Is your decorating quote fair? Essex prices, side by side
Two decorators can look at the same living room and come back with £450 and £1,500. Both can be honest, because they're pricing different jobs: a fresh coat on sound walls, or filling, lining paper, woodwork, doors and premium paint.
This page sets out what Essex decorators publish on their own websites, what changes the price, and the questions that make quotes comparable.
What Essex decorators publish (checked 24 October 2026)
Prices from decorators' own websites. They aren't quotes.
| Decorator (anonymised) | Living room | Double bedroom | Hall, stairs & landing | Day / hourly rate | Paint included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southend-area handyman and decorating service (A) | £450–£550; large living/dining room £550–£650 | £250–£300 (large £300–£350) | £450–£650 | £250–£300 a day; two-person team £450–£700 a day | Probably not. The price list says "Prices do not include paint" (in its doors and windows section). Ask whether that applies to rooms too. Prices assume the room is empty of furniture |
| Rayleigh decorator (B) | £400–£700 for "a typical bedroom or living room" | Not published | Not published | Yes: "including all prep and two coats of quality paint" | |
Prices taken from firms' own published rates, checked 24 October 2026. Firms are named only once they've agreed. Spotted an error? Email hello@fairquoteessex.co.uk.
Extras decorator A prices separately: ceiling £100–£180, skirting £7 a metre, door frames £40–£60 each, a wooden door £100, wallpaper removal £60 a wall. Its room prices include "minor wall repairs and standard preparation", but not doors or windows unless stated.
Worked example (illustration only)
Say you've been quoted £1,850 to paint a large living room.
- Decorator A lists a large living/dining room at £550–£650. Add up to £180 if the ceiling is extra, and paint if it isn't included: roughly £550–£830 plus paint.
- Decorator B quotes £400–£700 for a typical living room, paint included.
So £1,850 is two to three times these published figures. That isn't automatically a rip-off, but the reason should be in writing. Common reasons are heavy crack repair or replastering, stripping wallpaper, lining paper, all the woodwork, doors and radiators, a dark-to-light colour change needing an extra coat, premium paint, or high ceilings and awkward access. If none of those apply, get a second quote.
Why quotes for the same room vary so much
- Preparation. Filling, sanding, caulking and priming can take longer than the painting. It's also the part a cheap quote quietly skips.
- What "the room" means. Walls only? Ceiling? Skirting, door, frame, window? Decorators draw the line in different places. Decorator A prices doors and ceilings separately.
- Paint. Some prices include paint, some exclude it, and premium brands usually cost extra.
- Furniture. Some prices assume an empty room. Moving and covering furniture can cost more.
- VAT. Only VAT-registered decorators charge it, and it adds 20%. Check whether a figure includes it.
- Hourly or fixed. Hourly is fine for small jobs. For a whole room, ask for a fixed price, so the risk of overrunning sits with the decorator.
Eight questions to ask before you accept a decorating quote
- Is this a fixed price or an estimate? If it's hourly, what's the estimated total?
- Exactly which surfaces are included: walls, ceiling, skirting, door, frames, window, radiator?
- Is paint included? Which brand and finish, and how many coats on each surface?
- What preparation is included: filling, sanding, caulking, a mist coat on new plaster?
- Do I need to empty the room, or is moving and covering furniture included?
- Is VAT included, and are you VAT-registered?
- When can you start, and how many days will it take?
- Do you have public liability insurance, and can I see recent work or speak to a past customer?
Be wary of anyone who won't put the price and the scope in writing, or who wants most of the money before starting. A deposit for materials is common. Paying for most of the job up front isn't.
Are you an Essex decorator?
If you publish clear prices and would like to be considered for the directory, or something here is wrong, email hello@fairquoteessex.co.uk. Listing is free, and nothing about your business goes live until you've checked it.
General information only. Prices change, so confirm them before you instruct anyone.
Sources: decorators' own published price pages, checked 24 Oct 2026.