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.
Cost is usually the first question about painting and decorating, so here is the guide for the South West: £1,200–£3,100 including VAT. We cover the whole of Wiltshire, with Swindon, Salisbury, Trowbridge and Chippenham among the main centres. Because each UK nation sets its own rules, we check the requirements in England for your property, then put a firm price on paper following a free survey.
- Guide price
- £1,200–£3,100 inc VAT
- Time on site
- 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior
- Planning rules
- England
- Price level
- About 2% above the national guide
- Towns listed
- 5
- Survey
- Free, with a written quote
Painting and decorating prices in Wiltshire
What should you budget for painting and decorating in Wiltshire? Use the figures below as a starting point. Prices in the South West sit about 2% above the national guide, so the range here is £1,200–£3,100 including VAT. Your fixed price comes in writing once we've surveyed the property, at no charge.
| Type of job | What it usually involves | Guide in Wiltshire |
|---|---|---|
| Single room | Walls, ceiling and woodwork in one average bedroom or living room. | £350–£900 |
| House exterior | Masonry and joinery on a typical semi, including access equipment. | £2,600–£6,100 |
| Whole interior of a 3-bed house | Every room, hallway, stairs and landing, including woodwork. | £3,100–£6,600 |
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
- Exterior access, scaffolding and the condition of surfaces
Scope of the work
- Survey of each surface and agreed colours and finishes
- Filling cracks and holes, sanding and spot priming
- 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 Wiltshire
Salisbury has medieval and Georgian streets, the north-west around Corsham and Bradford on Avon uses Bath stone, and chalk and flint appear on the downland. Swindon has railway-village terraces and very large post-war and modern estates, and many Wiltshire villages have thatched cottages, some with chalk cob walls.
Cob and Bath stone walls need breathable, lime-based repairs, and thatched cottages may need careful roof work. Swindon's railway terraces suit loft rooms and rear extensions, while its large estates often add garage conversions, driveways and landscaping.
Salisbury Plain and the downs are exposed to wind and frost, while river valleys around Salisbury and the Avon can flood.
Planning and building rules in Wiltshire
The notes below cover England, which is where Wiltshire sits. Rules change and every property is different, so we speak to the council before pricing your job.
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.
The four stages
A visit to your home
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
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.
Getting ready
Before anyone starts, we confirm the programme in writing, check whether consents are required and arrange deliveries. If a skip or scaffolding on the road needs a permit, we apply for it.
Build and hand over
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
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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 £1,200–£3,100. 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.
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.
How long will painting and decorating take?
On a typical home, allow 1–2 days per room; 3–7 days for a house exterior. Larger projects, older buildings and extra work found once things are opened up can extend that, while simpler jobs may be shorter. Your quote includes an estimate of time on site, and your point of contact keeps you updated on the programme as the work progresses.
Towns in Wiltshire
We offer painting and decorating in each of the towns below, all within Wiltshire. Select yours for guide prices, postcodes covered and nearby places.