This table shows 3 bedroom house painting costs and common factors that affect price. Below, a more detailed lists of costs includes small flats to large homes plus itemised costs per room. Some homeowners paint their interior for as little as £400 – the cost of paint and supplies – when they do the work themselves. When a painter or decorator does the work, costs can exceed £3,000 for an average home. These cost factors will determine the paint quotes you’ll receive from local painters and decorators. This table goes into more detail regarding the cost to paint a room, cost to paint the hall, stairs and landing, and homes with differing numbers of bedrooms.Cost to Paint a House Interior
The average cost to paint a house interior is £2,250 for a 3 bedroom house when painting the skirting boards, door frames and windowsills is included. Painting a single room ranges from £150 to £375 depending on room size. About £225 per room is average.
Low Cost
£400 (DIY) – £1,600
National Average Cost
£1,700 – £2,400
High Cost
£2,500 – £3,200
How Much Does it Cost to Paint a 3 Bedroom Home
House Painting Cost
Low Cost
Average Cost
High Cost
Cost Range
£400 (DIY) – £1,600
£1,700 – £2,400
£2,500 – £3,200
DIY Labour
Yes or No
No
No
Wall Preparation
Minimal
Average
More than Average
Paint Quality
Average
Average to Better
Better to Best
Skirtings, etc.
No
Yes or No
Yes
Wall Height
240cm
240cm – 300cm
300cm or higher
Stairway
No
Yes or No
Yes
Stripping Wallpaper
No
No
Possibly
Emptying Rooms
No
Yes
Yes
House Painting Costs, Including Cost to Paint a
Room
As a rule, cost per room goes down slightly as the number of rooms rises. This is because the painters are already on site with their equipment. Their fixed costs like travel and insurance are spread over more rooms.
Job | Average Cost | Time Required |
2 Bed House | £1,650 | 2-3 days |
3 Bed House | £2,250 | 3-4 days |
4 Bed House | £2,700 | 3-4 days |
5 Bed House | £3,350 | 4-6 day |
Small Room (1) | £185 | 3-5 hours |
2+ Small Rooms | £150 per room | 3 hours per room |
Medium Room (2) | £250 | 4-6 hours |
2+ Medium Rooms | £225 per room | 4 hours per room |
Large Room (3) | £375 | 5-7 hours |
2+ Large Rooms | £330 per room | 5 hours per room |
Hall | £200 – £385 | 3-6 hours |
Stairs and Landing | £350 – £535 | 5-8 hours |
(1) Small rooms include a small bedroom, bathroom, study or dressing room.
(2) Medium rooms include most bedrooms, kitchen / diner, small lounge
(3) Large rooms include en-suite bedrooms, large lounge
Interior House Painting: What’s Involved?
Here’s an overview of the scope of the project, so you will know what to expect.
Step 1: The furnishings and non-attached carpets will be moved from the room to be painted. As noted above, if the decorators do the work, the cost might be £10-£25 per room based on how much stuff is in the room, its size and weight.
Step 2: Floors will be covered to protect them from paint. Chandeliers, built-in bookcases and other attached furnishings will be covered for protection too.
Step 3: Wall prepping is the next step. To achieve a proper paint finish, walls must be clean and smooth. In some cases, this begins with washing the walls, at extra cost.
Ask decorators when getting quotes whether washing the walls is necessary and how much it raises the bid. Then, of course, you can wash the walls yourself if you’d like to save that expense.
Any imperfections must be filled, sanded or otherwise repaired – whatever is required to make the surface very smooth.
Step 4: Painter’s tape might be applied around windows, skirting boards and other items that either won’t be painted or will be painted a separate colour.
Steps 5 & 6: The first coat of paint will be applied and allowed to dry, usually overnight. Then the second coat will be applied.
Step 7: The work area will be cleaned up. Tape will be removed, and any touch-up needed will be carried out.
Frequently Asked Questions for Interior House Painting?
- Q. How Much does Paint Cost?
- Ans. “Cost varies by quality and by colour. Cheap paint starts at less than £3 per litre, and we do not recommend using paint of this grade in the finer areas of your home. Most good-quality paint costs £4-£8 per litre. Dulux and Johnstone’s Paint are examples.
These are very adequate for most interior painting projects.
The very best premium paints, Farrow & Ball for example, cost £14 to £20 per litre. The price of any paint is often lower per litre when you buy large tins rather than small ones.
Colour affects cost to. In any range, the richest, darkest colours usually cost the most.” - Q. Should the Timber Be Painted Too
- Ans. If your walls need fresh paint, the door frames, skirting boards and window frames and sills are probably looking grubby too. In fact, they will look especially dirty or faded once fresh paint has been applied to the walls.
- Q. When is the Cheapest Time to Have your Home Painted?
- Ans. “Cost quotes will be lowest when painters are hungry for work. The busiest times are summer when people like windows open to get rid of paint odours and autumn when everyone wants to get their home looking fabulous for entertaining during the Christmas season. Try to get your house painting done before this.The best time is early in the year when most homeowners aren’t in the mood to spend money, still feeling the sting of Christmas bills.”
- Q. Who supplies the paint and tools?
- Ans. “Painters always use their own tools. You can supply the paint, if you’d like, or the decorator can. It is possible that the decorator can get a better price on paint, so it is worth asking about cost.”