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.
Every house in Richmond is a little different, so we never price painting and decorating from a brochure. We look at the structure, access and existing finishes first, then put in writing a fixed figure for the scope we settle on. As a rough steer, homeowners in London should budget £1,550–£3,900 including VAT, with work typically taking 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior.
- Guide price
- £1,550–£3,900 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Postcodes
- SW14, TW1, TW2, TW9 and TW10
- Planning rules
- England
- Local area
- Greater London
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Painting and decorating prices in Richmond
Prices for painting and decorating vary from house to house, but in Richmond most projects fall within £1,550–£3,900 including VAT. That reflects costs in London, about 30% above the national guide. Treat the table as a budgeting aid; the written figure follows a survey we carry out for free.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one average bedroom or living room. | £450–£1,150 |
| House exterior | Masonry and joinery on a typical semi, including access equipment. | £3,200–£7,800 |
| Whole interior of a 3-bed house | Every room, hallway, stairs and landing, including woodwork. | £3,900–£8,400 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- Number and size of rooms, including ceiling height
- Whether woodwork, doors and wallpaper are included
- Paint quality, colour changes and number of coats
- Exterior access, scaffolding and the condition of surfaces
What do you get?
- 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
Local housing and painting and decorating
London's housing is dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces, often in yellow London stock brick, with Georgian terraces in central districts and mansion blocks across many inner areas. Outer boroughs have large belts of interwar semis, and there are extensive post-war council estates. Many houses have been split into flats, and conservation areas are widespread.
Terraces suit side-return extensions and rear dormer loft conversions; interwar semis commonly take hip-to-gable lofts. Shared party walls, restricted parking and conservation rules often shape the plans and the programme.
That mix of housing shapes how we approach painting and decorating in Richmond: the age and construction of your home affect the materials, the method and, in the end, the price.
Permissions for painting and decorating in Richmond
For anyone in Richmond, the relevant framework is England's. The summary below is general, so we always contact the council about your address before putting a price in writing.
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
Free site survey
Book a visit and we'll come to you. The survey covers measurements, the state of what's there now and any obvious constraints, so the price that follows is based on your actual home, not an average.
Your fixed price
We put everything into a written, fixed-price quote: the specification, what's excluded, staged payments and the expected time on site. Take whatever time you need to decide; there's no pressure to commit.
Dates and permissions
We handle the paperwork side: checking whether planning permission or building control approval is needed, submitting applications where they are, and scheduling the trades and materials around your dates.
On site to finish
Our trades complete painting and decorating while your point of contact keeps you updated. When everything is finished, we clear the site, take away waste and go through the result with you before handover.
What you can expect from us
Frequently asked questions
How often should exterior woodwork be repainted?
Exterior woodwork, such as timber windows, doors and fascias, usually needs repainting every five to eight years, depending on exposure, paint quality and how well it was prepared. South-facing and coastal elevations wear faster. Look out for flaking, cracking or bare patches, which let water into the timber. Repainting before rot sets in costs far less than replacing joinery.
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.
Can I stay at home during the work?
In most cases, yes. Most people can live at home throughout, and we plan the work to keep disruption down by protecting floors, agreeing working hours and keeping access routes clear. Bigger jobs affecting kitchens, bathrooms or heating may mean a short spell with reduced facilities, and we talk this through with you at the survey.
How long does it take to decorate a room?
Decorating an average room usually takes one to two days, allowing time for preparation, a mist coat or primer where needed and two finishing coats. Hallways, stairs and landings take longer because of the height and the amount of woodwork. Wallpapering adds time for stripping and lining. We give you a schedule so you know which rooms will be out of use and when.
Do I need planning permission in Richmond?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Richmond 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.
Also covering areas around Richmond
We welcome enquiries from all SW14, TW1, TW2 and TW9 postcodes in Richmond, plus Isleworth, Hounslow and Barnes. Each one gets the same survey at no charge and a written price fixed for the work described.