Identify the surface and follow the current instructions for your exact products. Do not sand or strip uncertain old coatings. Read the safety guide before disturbing materials.
What a good quote contains
A quote is a description of the work as much as a price. If you cannot tell from reading it exactly which surfaces will be painted, with what, in how many coats, after what preparation, then you cannot compare it with anything and you cannot hold anyone to it.
- Every room or elevation named, with the surfaces in each: ceiling, walls, woodwork, radiators, windows inside and out
- The preparation, in words: wash down, fill and sand, strip paper, mist coat new plaster, spot prime, full undercoat
- The paint system: primer, undercoat, number of finish coats, and either the product or the type and sheen
- Who supplies the paint, and whether the price includes it
- What is excluded: moving heavy furniture, plaster repairs beyond filling, taking down fittings, lead paint procedures
- How unforeseen work is handled: a daily rate or a price before proceeding
- Start and duration, payment terms, and whether the business is insured
Why the cheapest is usually not
Labour is the cost of decorating, and preparation is most of the labour. A quote that is a third lower than the others has, almost always, taken the difference out of preparation or coats: one coat of emulsion instead of two, no undercoat on woodwork, no washing down, filling only what shows. The finish looks the same on day one. By year two the difference is on the wall.
That is not to say expensive is good. It is to say that if you compare on price alone you are comparing on the one thing that tells you least. Compare the preparation paragraph.
Questions worth asking
None of these are rude. A good decorator will be pleased you asked.
- How many coats on the walls, and is the first a full coat or a mist coat?
- Will the woodwork be sanded and undercoated, or just top coated?
- What will you do about the cracks along the skirting and the ceiling line?
- Which paint do you plan to use and why that one for this surface?
- What happens if you find something unexpected behind the paper or paint?
- Have you tested for lead on the old woodwork?
- Who will actually be doing the work, and will it be the same people each day?
- Can I see something you finished two or three years ago?
Quiet warning signs
A quote with no preparation described. A price given in the hall without opening a door. Cash only. No mention of insurance. A start date tomorrow, in June. Pressure to decide today. A number that is exactly what you said your budget was. None is proof of anything, and all are worth a second thought.
What we do
Our quotes follow the list above because that is how we want to be held to account. If we quote for two coats you get two coats. If we find rot or damp behind the paint we stop, photograph it, and give you a price before touching it. And if another quote is cheaper because it has left out preparation, we will tell you where, without running anyone down, so you can ask them.
Common mistakes
- Comparing totals instead of scopes
- Accepting a verbal price
- Assuming paint is included
- Not asking who will be in your house
If a quote is vague, ask for it in writing with the surfaces and coats listed. If it does not arrive, that is your answer.
Sources & further reading
Original general guidance from Aethos, informed by the resources below. These references cover relevant safety, materials or techniques, not a specification for your property. Product examples are not paid recommendations.
- This Old House: how to paint a room (opens in a new tab)
Preparation and room painting technique. US products and terminology do not always translate directly to UK specifications.