How Much Do Painters Charge?

How Much Do Painters Cost?

Day Rate vs Price Work

Most painters will either charge a day rate or price work and each method has its own pros and cons. For example, price work is excellent if you want a clear, upfront understanding of the total cost. However, if you are working on a large project i.e. an entire house, it can sometimes be easier for the painter to charge a day rate.

In terms of the drawbacks, if you are paying a day rate, you’ll need to trust that the painter is “working” and not purposely taking their time and having lots of breaks.

However, when painters charge price work, they often give themselves a contingency of 10-20% in case something goes wrong. Therefore, if it all goes to plan (which it usually does with most painting jobs), you’ll be paying a lot more.

Personally, if the painter is someone that you trust to work hard, a day rate is often the most cost-effective way of hiring a painter. However, if you are using a painter for the first time and want to set a budget, we recommend asking the painter to charge on price work.

What Factors Affect The Cost For A Painter?

• Rooms Size: Larger rooms require more paint and labour.
• Preparation: From filling cracks to removing wallpaper, the more preparation required will result in the cost for a painter being higher.
• Paint Quality: Certain paints are higher quality than others (i.e. Farrow & Ball vs Leyland) and this’ll add to the cost.
• Type of Paint: The type of paint that needs to be used can make certain jobs more complex. For example, latex paint is easier and quicker to apply than an oil-based alternative.
• Accessibility: If the room has hard-to-reach areas, such as a high ceiling or corners, the cost of painting will be higher due to additional equipment and labour being required.
• Number of Coats: The number of coats a surface needs will affect the cost as each coat will take time and additional paint.
• Painter’s Experience: Painters that have years of experience and a great local reputation are more than likely going to charge more.
• Location: The cost of labour is often a lot more in busy cities (such as London) than in other rural areas.

How Can You Cut Costs?

Unlike other DIY jobs, there are plenty of ways that you can cut the costs that a painter may charge. Below are some of our recommendations that require limited DIY experience:

• Remove any wallpaper, pins or other items on the wall
• Supply the paint and equipment (i.e. masking tape)
• Prepare the area before they arrive (i.e. lay dust sheets down and remove all furniture)
• Get quotations from multiple painters
• Get the job done in the winter as opposed to summer (painters are often much busier in the summer)
• Offer flexibility to the painter as this’ll allow them to prioritise other work that may be weather dependent

Painting is a relatively easy DIY task and if you really want to save a lot of money, you could even roll up your sleeves and do it yourself. However, there are plenty of reasons why it’s worthwhile hiring a professional as discussed below.

5 Reasons Why You Should Hire A Professional

Although you may want to keep the cost of painting to a minimum, there are several benefits of hiring a professional painter such as:

1. Quality Work: Professional painters have the expertise, experience and tools to provide you with a high-quality and flawless paint job.
2. Time-saving: Painting can be a time-consuming and tedious process but professional painters can complete the job in a much shorter time.
3. Advice: Professional painters can provide you with advice and recommendations on the best types of paint and colours to suit your space and personal style.
4. Equipment & Tools: Unless you already have all the equipment such as ladders, brushes, rollers, dust sheets and everything else, it can cost more to do it yourself.
5. Guaranteed Results: Most painters provide a guarantee for their work which gives you peace of mind that the job will be done correctly and to a high standard.

Types of Paint

Most painters have a preference as to which paint they prefer using most and it’ll certainly affect the amount they’ll charge. For example, using latex as opposed to an oil-based paint is not only easier but also quicker to apply. To give you an idea of the most popular type of paint used for interior and exterior use, below are nine different types:

1. Latex: Water-based paint that dries quickly and is easy to clean up (mostly used on walls and ceilings).
2. Oil-Based: A paint that dries slowly but provides a smooth, durable finish.
3. Acrylic: Water-based paint that dries quickly and is resistant to moisture, mildew and fading.
4. Enamel: A type of oil-based paint that dries to a hard, durable finish.
5. Chalk: Water-based paint that dries to a matte, velvety finish.
6. Eggshell: A type of latex paint that dries to a low-sheen finish.
7. Gloss: Paint that dries to a shiny finish.
8. Masonry: A type of paint specifically designed for use on brick, stone and other masonry surfaces.
9. Primer: Paint that’s used as a base coat to prepare the surface and improve the adhesion and coverage of the topcoat.

When requesting quotes from painters, it’s always recommended that you tell them the type of paint that’s to be used to avoid any unexpected costs.

Conclusion

Although painting is a task that anyone can do, the quality of the finish is why most experienced painters charge what they do. Therefore, if you come across painters that charge less than our approximate costs, you may want to view examples of their work.

Hopefully our guide on how much painters charge has answered all your questions but if not, feel free to get in touch and we will try to help out where possible.