You've got a living room that needs doing. Ring up a painter, ask for a quote, and what do you get? "Need to pop round and have a look first, mate." Every. Single. Time.
Annoying? Absolutely. But here's why they're not just messing you about.
Look, we've all seen those telly programmes where they transform a room in an afternoon. Makes it look dead simple, right? Except actual professional painters know there's way more to it than that.
The UK painting game is massive—we're talking £3.5 billion worth of work annually. With that much money floating around, you'd think it'd be easy to throw numbers about. But it's not. Every single house is different, and what looks like a straightforward job can turn into a proper nightmare once you start.
This is the big one. You reckon your walls are fine—just need a lick of paint. But when a pro comes round, they're seeing things you don't.
That tiny crack near the window? Might need an hour's work to sort properly. Previous owner painted over wallpaper? (Happens more than you'd think, honestly.) Now you're looking at stripping before you even start. Bit of a damp patch you thought was sorted? That'll need treating first, otherwise your new paint's bubbling off in six months.
Can't see any of this over the phone, can you?
Right, so you want to paint over that ghastly burgundy feature wall with something nice and neutral. Two coats should do it, yeah?
Try four. Maybe five if you're unlucky.
Dark colours are an absolute pain to cover. Same with those bright yellows or oranges that were trendy ages ago. The paint you're using matters too—cheap stuff needs more coats. None of this is obvious until someone's actually there looking at what you've got.
Two bedrooms, both 3m by 4m. Should cost the same, shouldn't they?
Except one's a new build with flat walls and standard everything. The other's got high ceilings, fancy coving, picture rails, a bay window with six separate frames. That second room takes literally three times as long.
Square footage doesn't tell the whole story. It never does.
Here's what most people don't get: painting's actually the quick part. It's all the prep that kills you.
Washing walls down, filling every little hole, sanding everything smooth, masking off what you don't want painted, protecting floors and furniture... this is where the time goes. On most jobs, prep takes longer than painting. Easy.
And you can't tell how much prep's needed without being there. That "just a few marks" you mentioned over the phone? Could be a couple of hours' work or a couple of days. No way to know without looking.
Someone quotes you £300 on the phone. Brilliant, sorted. They turn up, realise it's way more work, and suddenly it's £3,500. You feel like you've been had, even though you never actually had a proper quote in the first place.
Or—and this is worse—they stick to the £600 and do a rush job to break even. Your paint starts peeling in six months and they're not answering your calls anymore.
When everyone's guessing prices, the lowest guess gets the job. Which means the person who's most wrong about how much work is involved ends up doing it.
They lose money, you get shoddy work. Meanwhile, the decent painters who actually know what they're doing can't compete because they're being honest about the price.
Whole thing's backwards.
If a painter quotes without seeing the job, they've got to assume the worst. Otherwise they risk losing money.
So your perfectly fine walls get priced like they're falling apart. You end up paying for problems you don't have. Great system, that.
When a good painter comes round, they're not just having a quick butcher's and making up a number. There's actual work involved.
They'll measure everything. Check the walls properly—running hands over them, tapping about, seeing what's sound and what's not. Work out how many coats you'll need based on the colours involved. Figure out access, where they can set up, what needs protecting.
They'll also chat to you about what you actually want. Paint quality (there's a huge range), whether you want ceilings done, woodwork, timing, all that.
End result? A proper estimate that covers what's included, what it'll cost, how long it'll take. No surprises later.
Accurate quote means you're not paying for imaginary worst-case problems. You're also not getting a lowball price that means corners get cut later.
The painter can afford to do it properly. Decent prep time, quality materials, not rushing to make up for underquoting. Your paint job actually lasts.
Is the ceiling included? Woodwork? How many coats? What about filling and repairs?
All of this gets written down. No arguments later about what was "obviously" included or what you "should have known" was extra.
Get three proper estimates and you can see what each one offers. Not just three random numbers—actual breakdowns of what's included, what materials they're using, how long it'll take.
Sometimes the cheapest is fine. Sometimes it's taking liberties. Usually, the middle one's about right. But you need proper quotes to tell.
Be careful of:
The painting trade has been around since the 13th century in Britain. Proper painters know their reputation matters more than any single job.
Before they visit: Clear the rooms so they can actually see what they're quoting for. Make a note of any issues you know about.
When they're there: Point out problems. Ask questions. Make sure you understand what they're saying. If something sounds weird, ask why.
After you get quotes: Read the whole thing, not just the total at the bottom. If something's unclear, ring them. Better now than halfway through the job.
Painters who won't quote over the phone aren't being difficult. They're being professional.
Yeah, it takes a bit more time upfront. You've got to arrange visits, maybe take time off work, have the same conversation a few times with different people. It's a faff.
But that faff saves you from much bigger problems later. You get honest prices from people who know what they're doing, for work that'll actually be done properly.
Next time someone says they need to see the place first, that's not a red flag—it's actually a good sign. Means you're dealing with someone who knows what they're about.
Need a proper quote from someone who actually knows what they're doing? Check out Emporium Decorators—they do it right from the start.
