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.
Homeowners in Cardiff usually consider painting and decorating for one of a few reasons: something has worn out, the house no longer suits the way they live, or they are getting it ready to sell. We visit, agree a specification and put a fixed price in writing. Most jobs like this take 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior, and we work across South Glamorgan, including Penarth, Caerphilly and Barry.
- Guide price
- £1,100–£2,800 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Postcodes
- CF10, CF11 and CF24
- Planning rules
- Wales
- Local area
- South Glamorgan
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
How much does painting and decorating cost in Cardiff?
Here is how the guide price for painting and decorating breaks down in Cardiff. We start from national figures and adjust for Wales, which comes out about 8% below the national guide. The resulting range, VAT included, is £1,100–£2,800, and a survey, at no cost to you, firms it up.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Cardiff |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one average bedroom or living room. | £300–£850 |
| House exterior | Masonry and joinery on a typical semi, including access equipment. | £2,300–£5,500 |
| Whole interior of a 3-bed house | Every room, hallway, stairs and landing, including woodwork. | £2,800–£6,000 |
Expect these to shape the final quote:
- Number and size of rooms, including ceiling height
- Amount of preparation, filling and repairs needed
- Whether woodwork, doors and wallpaper are included
- 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
- 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
Local housing and painting and decorating
Cardiff has large areas of bay-fronted Victorian and Edwardian terraces in districts such as Roath, Canton and Cathays, plus interwar suburbs, post-war estates and modern flats around Cardiff Bay. Penarth has Victorian villas, Barry mixes terraces with newer estates, and Vale of Glamorgan villages are often built of local limestone.
Mild but wet, with coastal exposure along the Severn estuary and Bristol Channel affecting render, roofline and windows.
None of this holds for every street in Cardiff, which is why we look at your actual house before pricing painting and decorating rather than assuming from its age alone.
Do you need permission in Cardiff?
Each UK nation sets its own consent rules, and Cardiff is in Wales. What follows is a plain summary; we check the specifics for your property with the council before pricing anything.
Internal improvements do not need planning permission in Wales unless the building is listed.
Building Regulations in Wales cover notifiable electrical work, drainage, ventilation and any structural change.
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
A visit to your home
We begin by looking at the job in person. During the free survey we discuss options, materials and budget for painting and decorating, and photograph or measure anything the quote needs to reflect.
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.
Finish and handover
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.
What you can expect from us
Questions about painting and decorating in Cardiff
Do I need planning permission in Cardiff?
It depends on the work, the size of the project, your property type and whether the building is listed or in a conservation area. Cardiff is in Wales, so Wales'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.
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 Cardiff 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.
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.
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.
Near Cardiff
Live in Cardiff? Our coverage takes in the CF10, CF11 and CF24 postcode areas and reaches out to Penarth, Caerphilly and Barry, so homes on the outskirts and in the next town along are included.