How we work, and what it costs
Most of a decorating job happens before the paint goes on. Here is what we do, in order, how long it takes and what you can expect to pay.
- Usually booked 4 to 8 weeks ahead
- We supply all the paint
Painting and decorating prices: where jobs start
We'd rather you knew roughly what a job costs before anyone has booked a visit, so here's where our prices start. They aren't fixed prices: size, condition and the level of preparation all move them, and exteriors depend on access and repairs too.
There are two of us and our jobs usually run to several days, so we generally take on two or more rooms, a hallway, stairs and landing, or larger projects. We confirm a price once we have seen the job.
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A room from around £1,000 + VAT
A typical starting point for one room: repairs and the amount of woodwork move it up or down.
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Hallway, stairs and landing from around £3,000 + VAT
Depends on size, condition and the level of preparation required: a realistic starting point, not a fixed price.
How long decorating takes: rooms and hallways
Drying times set the pace: filler, caulk, ceilings, walls, undercoat and top coats all need theirs. That is why we often work on two or three areas at once, and can usually finish 2 to 4 rooms in a working week.
Single-storey hallway, stairs and landing5 working days
Double-storey hallway6 to 10 working days
A standard room3 to 4 working days
A single-storey hallway takes in the hall side of every door, handrails, spindles, balustrades and stair strings, the cupboard under the stairs, the inside of the front door and any dado or picture rails. Some Victorian halls climb three storeys, and those sit at the top of the range.
We are usually booked 4 to 8 weeks ahead, and 10 to 12 weeks in summer, so it pays to call early.
"Colin and Harry were with us for over a week but their time keeping, meticulous preparation, attention to detail and cleanliness made the whole experience completely stress-free."
How we work, from first call to clear-up
The same order on every job, because skipping a step is what shows later.
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1. Tell us about the job
Call, or send the enquiry form with a few photos so we can see the condition before we visit.
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2. We come and look
We talk through what you want, help with colours if you'd like it, and look at what needs repairing.
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3. You get a price
Based on what we've seen, including the preparation the job really needs. The visit and the quote cost you nothing.
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4. Everything protected
Floors, furniture and fittings covered before a tool comes out. If new carpets are coming, we cut the old edges back ready for the fitters.
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5. Prepare properly
Strip and fill, repair blown plaster, line with Wallrock where walls need it, rake out plaster pops, mist-coat new plaster, sand and stabilise outside.
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6. Paint for the room
Finishes chosen for how the room is used: durable matt on busy walls, eggshell where there's moisture, tinted eggshell to colour-code radiators.
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7. Clear up
Tidy every day, and properly at the end: glass cleaned, floors mopped, pictures back on the walls.
The paints we use, Farrow & Ball to Dulux Trade
The right product for the surface and the room, in any colour you like, and every tin bought by us. Stuck for one? Here are the colours we've used.
Colours
Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Coat, Sanderson and Dulux colours, matched or tinted into the paint the job needs.
Walls and ceilings
Johnstone's Acrylic Durable Matt for hard-wearing walls; anti-reflective brilliant white ceilings; Wallrock reinforced lining paper on tired plaster.
Woodwork
Johnstone's Aqua Guard undercoat, satin and matt; tinted oil-based eggshell for colour-coded radiators.
Outside
Dulux Weathershield on masonry and pebbledash; Zinsser AllCoat on timber and buildings; specialist exterior fillers and stabilising solution.
Garden timber
Sadolin Extra on cedar and gazebos; manufacturer systems such as Sikkens where a warranty needs them; Cuprinol on decking and pergolas.
Before the colour
Knotting on new timber so the knots can't bleed through, a mist coat on fresh plaster, and filler and caulk wherever the surface needs it.
Frequently asked questions
Do you visit before giving a price?
Yes, and the visit and the quote are free. We come and look at the job, talk through colours and what needs repairing, then price it. Photos sent with your enquiry help us understand it before we visit.
Why do you put your prices on the website?
Because it saves everyone a wasted afternoon. If the figures on this page are in the right region for you, the visit is worth both our time; if they aren't, you've found out for free.
Can you work while we're away?
Yes. Several clients have given us keys while they were on holiday; we lock up and set the alarm each day, and keep you updated. One Bickley couple were away for the whole of their hall, stairs and landing, and wrote afterwards that they "received regular emails and photos of progress". We'll also text you when we arrive and again when we leave each day. It doesn't need a reply; it's just for your peace of mind.
Do you help choose colours?
Yes. We suggest what will work with your flooring and light, often with photos of schemes we've done in similar houses, including ideas such as colour-washing woodwork in the wall colour.
Do you clear up?
Every day, and properly at the end. On whole-house jobs we've cleaned the glass, kitchen and bathrooms and steam-mopped the floors as we left.
How long does a hallway, stairs and landing take?
A single-storey hallway, stairs and landing is usually 5 days for the two of us, and a double-storey hallway 6 to 10 days depending on its size. A standard room takes 3 to 4 days, mostly because of drying times between coats.
How far ahead are you booked?
Usually 4 to 8 weeks, and 10 to 12 weeks in summer.
Do you supply the paint?
Yes, always. Every tin of paint and tube of filler comes with us, bought by us, so nothing runs out halfway through and all you have to choose is the colour. Wallpaper is the one thing you'll usually want to choose yourself, and we'll tell you how many rolls to buy.
Which paints do you use?
Whatever suits the surface and the room: Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Coat and Sanderson colours; Johnstone's, Dulux Trade and Zinsser for durability; Sadolin and Cuprinol outside on timber.
Do you use oil-based or water-based paint on woodwork?
On doors, skirtings, architraves and staircases we use Johnstone's Aqua Guard, a water-based system: an undercoat, then a satin or matt top coat, chosen because it's tough and resists scratches. Oil-based paint still has its jobs. Radiators colour-coded to their walls get a tinted oil-based eggshell, and some garden cabin makers specify an oil-based system, which takes more care to put on without runs.
Can you recommend other trades?
Yes. When a job needs more than decorating we can put you in touch with people we trust: a plasterer we've used for years, a carpenter for cupboards and ceilings, and A J Rogers & Sons in Bromley for flooring. It works both ways. A J Rogers recommended us for a Bickley hallway, and laid the new floor the moment we'd finished.
The company that DOESN'T live up to its name.
The prices, the timings and the order we work in are all above. If they suit you, the next step is a visit.
Before you book us
The things we'd want to know if it were our house.
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On the books since 2002
Splat Decorating Ltd, company no. 04553807. Colin has been a director from the start.
Check Companies House -
Insured, and checked
Our public liability insurance was verified by TrustATrader in May 2026.
See our TrustATrader profile -
The two of us, every day
Colin and Harry Fry, father and son, do the work themselves. No subcontractors, no strangers in your house.
About Colin and Harry -
Paint we'd use at home
Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Coat, Johnstone's, Dulux Trade, Zinsser and Sadolin. We buy it, so it never runs out halfway.
Our prices, timings and paints