Cost of decorating? Help!

Rosie_Stark

We live in a modern block of flats in London. The walls and ceiling and woodwork in the common parts were in good condition, but the decorating (all internal) was a little dirty. I wasn't on the ball when it was going to be done, and only learnt how much it cost afterward. I am staggered. How much should it cost for a professional painter to redecorate a flight of stairs? - ceiling not high. An entrance hallway about 7 meters long and quite narrow? - say 1.7 meters wide including under the stairs? A landing about 3 meters by 3 meters with three apartment doors? The apartment doors are wood, as are the window frames, so don't need painting, but there are architraves, simple skirting, etc. It was quite a substantial project taken together, and I would have thought there was economies of scale, but it is easier for me to work it out in terms of the cost of one staircase and landing.

Anyone?

Reece_

How long's a piece of string...I'd take a rough stab in the dark that average hall,stairs and landing job, just repaint, no papering, around £500-800. Are you saying that you didn't get given any estimates or quotes prior to the decorating commencing?

phill99

Its academic now if the bill has been paid.

Rosie_Stark

Thanks, phill99. It's not academic if it's not the first time it's happened and we have a right to reasonable costs and honest and competent tendering. It is very painful, and probably not just a little over-priced. But that is what I am trying to find out!

Rosie_Stark

Thanks, Reece. Was asleep on the job before it happened. And it's happened before.

This piece of string is very approximately 18 square meters each stairs and landing considered together. The condition was very good, the door architrave and skirting simple, altogether modern and boxy, no cornicing, no Farrow and Ball or other really expensive paint. What is the MOST it can be without getting ridiculous. And if is only part of a much larger job, so there would be economies of scale - no having to wait for the paint to dry, etc. All thoughts welcome, especially from decorators or anyone who's had work done recentl

xyz123

Rosie_Stark wrote: »

Thanks, Reece. Was asleep on the job before it happened. And it's happened before.

This piece of string is very approximately 18 square meters each stairs and landing considered together. The condition was very good, the door architrave and skirting simple, altogether modern and boxy, no cornicing, no Farrow and Ball or other really expensive paint. What is the MOST it can be without getting ridiculous. And if is only part of a much larger job, so there would be economies of scale - no having to wait for the paint to dry, etc. All thoughts welcome, especially from decorators or anyone who's had work done recentl

Good luck but as said if bill is already paid and more importantly the cost was not agreed in writing prior to starting work then not much you can do.... How much did you pay anyway? It can give us an idea..

phill99

There will be a marked difference in the cost of decorating stairs in a communal flat entrance to decorating stairs in a house. Communal stairs are classed as a commercial space as well as a public space so will need to be supervised, have risk assessments drawn up etc. This automatically shifts it from a one man band decorator to a more established larger company. With larger companies you will get a much higher cost base. For a typical one man band, you will expect to pay £150/ day for decorators/ For larger commercial concerns, expect to pay £220 + per day as they have to cover the costs of estimators, office staff etc. They will have a higher mark up on materials. And then there is 20% vat to pay on all this.


So don't compare it with the average home decorator. You will be miles out.

System

who arranged for the work to be done?
If you have a management company who arrange these things and you pay a standing charge it's neither here nor there. If you have to pay over and above for things like this it is normal to get a letter asking for approval to carry out the works, usually showing the quote(s) then you pay a share on the completion of the works

PasturesNew

Do you know how many days and how many men and how many hours it took?

If it were £10k and it took one man two days I'd moan.

If it were £2k and took two weeks and there were three men working 8 hours/day on it, I'd want their phone numbers.

Rosie_Stark

Thanks xyz123 and phill99 the r sole and Pastures New. I appreciate your comments. I have some past experience with architecture and renovation, not a complete newbie, not up to date with costs and never "in the industry", but not totally naïve.

The company which carried out the work appears to be a boss who employs or subcontracts East European decorators and other tradesmen. They don't seem to have a high profile presence, I think the boss is the estimator, and if they have office staff, I can't see it. There is an address of a unit in a commercial centre online but not on the business card, and a phone number online, which is not valid, with other numbers that reach the boss. It sounds like an enterprising man working with low overheads, but I take your point about not comparing it with a domestic property.

The finish was good, but not exceptional, in my view. The boss was pleasant. When they were working, I assumed that they were selected over bigger name companies because they were inexpensive and good value for money.

The approximate cost per one staircase and landing (or modest entrance hall and landing) was £2000 NET of VAT and an assumed charge by the Managing Agent, though I wonder if they should charge an additional fee because they are named as partners to the company. Including VAT etc., it is more like £2800. I don't recall the amount of time taken, breaking it up to this little chunk of 18 sq m or so, as I have. I would GUESS the equivalent of 3-4 days for one man, who could go on to other work as paint dried. Of course there were more men on the job. There are a total of 15 staircases and landings in the different buildings, hence economies of scale.

Does that make your eyes water? It does mine, and I have a friend who tenders to Russian oligarchs. (I wouldn't ask his thoughts. It would make me feel like a fool.)