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.
We offer painting and decorating throughout Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, from Paisley, Greenock, Newton Mearns and Renfrew to the smaller places in between. Each project starts with a free survey at your home and ends with a written figure, fixed for the work you choose. Because Renfrewshire and Inverclyde is in Scotland, we work to the planning system and building standards used there, and guide prices for Scotland run at £1,150–£2,900 including 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
- Scotland
- Price level
- About 4% below the national guide
- Towns listed
- 7
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Painting and decorating prices in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Below is a breakdown of typical costs for painting and decorating in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde. Because rates in Scotland are about 4% below the national guide, the overall guide comes to £1,150–£2,900, including VAT. Size, materials and access move the figure, and a free-of-charge survey settles it.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Your price depends mostly on:
- 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
Scope of the work
- Survey of each surface and agreed colours and finishes
- Floors, furniture and fittings protected with dust sheets and masking
- Mist coat on new plaster before finishing coats
- Woodwork sanded, primed where bare, and painted
- Wallpaper stripped or hung where included
- Furniture replaced, waste removed and a final tidy-up
Housing across Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Paisley has sandstone tenements and terraces from its textile era, Greenock and Port Glasgow have tenements and housing climbing the hills above the Clyde, and Gourock and Kilmacolm have Victorian villas. Post-war estates and newer private housing surround the towns, and roughcast is a common finish.
Roughcast and tenement buildings commonly need re-rendering, window replacement and roof work. Villas suit kitchen extensions and landscaping, and semis often take loft conversions and driveways.
Inverclyde is one of the wettest parts of lowland Scotland, and homes facing the Firth of Clyde take wind and driving rain.
Planning and building rules in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Planning law differs across the UK. For a home in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde, it is the Scotland rules below that count, and we check them with the council ahead of any quote.
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.
The four stages
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.
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.
Booking the work
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
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.
How we work
Questions about painting and decorating in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
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.
When is the right time to paint the outside of a house?
Exterior painting needs dry weather and mild temperatures, so late spring to early autumn is usually the right time. Paint should not be applied to damp surfaces, in rain or frost, or in strong direct sun. Surfaces need time to dry out after rain before work starts. We plan exterior work around the forecast and pause if conditions turn.
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.
Is the price fixed?
Yes, for the specification we agree. Your written quote sets out exactly what is included at a fixed price. It only changes if you ask for something different, or if a problem the survey could not reasonably reveal later needs extra work. In either case we explain the change and confirm it in writing before going ahead.
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.
Towns in Renfrewshire and Inverclyde
Below is our list of Renfrewshire and Inverclyde towns for painting and decorating. If yours isn't shown, we may still cover it, so it is worth asking us directly.