Hi folks, recently we carried out a house painting cost survey with some tradesmen from our website. We asked them how much it would cost to paint the interior of an average 3 bed Semi detached house and if they had any tips for the customer on having a good experience with the tradesman. We have included a sample of the replies below:-
William from Kildare: Average 3 Bed house. Interior, labour only cost €3000. We find the best material for Interior is either Dulux or General paints..You don’t get splashes or over spray when you roll I find customers are inclined to go for the cheapest quote. Not always the right way. Customers when looking for a quote should mention that furniture has to be moved and put back. As you could spend a day or two moving furniture etc. As for payment we never look for payment until job is complete and the customer is happy with job . All about trust
Phil from Dublin: The average cost for 3 bed semi detached house would be between €1600 and €2000 excluding paint. That would include all surfaces being prepared ie sanding and filling. 2 coats of white emulsion on all ceilings. 2 coats of colour of choice on all walls. 1 coat of white undercoat on woodwork. 1 coat of white satin to finish woodwork. I would recommend clients use good quality materials for lasting finish
John from Carlow: €1800.00 use Dulux paint look for 2 coats make sure undercoat is used on timber work some painters only apply finish coat
Martin from Wicklow: The price to paint average size 3 bed-prep and paint ceilings, two coats walls, prep and paint two coats of finish, woodwork, ie–doors, architraves, skirting boards, roughly around 1,800 excluding materials.
Bernard from Dublin: To paint a 3 bedroom house internally labour only €3500 to €4000, it also depends on the condition of the house. Advise the customer on materials to use, and let them feel confident that you can do the job in the agreed time and they will have a quality finish.
Aidan from Dublin: I think a customer in Dublin should expect to pay somewhere between €3500-€5000 for labour to paint a three bed house. To keep a good relationship with the tradesman and to avoid any confusion, all work should be clearly described in a quotation and a price should be agreed for any additional work before any is carried out. It should be discussed how much preparation (if any) will be carried out by the customer in terms of clearing household items from the room prior to painting. It is always good practice to choose a tradesman who is highly recommended. This is far more important than the cheapest price. Never is it more true than in painting and decorating that you get what you pay for. Good work can take more than twice as long as bad work and therefore you may need to pay a lot more.
Maxim from Dublin: Price depends of work that has to be done , for painting a full 3 bed house our prices starts from €2400, all materials included except paint , about tradesmen check their portfolio ( previous work) , check reviews and don’t go cheap as you’ll pay twice that’s 100%,
Mark from Dublin: Roughly the average 3 bedroom semi detached house interior these days prices for labour only are for a good quick clean redec for say a rented property around the € 2300.00 , to a top end finish of a nice family home coming in around the € 3300.00 mark. All colours, brand’s etc should be discussed before any work begins and payment should be made upon completion of work. Sometimes people , particularly old people are quick to offer money up front, I would recommend no valid genuine tradesman accept any payments until completion of the work, but obviously depends on the size of the job and circumstances involved, I just don’t take payment until completion of works and find it has worked for both my customers and business reputation as a genuine tradesman.
Nicky from Wexford: The price would be totally dependant on the condition the property is in and if we are just doing a landlord freshen up or a new home owner looking for a show piece and also if we are painting just walls and ceiling or woodwork as well. In saying that i have painted 3 bed semis from €800 all the way up to €2500. The 800 would be a quick freshen between tenants and the 2500 would be where we are doing a forever house including taking door and timber from pine to white. Advise to client 1) don’t go with the cheapest price- if they do hold on to my number and i will charge accordingly to put right the mess someone else makes. 2) ask the people pricing for the methods they will use to do the job ie. If a door is pine and you want it white a shellac based primer should be used and allowed cure for 24 hours. 3) use the best products you can afford, stay away from diy shops own brand paint it doesnt last as long as a brand name. 4) don’t insult a painter by telling him any of the following- the neighbour down the road says he will do it for half that price, one coat will do, its not that hard to paint. People need to realise it is the painters job to cover up the and make look good the other trades work!
Cathal from Dublin: There is a lot of variables on this but we,ll say 2 coats on everything including woodwork would be around the 2800 + vat that includes paint. I advise clients not to purchase materials ,one reason is they don’t know what paint to purchase for different purposes i.e small kids in the house you need washable matt,on a hall stairs and landing which is used a lot you need washable matt. I’ve often turned up to peoples houses and they’ve bought cheap paint from woodies or even worse Farrow & Ball which will take 4 coats to cover anything. Let the professional pick the paint and client picks colour. As for job description all details can be sorted on first visit ,the painter should be able to give you advice on colours, paint finish etc .If the house is occupied we always organise the job into sections ie finish an area before moving into another part of the house so that the customer can still have a home to live in as normal. Be mindful of the customers needs and concerns. Don’t have a hidden agenda when dealing with the client, explain everything clearly if possible in an email or text later .Price should be agreed upfront and clearly state vat element and what total cost will be and stick to that. Sometimes the client will ask for extras to be done, always always agree on a price first . Communication is paramount, have a good rapport with the customer make them feel comfortable having you in their home. Make time to have a chat everyday but don’t get in the way. I would not agree to paying money upfront to the tradesman and we would never ask, stage payments are fine after the first week or so but doing a job for less than 3000 there should be no need. Any decent tradesmen can absorb the cost to end of job. Last bit of advice, don’t always go for cheapest quote . If the painter is too cheap 1.He doesn’t know how to price properly 2. He is going to oner(one coat) everything. 3.He will rush through the job and no care will be taken on the finish. I’ve often had people text me to tell me i was too expensive and they’ve gone for cheapest price, i always reply ‘Good luck with cleaning your carpets afterwards’!!!
Gordon from Dublin: I would charge 2,400 euro roughly for the interior of a three bed semi which is in good condition. I know I am the painter and it might seem that I am trying to get a better price but most customers just seem to go with the cheapest price they get no matter how unrealistic the price seems. Some of your customers seem to get prices that are so low there is no way a professional job could be done. Some tips The customer should be aware that the price difference between good paints and cheap paints are huge, Colourtrend 10 litres of ceramic matt cost 130 euros where as Johnstowns the same quantity cost 30 euros. Also the customer should be aware that they are paying for the painters time so if the painter has to spent two hours moving furniture they will spent two hours less painting which leaves to cutting corners. The customer should make it as easy for the painter to paint as possible, within reason. I only take payment after the customer has had a good look at the job and are happy with the job. I always let the customer know that if they see anything amiss I’ll come straight back and fix it. I also rarely take a payment for materials before I start the job, unless its a big job {over 2,00 euros} I normally give my bank details and give them to the customer.
Patrick from Dublin: Labour only would be approximately 2300 euro. That’s two coats on all surfaces and prepping of course. Tip would be to give as much detail in job description as possible as this will give the tradesmen a good idea of how long job could take before buying the lead
George from Dublin: Paint interior walls, ceilings, doors and skirting – around €2000 Clear job description – communicate by email for better communications Selecting a tradesman – take into consideration their communication and presentation, this will reflect how well they do their job Payment – I never look for an upfront deposit as they dont know me. They reimburse me on delivery of supplies and then each week of the job get an instalment. So a three week job I might get paid for supplies on delivery, and then an instalment to cover labour costs as the job progresses with final payment on completion
Tamas from Dublin: Painting price for an average three bed semi detached house – labour only – would cost €1,900.00 ex vat. this includes ceiling, walls, skirting board, doors, handrail and bannisters. my tips would be the following:
- make sure the price includes at least two coats on the walls.
- quality paint will be used, for example washable paint or non-toxic paint.
- make sure you confirm that oil- or water-based paint will be used on woodwork.
- does the price include floor protection and clean after works.
Colman from Offaly: When pricing any project I would estimate how many hours it would take to complete the task @ €25/hrs and add 15% for any hold ups. I never use estimates per m2/linear meter or measurements. To give an example, In January I painted the complete interior of a typical 3 bed house ie; 3 bedrooms, bathroom, hall, stairway, landing, utility, kitchen, living area and sitting room. Fillers/sanding and repairs required were at a minimal and the movement of furniture and obstacles for accessibility were very easy. Estimate exclusive of vat included Walls 2 coats €1200, Ceilings 2 coats €600, Skirting 2 coats €500, Architrave 2 coats €300, Doors 2 coats (12@ €60) €720 As there was no down time the project finished as estimated. FINISHED COST €3320 + Vat @13.5% Price included preparation of areas which included fillers, repairs, sanding and time moving and protecting fixtures. Total work completed in estimated time so extra for hold ups didn’t apply. To me this was a typical 3 bedroom house and the only difference I could see would be the extent of preparations ie-; condition of areas to be painted and access ie-; how much moving of furniture/obstacles is required.
I hope this helps some of you who are planning to paint your home and if you decide to go ahead with it you can get a number of painting quotes here . To subscribe to our blog and be notified each time we publish an article, click here
Cheers
Oliver Dempsey
Tradesmen.ie
20th March 2021
General Tips for hiring a tradesman
Here are some tips to consider when hiring a tradesman:-
1. Ask for phone numbers of references so that you can check them out
2. Check insurance of the tradesman where insurance is required
3. Hire a suitably qualified architect, building surveyor or building engineer if the job is anything to do with a new build, building renovation or extension
4. Agree on some sort of stage payments for the job. Remember that full payment should not be made until the job is complete and has been inspected by you, and if necessary by a certifier.
