Painting & decorating cost: what it really costs in 2026
A Qome Snap Guide: quick, honest and no guff. Approximate figures, adjusted to your region inside Qome.
Snap answer
£15 – £29 /m²
Interior painting starts around £15/m² for walls only, £21 with ceilings, and £29 for the full room including woodwork. Wallpapering runs £24–£60/m² by paper.
Takes1–3 days per roomDisruptionLow, room by room, mostly just smell and drying time
Cost at a glance
Option
Best for
Guide range
Walls only
Refresh on sound surfaces
£15 /m²
Walls + ceiling
The usual full repaint
£21 /m²
Full room
Including woodwork and doors
£29 /m²
Wallpapering
Lining to mural papers
£24 – £60 /m²
Approximate guide figures, not quotes, Qome adjusts every price to your region.
What actually happens
Furniture out or covered; floors sheeted
Old wallpaper stripped where needed
Holes and cracks filled, then sanded smooth
Surfaces washed down and dust removed
Mist or first coat on, drying time matters
Second coat for depth and an even finish
Woodwork glossed or satinwooded last, then de-masked
Price by region
Starting figures by region, the same honest baseline, adjusted for where you live.
London (Inner)from £23 /m²
London (Outer)from £20 /m²
South Eastfrom £18 /m²
East of Englandfrom £16 /m²
South Westfrom £16 /m²
Scotland (Highlands)from £14 /m²
West Midlandsfrom £14 /m²
North Westfrom £14 /m²
East Midlandsfrom £14 /m²
Scotland (Central)from £14 /m²
Yorkshirefrom £14 /m²
Walesfrom £13 /m²
North Eastfrom £13 /m²
Northern Irelandfrom £12 /m²
Popular choices
Warm neutrals and off-whitesSage green and olive tonesTerracotta and clay accentsColour-drenched ceilings
Rules & regulations
No regulations for normal interior decorating, exterior changes to listed buildings are the exception
Snap tips
Prep is 70% of a good finish, a cheap quote usually means skipped prep
Buy a tester pot and check the colour at morning and evening light
Price it properly on Qome
Choose your options and see an honest, region-adjusted estimate, free.