Project guide
How much does it cost to paint a room in the UK?
Painting a room is the emulsion, plus the filler, caulk, tape and brushes that go with it. A colour change or new plaster adds a coat. A decorator, if you hire one, is a separate quote and varies by area.
The short answer
For a normal two-coat repaint, plan on 1 litre of emulsion for every 6 m² of wall, and the same for the ceiling. A 4 x 3.5m room needs about 7.8 litres, so one 10L tin if the walls and ceiling are the same colour, or two 5L tins if you would rather buy smaller. The rest of the list is filler, caulk, tape, a roller and brushes. Labour is not included.
Labour is not priced on this page. It is quoted separately and varies by area, so ask locally. Materials prices are not written here either: the button opens SmartBuild with your measurements and live prices from supplier feeds where we have them.
How the numbers are worked out
The formula
- Materials = emulsion for walls and ceiling + filler, caulk, tape and brushes + woodwork paint if you are doing skirting and doors
- Litres = (wall area + ceiling area) x number of coats / 12
- Wall area (m²) = perimeter x height - 1.6 per door - 1.5 per window
- A different ceiling colour is a separate tin, not one tin shared with the walls
Worked example
A 4 x 3.5m room, 2.4m high, one door, one window, two coats, ceiling the same colour:
- Walls: 32.9 m². Ceiling: 14 m²
- Paint: 5.5 litres on the walls and 2.3 on the ceiling, 7.8 litres in total
- Tins: 1 x 10L, or 2 x 5L. The calculator lets you compare those live prices
- With that: 1 filler, 3 tubes of caulk, 1 roll of tape, brushes, a roller, sandpaper and 2 dust sheets
- Skirting and doors: a tin of satinwood on top, if you are painting them
Materials checklist
- Matt emulsionWalls and ceiling. One tin only works if they are the same colour. A white ceiling needs its own tin.
- Interior fillerHoles and cracks. A room with a lot of making good can use more than the one tub on the list.
- Decorator's caulkGaps along the skirting and around door frames, before the final coat.
- Masking tape, brushes and a rollerCutting in and rolling. Buy these once and they cover later rooms.
- Dust sheets and sandpaperCover the floor, and sand filler smooth before the first coat.
- Satinwood or gloss (optional)Skirting, doors and frames. It is not in the emulsion total.
You'll also need
- Sugar soap or a wash-down before you start
- A roller extension pole for the ceiling
- A decorator, if you want one. Prep time is what moves their quote, and rates vary by area
- A mist coat of matt emulsion if the plaster is new
Step by step
- Measure the roomLength, width and ceiling height, then count doors and windows.
- Choose the coatsTwo for a normal repaint, three on new plaster (a mist coat plus two), one if you are refreshing the same colour.
- Decide if the ceiling matchesA different colour means you cannot share one tin between walls and ceiling.
- Add the prepFiller, caulk, tape, sheets and, if you are doing it, woodwork paint. That is part of the materials bill, not a free extra.
- Compare tin sizes in the appThe button opens the decorating project with your room filled in, so you can see live prices for a 10L tin and for smaller tins.
Tips from the manufacturers
- Plan on 12 m² per litre per coat, not the "up to" figure on the tin. Dulux quotes up to about 13 m² for retail matt and up to 17 for trade vinyl matt. Real walls use more.
- New plaster needs a thinned mist coat first (Dulux), then two full coats. Choose 3 coats in the calculator. The full working is on the new-plaster paint guide.
- Two full coats is the normal finish. A big colour change, especially light over dark, can need another coat.
- If you buy more than one tin of a colour, mix them in a bucket so a slight batch difference does not show as a stripe.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying from the coverage on the tin and running out on the last wall.
- Forgetting that a white ceiling and coloured walls are two paints, not one.
- Leaving filler, caulk and tape off the budget, then making a second trip.
- Comparing a decorator quote with a tin of emulsion as if they were the same kind of cost. Labour varies by area and is not on this page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to paint a room in the UK?
The materials are the emulsion plus filler, caulk, tape and brushes. A 4 x 3.5m room is about 7.8 litres for two coats on the walls and ceiling. Labour, if you hire a decorator, is quoted separately and varies by area. Open the calculator for live tin prices.
How many tins do I need?
For that 4 x 3.5m room, one 10L tin covers walls and ceiling in the same colour. Two 5L tins cover it as well. Use the app to compare the live prices of those tin sizes.
Does a new colour cost more in paint?
It can, because a strong change of colour often needs an extra coat. Set the calculator to the number of coats you will actually apply.
Is the decorator included?
No. This page is the materials you buy. A decorator quotes labour on top, and the figure depends on the prep and on the area.
How much paint for new plaster?
Allow a mist coat plus two full coats, which is 3 in the calculator. The new-plaster guide goes through that job on its own.
Sources
- Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt data sheet
- Dulux Easycare data sheet (two coats, thinned first coat on new surfaces)
- Dulux: painting new plaster (mist coat)
Quantities are estimates for typical jobs, using the coverage figures above. Products vary, so check the data sheet for the product you buy, and talk to a professional for structural, electrical or gas work. SmartBuild is independent and not affiliated with any of the manufacturers listed.
Related guides
Get the full priced list
Open SmartBuild with your measurements and see a total from up-to-date prices where we have them, plus links to check other suppliers. Free, no sign-up needed for DIY.