What decorating costs
Cost to Paint the Outside of a House: UK Prices by Size
Painting the outside of a house takes two coats of weather-resistant masonry paint, and the price rises with the area of wall. Here are the UK prices for terraced, semi-detached and detached houses with the days each takes, what the paint and scaffolding cost before labour, how often to repaint and three Nottingham decorators who paint exteriors.
Cost to paint the outside of a house by size
Checkatrade’s exterior painting cost guide, in a table last updated in March 2025, gives these UK prices to paint the outside of a house, with the wall area and the days each size takes.
| House (wall area) | Low | High | Average | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terraced house (40 m²) | £800 | £1,600 | £1,200 | 3 days |
| Semi-detached house (90 m²) | £1,800 | £3,600 | £2,700 | 5 days |
| Detached house (120 m²) | £2,400 | £4,800 | £3,600 | 7 days |
| Per m² of wall | £20 | £40 | £30 |
Each price in Checkatrade’s size table is the wall area at £20, £30 or £40 per m², so the walls of any conservatory, extension or porch belong in your measurement. The ranges are for modern, non-listed homes built from modern materials, including brick and mortar.
As a worked example on Checkatrade’s per m² figures, a semi-detached house with 90 m² of wall and a rear extension adding 20 m² has 110 m² to paint. That comes to £2,200 at £20 per m², £3,300 at the £30 average and £4,400 at £40.
Checkatrade’s painting and decorating prices, last updated in June 2026, give their own exterior figures of £1,300 on average for a 3-bed semi (£1,100 to £1,500), £2,000 for a 4-bed detached house (£1,750 to £2,500) and £15 to £25 per m².
Exterior painter rates and project prices
Checkatrade’s exterior painting cost guide gives these prices excluding VAT, in a second table last updated in April 2026.
| Item | Price excluding VAT |
|---|---|
| Exterior paint project | £3,000 to £6,000 |
| Sealing coat or primer, materials and labour | £1,000 |
| Painter day rate | £220 to £400 |
| Painter hourly rate | £27.50 to £50 |
Masonry paint and scaffolding costs
Checkatrade’s exterior painting guide says a litre of masonry paint covers about 5 m² of wall in two coats, and masonry paint is normally sold in 5 to 10 litre cans. At that rate, the 40 m² terraced house in Checkatrade’s size table needs about 8 litres, the 90 m² semi about 18 litres and the 120 m² detached house about 24 litres.
For a detached property, Checkatrade’s April 2026 prices put the stabiliser or primer at £260 and the masonry paint at £300, both for materials only, and scaffolding hire at £330 per project, all excluding VAT.
Materials and scaffolding for a detached house, before labour
| Stabiliser or primer, materials only | £260 |
|---|---|
| Masonry paint, materials only | £300 |
| Scaffolding hire, per project | £330 |
Total £890
All three figures exclude VAT and come from Checkatrade's April 2026 table, which gives the primer and paint figures for a detached property. The painter's time comes on top, at £220 to £400 a day excluding VAT.
Scaffolding licence and council permit
Checkatrade’s exterior painting guide says scaffolding on private property needs no licence, but scaffolding that extends onto a public road or footpath needs a permit from the council. If your front wall meets the pavement, ask who applies for the permit and whether the quote includes it.
The scaffolding line on a quote
Do this
Scaffolding hire included for the whole job, standing on our drive and back garden, with the council permit for the section on the front pavement applied for and included in the price
Not this
Scaffolding extra if required
How long it takes to paint the outside of a house
Checkatrade’s exterior painting guide says most exterior projects take 4 to 7 days, and its size table gives a terraced house 3 days. The painting is two coats of weather-resistant masonry paint, with the first coat left to dry before the second goes on. Winter painting is possible, but wind and low temperatures affect how long each coat takes to dry.
Do not put the second coat on before the first is dry
Paint applied without enough time between coats can wrinkle, and wrinkled paint has to dry fully before it is sanded, cleaned and repainted.
How often to paint the outside of a house
Checkatrade’s exterior painting guide says to repaint the outside every 5 to 10 years, depending on the weather and the quality of the paint. Checkatrade’s paint problems guide puts chalking on exterior paint down to poor quality paint or poor application, and the chalk has to be scrubbed off and the surface treated with trisodium phosphate before it is repainted.
Planning permission and listed homes
You do not need planning permission to paint your house, which the Planning Portal counts among repairs, maintenance and minor improvements. Nottingham City Council says most building work to a listed building, inside and out, needs listed building consent, and its My Property map shows whether a property is listed.
Exterior painting quotes from Nottingham decorators
Two exterior painting quotes only compare when both price the same job. Describe the house the same way to every decorator, then check each quote against the same list.
What an exterior painting quote should say
- The wall area, counting any conservatory, extension or porch
- Whether a stabiliser or primer goes on before the masonry paint
- Two coats of weather-resistant masonry paint
- Whether the paint is included in the price
- Whether scaffolding hire and any council permit are included
- How many days the job should take
- Whether the price includes VAT
Among the Nottingham decorators compared for exterior painting, Alan Bohan Painting in Arnold repaints exteriors and is trained and licensed to operate mechanical access equipment and certificated to put up aluminium tower scaffolds. Waters Colours Decorating Services in Woodthorpe lists render, brick painting, fascias, soffits and sash windows among its exterior work, and TopDec Decorating Contractors in Bilborough uses weather-resistant paints on exteriors, from walls to window frames. All ten decorators on the list give free quotes.
Common questions
How much does it cost to paint the outside of a house in the UK?
Painting the outside of a house costs an average of £1,200 for a terraced house, £2,700 for a semi-detached house and £3,600 for a detached house, on Checkatrade's figures. The prices run from £20 to £40 per m² of wall, so count any conservatory, extension or porch when you size your own house.
How much does it cost to paint the outside of a semi-detached house?
Painting the outside of a semi-detached house costs £2,700 on average, with a range of £1,800 to £3,600, on Checkatrade's figures for a semi with 90 m² of wall. The job takes 5 days, and an extension, conservatory or porch adds wall area and so adds to the price.
How much does masonry paint cost for a house?
Masonry paint for a detached house costs around £300, excluding VAT, on Checkatrade's figures, and a stabiliser or primer around £260 more. A litre of masonry paint covers about 5 m² of wall in two coats, and it is normally sold in 5 to 10 litre cans.
How much does scaffolding cost to paint a house?
Scaffolding hire costs £330 per project, excluding VAT, on Checkatrade's figures. Scaffolding on your own property needs no licence, but scaffolding that extends onto a public road or footpath needs a permit from the council.
How long does it take to paint the outside of a house?
Most exterior painting projects take 4 to 7 days, on Checkatrade's figures. A terraced house takes 3 days, a semi-detached house 5 days and a detached house 7 days, and each coat of masonry paint has to dry before the next goes on.
How often should you paint the outside of your house?
Repaint the outside of your house every 5 to 10 years, depending on the weather and the quality of the paint, on Checkatrade's advice. Use weather-resistant masonry paint, applied in two coats.
Can you paint the outside of a house in winter?
Yes, you can paint the outside of a house in winter, but wind and low temperatures affect how long the paint takes to dry. Each coat of masonry paint has to dry before the second goes on, so cold or windy weather can add time to the job.
Where the figures come from
- Checkatrade, cost to paint the exterior of a house read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, painting and decorating prices read 2026-09-17
- Checkatrade, paint problems and solutions read 2026-09-17
- Planning Portal, external walls planning permission read 2026-09-17
- Nottingham City Council, conservation areas and listed buildings read 2026-09-17
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