Quotes is this fair? Painting stairwell

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Hi

About to get quotes for a painter / decorator to paint our entire stairwell. It's two floors with a spiral type staircase. Has anyone received quotes for this and what did you pay? We would expect the painter to brush down / clean and then paint.. or would the brushing/cleaning be down to us?

Just interested to hear what others paid. We're in Scotland if that makes any difference.

Thanks.

PasturesNew

I received a quote in 2001, laughed and tossed it in the bin.... it was for £3000!

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PasturesNew wrote: »

I received a quote in 2001, laughed and tossed it in the bin.... it was for £3000!

Bl00dy hell !!! I was expecting around £500 ish..... were they paining in gold? ;-)

Newly_retired

We paid £1000 some years back for painting of hall, stairwell and two landings, removal of ceiling tiles, painting 8 doors. Thought it was expensive but could not do stairwell ourselves, and he did a good job.

Katgrit

I've just paid £700 all in for hall stairs and landing, bedroom, bathroom, lounge and kitchen, plus tiling around kitchen surfaces to half height on 2 and a bit walls. Just immulsion, didn't touch the woodwork but did do the rads. I know that's pretty cheap - I live out in the sticks and even the washing machine repair man only charges a tenner labour regardless of the job!

phill99

I have a piece of string here. Please tell me how long it is.

It depends on a whole ramge of factors.

What exactly do you want doing? Does it include ceilings? All walls? Doors, frames, architraves, skirting? How many doors and frames? Are there picture rails or dado rails? What about the stairs? Do you need the bannister doing? The ballustrades? The stringers?

What is the current state of finish? Is there much preparation? Walls to be made good? Filled and sanded? Does the woodwork need taking back to timber and if so, how?

Who will supply paint? Do you need specialist paints such as Farrow and Ball? How will high ceilings be accessed! Will you supply access equipment?

Once you know tye answer to these, you will stand a better chamce if getting a price.

Mind_the_Gap

As above, impossible to predict what you'll be quoted without more information, but stairways are more tricky and time-consuming than ordinary rooms. Ask the decorator to quote separately for materials and labour and ask him how long he would expect it to take (based on one person working). If he says he has no idea, don't employ him.

If he says 4 days then quotes for labour at £1000, that's on the expensive side (except for London where overheads are higher). A decent decorator outside London will probably be charging £130-£200 per day.

Some tradesmen make a fortune on materials, too. Most domestic hallways inc. ceilings won't need more than 10-15 litres of emulsion paint (assuming 2 coats) and 2.5 litres trim paint (+ undercoat). Worth checking prices and how much he's making on it.

moneyistooshorttomention

Katgrit wrote: »

I've just paid £700 all in for hall stairs and landing, bedroom, bathroom, lounge and kitchen, plus tiling around kitchen surfaces to half height on 2 and a bit walls. Just immulsion, didn't touch the woodwork but did do the rads. I know that's pretty cheap - I live out in the sticks and even the washing machine repair man only charges a tenner labour regardless of the job!

There's cheap and there's "HOW cheap?" Crikey...that is low.

My last house had a stairwell and I think I paid around £700 (labour only) to have hall/stairs/upstairs landing painted (including ceilings with loft hatch in/several doors/radiator/woodwork) 4/5? years ago. I thought that was reasonable.

princeofpounds

There's DIY board further down the main forum page which has a section for questions like this.

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Per original post it's a stairwell (so not "inside" a house, the stairwell leads up to each flat's door) also per original post it's two floors with a spiral staircase

so no skirting or coving, no ceiling (as it's glass right up the top), no doors or frames and no timber framework needs painting. Perhaps the stair rail, however that is in good condition so would just need a coat.

simply walls and underside of staircase. Cracks will be filled and sanded so it will just be a case of the painter/decorator cleaning up where we can't and painting over.

Re question of paint we can or we can get them to quote with paint... whichever cheaper we would go with (they may get trade discounts). We won't be buying specialist paint, simply somethng that is hardy.

lee111s

10l of dulux emulsion, a roller and some dust sheets.

Cost me about £20 and 8 hours work to paint my hallway, stairway and upstairs landing along with 3 walls of my lounge.

People must have far too much money to be paying people to decorate for them. I wouldn't dream of it!