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.
Whether you live in one of the larger towns, such as Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley and Coalville, or somewhere quieter in Leicestershire, the way we handle painting and decorating is identical. We survey, agree the specification with you, and confirm a fixed price on paper. Everything is planned under the regulations in force in England, and guide costs in the East Midlands sit at £1,150–£2,900 with VAT.
- Guide price
- £1,150–£2,900 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 4% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 9
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Painting and decorating prices in Leicestershire
Here is how the guide price for painting and decorating breaks down in Leicestershire. We start from national figures and adjust for the East Midlands, which comes out about 4% below the national guide. The resulting range, VAT included, is £1,150–£2,900, and a survey, at no cost to you, firms it up.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Leicestershire |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one average bedroom or living room. | £350–£850 |
| House exterior | Masonry and joinery on a typical semi, including access equipment. | £2,400–£5,800 |
| Whole interior of a 3-bed house | Every room, hallway, stairs and landing, including woodwork. | £2,900–£6,200 |
What moves the price up or down:
- Number and size of rooms, including ceiling height
- Amount of preparation, filling and repairs needed
- Whether woodwork, doors and wallpaper are included
- Paint quality, colour changes and number of coats
What’s included?
- 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
- Two finishing coats to walls and ceilings as standard
- Wallpaper stripped or hung where included
- Furniture replaced, waste removed and a final tidy-up
Housing across Leicestershire
Leicester has extensive Victorian red-brick terraces and interwar semis, with newer estates on the city's edges. Charnwood granite appears in walls and buildings in the north-west, Swithland slate on older roofs, and villages towards Rutland use ironstone and limestone. Loughborough, Hinckley and Market Harborough mix Victorian centres with post-war and recent housing.
Terraced homes often suit loft rooms and kitchen extensions, and semis commonly take side extensions and garage conversions. Older stone properties may need lime repointing and roof slating repairs.
A moderate, fairly dry Midlands climate, with winter frosts and clay soils that can move in dry summers.
Planning and building rules in Leicestershire
England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland each handle planning a little differently. Leicestershire comes under England, covered below, and we raise any questions with the council before your quote is finalised.
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.
From survey to handover
Survey and measure
We arrange a free site survey on a date convenient to you. We measure up, look at the existing structure and access, and discuss your plans for painting and decorating so the price reflects your home.
Written quote
The quote arrives in writing, not over the phone. It covers the full scope, the finishes you've chosen, any exclusions and the payment schedule, with a fixed price tied to that specification.
Dates and permissions
With the quote agreed, we book the work in and handle preparation: permissions where needed, building control notifications, material orders and access arrangements for your Leicestershire property.
Finish and handover
During the work we protect the areas around it and tidy up at the end of each day. Once complete, we check the finish, remove our materials and hand over paperwork such as building control sign-off where it applies.
How we work
Questions about painting and decorating in Leicestershire
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 Leicestershire 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.
What paint finish should I choose?
Matt emulsion hides imperfections and gives a soft look, which suits ceilings and living rooms. Eggshell or soft sheen finishes are more washable, so they suit kitchens, hallways and children's rooms. For woodwork, satin gives a modern low-shine look, while gloss is harder-wearing and more traditional. Bathrooms benefit from paints made to resist moisture and mould.
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 £1,150–£2,900. 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.
Do I need planning permission in Leicestershire?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Leicestershire is in England, so England's rules apply. Many smaller jobs need no planning application, but some still need building control approval. We check what applies to your address before quoting.
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.
Towns in Leicestershire
These are the towns in Leicestershire where you can book a free survey for painting and decorating. Each has its own page with guide prices and coverage details.