Painting and decorating is preparing and finishing the surfaces of a home, including filling, sanding, priming and painting walls, ceilings and woodwork, hanging wallpaper and painting exterior walls and joinery, to protect them and refresh how rooms look.
Homes across Devon vary a great deal, so we price painting and decorating only after seeing the property. Our coverage takes in Plymouth, Exeter, Paignton and Torquay and the surrounding districts. As a guide, expect £1,200–£3,100 including VAT in the South West; the final figure depends on size, materials and access. Any permissions are checked against the rules for England before we quote.
- Guide price
- £1,200–£3,100 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 2% above the national guide
- Towns listed
- 11
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does painting and decorating cost in Devon?
Every figure below is a guide for painting and decorating in Devon, inclusive of VAT. Regional pricing for the South West works out about 2% above the national guide, and the overall span is £1,200–£3,100. The survey costs you nothing, and after it we commit to a firm price for your specification in writing.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Devon |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one average bedroom or living room. | £350–£900 |
| House exterior | Masonry and joinery on a typical semi, including access equipment. | £2,600–£6,100 |
| Whole interior of a 3-bed house | Every room, hallway, stairs and landing, including woodwork. | £3,100–£6,600 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Number and size of rooms, including ceiling height
- Amount of preparation, filling and repairs needed
- Paint quality, colour changes and number of coats
- Exterior access, scaffolding and the condition of surfaces
What do you get?
- Survey of each surface and agreed colours and finishes
- Floors, furniture and fittings protected with dust sheets and masking
- Filling cracks and holes, sanding and spot priming
- Mist coat on new plaster before finishing coats
- Wallpaper stripped or hung where included
- Furniture replaced, waste removed and a final tidy-up
Homes in Devon
Devon is known for cob and thatch cottages, especially in mid and east Devon, alongside granite on Dartmoor and red sandstone around Exeter. Exeter and Plymouth have Georgian and Victorian terraces, Plymouth's centre was largely rebuilt after the war, and seaside towns such as Torquay and Exmouth have rendered villas and newer estates.
Cob and stone homes need breathable lime plaster and render rather than cement. Victorian terraces suit loft rooms and window replacement, while post-war and newer homes often take extensions, rendering and roofline renewal.
Mild but wet, with strong coastal winds; exposed elevations need render and pointing specified for driving rain, and cob walls must be kept dry at the base.
Planning and building rules in Devon
Homes in Devon come under the regulations for England, summarised below. We don't rely on general rules alone: we confirm the position for your address with the council before a quote goes out.
Internal work such as a new kitchen, bathroom, flooring, plastering or decorating does not need planning permission in England, unless the house is listed, when listed building consent may be needed even for internal changes.
Some internal work is covered by Building Regulations: new electrical circuits and work in bathrooms (Part P), new drainage, structural changes, extractor ventilation and any new window. Notifiable work is certified by a registered installer or by building control.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
How does the job run?
A visit to your home
It starts with a survey at the property, free of charge. We check condition, access and services, ask how you want the finished result to look, and answer any questions you have about painting and decorating.
Price and scope agreed
Next you receive a written quote with a fixed price for the agreed specification. It lists what is included, what is not, and how payments are staged, so you can compare it properly.
Getting ready
Preparation matters as much as the build. We agree access, parking and working hours with you, order materials in good time, and confirm any permissions so the job isn't held up once it starts.
The work itself
Work goes ahead as scheduled and you deal with one contact throughout. When the last trade leaves, we clear and clean the site, talk you through what has been done and pass on any certificates and care instructions.
What you can expect from us
Questions about painting and decorating in Devon
Why is preparation so important?
Preparation decides how good the finish looks and how long it lasts. Filling cracks, sanding glossy surfaces, washing greasy areas and priming bare wood all help paint grip and dry evenly. Skipping it leads to visible repairs, peeling and patchy colour. Most of the time on a decorating job goes into preparation, and our quotes always allow for it.
Which postcodes in Devon do you cover?
We cover PL1, EX1, TQ3 and TQ1, along with the rest of Devon. If your postcode is not listed, get in touch anyway: our coverage is UK-wide, and we can usually arrange a survey wherever you live. Enter your postcode in the guide-price tool or contact form and we will confirm.
Can you combine painting and decorating with other work?
Yes. Because we manage several trades under one contract, we can plan painting and decorating alongside other work on your Devon home, such as new windows with rendering, or a kitchen refit with an extension. Combining jobs can reduce repeat set-up such as scaffolding, skips and access, and every element is listed and priced in the same written quote.
Do I need to move my furniture?
You only need to remove small items, ornaments, pictures and anything fragile. We move larger furniture to the middle of the room and cover it, or into another room where agreed. Please empty bookshelves and cabinets that need moving. Let us know about anything very heavy, valuable or awkward, such as pianos or large wardrobes, so we can plan around it.
How much does it cost to decorate a room?
Decorating an average room costs roughly £350–£900, covering walls, ceiling and woodwork, while three rooms typically come to £1,200–£3,100. Large living rooms, high ceilings, stairwells and wallpapering cost more, and so do rooms needing a lot of filling and sanding. Strong colour changes may need an extra coat. We confirm a fixed price for the agreed rooms after the survey.
Towns in Devon
We offer painting and decorating in each of the towns below, all within Devon. Select yours for guide prices, postcodes covered and nearby places.