How much should a Painter and Decorator charge per day? 

To be fair I've just painted some ceilings in a £1.6m pound house, and the owner was the nicest guy, and gave me a good tip for the good work

19 weeks of a year is ridiculous. And expenses arnt anywhere near 10k

Yes but it's not the customers fault if you are sick or need a new flashy sign written van or a holiday. The customer is happy to pay you £150 to decorate one room and that's it. They just want you and your paint brush in the room and that's all they are paying for. I was self employed for many years but never had the same entitled attitude that trades people have these days.

@truthseeker7794 I think you are totally missing the point. It's understanding the value of a trades person who quite often when you have removed over heads/ unpaid time going out quoting/ holidays and sickness is often less than the minimum wage. Don't get me wrong I think the trade has a lot to do with it painter/ decorating is probably the least paid trade as its something a lot of people can do so they will struggle to charge good money vs say a kitchen/ bathroom fitter

Thank you Matthew, really appreciate that

I agree. I hope laying everything out like we have helps customers understand why the rates are what they are. Plus, Decorators will get through a lot more work than the average DIYer will. But it is expensive to hire a professional

Customers on low incomes shouldn't get tradesmen in to do work for them if they can't afford it.

Brother where does you live in uk

It's strange the way the term has lost meaning over the years. It was that ‘Decorators’ deal with everything from interior design, soft furnishings, decorative paint effects, etc. Then, for some reason, it changed. Now, if you ask a Painter and Decorator, they’ll just say “a Decorator hangs paper and a Painter just paints”. But it sounds like you’re more of a Multi-Trade than a Decorator. If you’re taking on plumbing, tiling, floor fitting etc, which are different trades.

@@decoratorsforumuk9036 I started out when I was still at school and worked with my uncle during the holidays. Back then there were no rollers and everything was painted with brushes, walls and ceilings. I was taught to hang wallpaper with just a pair of scissors and a brush. I picked up other trades more through necessity. I would often get customers who might want a radiator moved or a new light fitted. If I got a plumber or electrician out they would expect a full days pay for a hours work. It made sense to do these things myself and retain the cost of other trades. I have been in this business for over 40 years now. I spent most of my working life in London where I was born but now live in Cornwall. I charge £175 per day which is less than other "decorators" here. I have a reputation here as being the best decorator in Cornwall and some customers will say I'm the best decorator in all of the west country. I gained my reputation from doing high quality work and also paying attention to customer satisfaction. I often think I should charge more , but I'm struggling as it is and charging more could reduce the work I get. 😕

You sound more like a handyman. I think the trades in general get a bit overly stretched. Papering a wall has nowt to do with fitting a floor. Two different sports.

@@RBC0405 I can assure you I am a very qualified decorator. I started at 14 years old with my uncle, I am 59 this year. I think I've more than served my apprenticeship. I've been in Cornwall 10 years now and I'm still getting calls from people in London asking me to hang wallpaper. That's because there are not many people who can do that and do it well. Most decorators are multi skilled and that's what separates them from painters. When you have painters claiming to be a painter and decorator but all they can actually do is paint , that's basically fraud. If you can only paint you can hardly claim to be a decorator. A painter and a decorator are two very different animals. 👍

@@orvillefindley8117 you look 25 mate

My figures are bob on bud. I'm a Professional Decorator who runs a business.

@@decoratorsforumuk9036I 'qualified' as a House Painter & Decorator in 1979 and by retirement ran all trades on high end renovations. I would say for every competant properly trained person there are 10 or more that are some kind of self-taught and will ultimately struggle.

No need of marketing? 😂😂😂 it's 2024 mate.

Which bit is false?

​@@decoratorsforumuk9036 You're claim that charging 150 a day is considered pennies. I'd understand if charging 150 a down south would be considered extremely cheap but up north, 150 a day is ample. I've been told multiple times my pricing falls in between not cheap and not to expensive

Let them paint there own houses then. A solicitor will charge 400 per hour, its totally fair to ask for 250 a day. Just make sure you do a good job and you will be busy.

​​@@decoratorsforumuk9036That You're claim that 150 a day is basically minium wage. Which isn't true at all. Just because 150 a day doesn't suit you doesn't mean it doesn't suit everyone else. 150 a day for me is more than enough for me to keep busy and ensure I'm gonna beat the vast majority of quotes and have a good amount of cash flow. I've worked at minium wage and I've never earned the kind of money I'm earning now

​@@petehefferon8192750 a week isn't top lolly for a trade mate. You could get what you earn working in Aldi or Land Rover. You are all abour volume. How many jobs a week you doing?

I'm trying to make sense of what you just said, but I'm struggling. "self-employed get a tax refund that covers what you'd get in holiday pay". What is it you're talking about? A sole trader working CIS gets a refund for the tax paid on the first 10K of earnings (about 2 grand), but no one pays tax on the first 10K, cards in or self-employed. I'm struggling to understand your line of thinking. I don’t know whether you’ve got confused somewhere along the line, or I just don’t understand you.

@@decoratorsforumuk9036 I was self employed , in April you put in for your tax return getting from £3/5k which covers a month off for holidays. Or save £12 a day for 48 weeks gives you £2880 a year to cover holiday pay. Wanting £250 plus vat a day for an eight hour day … well six hour day is a con. And let’s face it 90% of people will pay cash which never gets fully taxed. £250 a day for 48 weeks a year is £60k …. It’s not even classed as a skilled job. Never employ any trade on day work as they just take the piss.

Nah, you can earn 150 a day over 10 hours packing pickles in a warehouse or working the tills at Aldi! A score an hour, 8 hours of graft. That's a fair deal all around.

Christ, there are some dumb people out there 😂

No doubt most self employed pay very little or no tax at all....how many jobs are "cash in hand".. dodgy as fook

Ooh! Did the van have shiny wheels?