Paint a room cost UK 2026
The going rate for paint a room in 2026 is box room: £175–£300/room · small bedroom: £250–£400/room · large bedroom: £350–£660/room · living room: £500–£990/room · kitchen: £250–£500/room · bathroom: £150–£300/room (total, ex VAT). Below: a calculator, what the job involves, materials at three price levels, and the prep that changes the price.
Paint a room calculator
Market bands
| Option | Band | Source |
|---|---|---|
| box room | £175–£300/room | MyJobQuote |
| small bedroom | £250–£400/room | MyJobQuote |
| large bedroom | £350–£660/room | MyJobQuote |
| living room | £500–£990/room | MyJobQuote |
| kitchen | £250–£500/room | MyJobQuote |
| bathroom | £150–£300/room | MyJobQuote |
What the job involves
| Stage | Task | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| prep | Move furniture, sheet and mask | 0.5 h |
| prep | Fill, sand, caulk and spot-prime | 1.5 h |
| paint | Cut in and roll walls, two coats | 6 h |
| paint | Ceiling, two coats | 2.5 h |
| paint | Clean up, touch in, rehang | 0.25 h |
Materials at three price levels
| Material | Budget | Trade | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wall emulsion (5L) 5L | £17 Leyland Trade Vinyl Matt 5L — Budget trade matt | £30 Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt 5L — Dulux: 8–10 m²/L a coat; about 27 m² for two coats | £45 Dulux Trade Diamond Matt 5L — Scrubbable: kitchens, halls, rentals |
| Ceiling white emulsion (5L) 5L | £15 Trade brilliant white matt 5L — MyJobQuote: matt £5–£8 a litre | £22 Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt PBW 5L — Flat, hides roller marks | £32 Dulux Trade Diamond Matt white 5L — Bathrooms and kitchens |
| Filler, caulk, abrasives and tape job | £10 Filler, caulk, sandpaper — T2B: £60–£120 room materials incl. paint | £15 Toupret filler, decorator caulk, abrasives, tape — Crisp edges, no cracks | £22 Premium fillers, low-tack tape, dust-free sanding — Lived-in homes |
Trade prices ex VAT, estimates checked 2026-09-27. Log your receipts in Grafto and your own prices replace these.
What changes the price
- Which room? box room · small bedroom · large bedroom · living room · kitchen · bathroom big effect
- What gets painted? walls only · walls & ceiling · walls, ceiling & woodwork big effect
- Wall condition? good · fair - some filling · poor - cracks and stains
- Room empty? empty · furnished
- Colour change? similar colour · dark to light
- New plaster? no · yes - mist coat first
- Radiators to paint?
Good practice
- Woodwork: sand, undercoat where needed, two coats
- New plaster: diluted mist coat so the emulsion bonds
- Radiators: heat-resistant enamel, heating off for 24 h
Prep to look for
| Condition | Check | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Old lead-based paint | Pre-1970 paintwork (many layers, alligator cracking)? | Treat as lead: no dry sanding or burning off; wet-abrade or chemical strip, bag waste |
| Water or damp stains | brown rings, tide marks or mould on walls or ceiling | Seal stains with stain block; paint won't hide them. Fix any live damp first |
| Nicotine or smoke staining | yellow-brown film on walls and ceiling, especially above radiators | Sugar-soap wash and stain-block primer before emulsion |
| Painted-over wallpaper | Paint on top of wallpaper (seams, bubbles)? | Strip and make good painted-over paper £150–£600. Painted paper can bubble: strip or seal and fill seams |
| Artex or textured ceiling | swirl, stipple or popcorn texture on the ceiling | Textured coating: paint over it, never sand or scrape (pre-2000 may contain asbestos) |
| Mould on walls or ceiling | black spotting in corners, around windows or on bathroom ceilings | Treat mould and let it dry. Kill the mould and improve ventilation, or it comes back through the paint |
Questions
How much does paint a room cost in the UK in 2026?
The researched market band is box room: £175–£300/room · small bedroom: £250–£400/room · large bedroom: £350–£660/room · living room: £500–£990/room · kitchen: £250–£500/room · bathroom: £150–£300/room (total, ex VAT), from MyJobQuote. A worked example of 1 room comes to about £424–£536 across budget, trade and premium materials.
How long does paint a room take?
The worked example of 1 room takes about 1.5 working days.
What changes the price of paint a room?
Mainly which room, what gets painted, plus any prep found on site: old lead-based paint, water or damp stains, nicotine or smoke staining, painted-over wallpaper.