–£55 in London. An hourly rate suits short jobs, but BestBuilders says hourly rates are rarely offered and day or job pricing is the norm.

• Day rate: you pay for the days actually worked. This suits older houses where the preparation is hard to predict. The risk is a slow decorator.
• Fixed price: the decorator carries the risk of overrunning, so the price usually includes some margin for it. This suits clear, well-defined jobs.
• Price per m²: suits big, empty, flat walls. See our per-m² guide for the conversion.

Do painters and decorators charge VAT on top of the day rate?

Only if they are VAT-registered, which is compulsory once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in 12 months (GOV.UK). A registered decorator adds 20%, so £195 a day becomes £234. HaMuch's day rates exclude VAT.

A one-person decorator charging this rate would stay under the threshold. At £195 a day for about 230 working days a year, labour comes to about £45,000, half the threshold. A firm running several decorators passes it quickly. Ask whether a quoted day rate is before or after VAT, and expect a VAT number on the invoice if VAT is charged.

How much does a painter and decorator charge per day in Scotland?

HaMuch's November 2026 table shows £219 a day in Edinburgh and £195 in Glasgow, excluding VAT. That puts Edinburgh second only to London among the 15 cities in our table, and Glasgow level with Manchester and Leicester. Further down HaMuch's full list, Dundee shows £238 and Aberdeen £216. Our Scotland and Glasgow day-rate guide covers Scottish rates in more detail, including tenement work and the figures we recorded earlier in 2026.

Is there a free way to check a day-rate quote without giving your details?

Yes. Checkatrade, MyBuilder, MyJobQuote and Bark are built to connect you with tradespeople, so getting a price there usually means handing over your details. The paintingquotation.com calculator is a free alternative that needs no form, email or postcode. Turn the day rate into a price per m² as shown above, enter your rooms, and the total appears immediately. Use it to check a quote you already have, or to set a budget before you ask for one.

Related questions

• How much does a painter and decorator charge per day in the UK? In November 2026, HaMuch's figures for 15 large cities run from £167 a day (Belfast) to £233 (London), with most of them at £182–£207, excluding VAT. Cost guides quote £180–£280 outside London and £250–£400 in London and the South East (BestBuilders). A VAT-registered decorator adds 20%.
• Is £200 a day good for a painter and decorator? It is about the middle of the market. On HaMuch's November 2026 list, most of 15 large UK cities sit at £182–£207 a day and London at £233. What matters more is how many days the quote assumes: a double bedroom usually takes two to three days.
• How many rooms can a decorator paint in a day? Often less than one, once preparation is included. HaMuch puts a double bedroom at about two days, and trade2base says a single-room redecoration is rarely less than three days. By our sums that is roughly 22 m² of finished wall and ceiling a day.
• Does a decorator's day rate include paint? Usually not, so ask. Day rates are normally quoted for labour, and HaMuch's figures exclude VAT and call-out charges. Two coats of trade emulsion for a 4 m × 3 m room cost roughly £30–£60.
• What is a painter's half-day rate? BestBuilders' 2026 guide puts a half day at £110–£170 outside London and £150–£240 in London and the South East. It is the half-day source we used, and it doesn't cite its sources.
• Do painters charge VAT on their day rate? Only if they are VAT-registered, which is compulsory once taxable turnover passes £90,000 in 12 months (GOV.UK). A registered decorator adds 20%, so £195 a day becomes £234. A one-person decorator charging £195 a day for about 230 working days turns over about £45,000 from labour, so a sole trader at that rate would be below the threshold.

Sources: HaMuch, painter and decorator rates by city and hourly rates (page seen 10 November 2026; Glasgow figures recorded July–August 2026; double-bedroom time estimate recorded August 2026); BestBuilders, “Painter and decorator day rate 2026”; Fantastic Services, painting and decorating cost guide (2026, search-result summary); MyBuilder, painter and decorator price guide (search-result summary); Checkatrade, painter and decorator prices (not verified, page could not be opened); trade2base, decorator day rate UK; GOV.UK, “VAT registration thresholds”. Prices are typical UK figures for November 2026 and change over time. Use them as a guide, not a quote.