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.
Anyone planning painting and decorating in Perth wants three things: a clear price, a realistic timetable and a tidy job. We publish a guide of £1,150–£2,900 including VAT for Scotland up front, explain that work normally takes 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior, and confirm both in writing after a free survey of your property.
- Guide price
- £1,150–£2,900 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Postcodes
- PH1 and PH2
- Planning rules
- Scotland
- Local area
- Perth and Kinross
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does painting and decorating cost in Perth?
In Perth, guide figures for painting and decorating sit at £1,150–£2,900, VAT included. We set them using rates for Scotland, currently about 4% below the national guide. The table shows what pushes a project towards either end of the range; your own price is set after a free survey.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Perth |
|---|---|---|
| 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 do you get?
- Floors, furniture and fittings protected with dust sheets and masking
- Mist coat on new plaster before finishing coats
- Two finishing coats to walls and ceilings as standard
- Woodwork sanded, primed where bare, and painted
- Wallpaper stripped or hung where included
- Furniture replaced, waste removed and a final tidy-up
Homes in Perth and Kinross
Perth has Georgian terraces and Victorian sandstone villas, Highland Perthshire towns such as Pitlochry and Aberfeldy have stone villas and cottages, and Kinross and Crieff mix older stone housing with post-war and modern estates. Slate roofs and harled finishes are common in rural areas.
Inland areas get hard frosts and snow on higher ground, and the Tay and its tributaries have a history of flooding.
So when we survey a Perth property for painting and decorating, the first step is working out how it was built and what has been changed since.
Do you need permission in Perth?
Which rules apply depends on where you live. For Perth, the answer is Scotland, and the points below reflect that; we verify them with the council before quoting.
Internal improvements do not need planning permission in Scotland unless the building is listed.
Like-for-like kitchen and bathroom replacements do not normally need a building warrant, but structural changes and some drainage or heating alterations do, and electrical work must meet the building standards.
Rules change and every property is different, so we check the planning history and constraints for your address before we quote.
What happens after you get in touch?
We look at the job
First, someone visits your home in Perth to see the space, take measurements and note anything that could affect the work, such as access or the condition of what is there. There is no charge for this visit.
Price and scope agreed
After the survey we send a quote for painting and decorating that fixes the price for the scope we've agreed. If you want to change materials or scope, we revise it in writing before anything is booked.
Plan and prepare
Next comes planning the work itself. We set a start date that suits you, line up the right trades, and make sure any approvals for painting and decorating are in place before the first day on site.
The work itself
The work is carried out to the agreed specification, with floors and furniture protected and the site kept tidy. At the end we clean up, walk through the finished job with you and hand over any certificates.
Why homeowners choose us
Questions about painting and decorating in Perth
Can you paint over wallpaper?
Painting over wallpaper is possible if it is firmly stuck, but it often leads to bubbles and visible seams, and makes future stripping harder. In most cases, stripping the paper, filling and lining the walls, or skimming them, gives a better and longer-lasting finish. We check how well the paper is bonded during the survey and explain the options and costs.
Who do I deal with during the job?
One point of contact manages your project from survey to handover. They schedule the trades working under our contract, keep you updated on progress, and are the person to call with any question. You don't need to coordinate builders, electricians or decorators separately, because that is part of what we do.
What happens at the survey?
We visit your home at a time that suits you, look at the area involved, take measurements and check access, condition and any services that might be affected. We talk through what you want from painting and decorating, explain the options and answer questions. There is no charge and no obligation; afterwards we send a 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.
Nearby towns
Addresses in PH1 and PH2 are all covered for Perth, along with Auchterarder, Blairgowrie and Crieff close by. Give us your postcode when you get in touch and we will confirm the details.