Property services
Painters and decorators in Edinburgh and the Lothians
Internal decorating, external painting and preparation.
Decorating is the cheapest work with the largest visible return, which is why it is the most common pre-sale instruction on this site. The value is almost entirely in the preparation: filling, sanding, caulking, priming and cutting in.
External decoration is a different job again — sash windows, stair windows, railings and rear elevations, all needing access equipment and a dry-enough week.
When Edinburgh owners call painters and decorators
- You are preparing a property for photography and viewings.
- Fresh plaster needs a mist coat and a proper first decoration.
- External windows and doors are flaking and letting water into the timber.
- A rented property needs turning around between tenancies.
Local context: Edinburgh and the Lothians
High ceilings, deep cornices and tall sash windows mean an Edinburgh room takes longer to decorate than its floor area suggests. Anyone quoting per square metre of floor is quoting the wrong measurement.
External timber on the city's tenements has often been overpainted for a century. Burning off and rebuilding the paint system lasts; another coat over flaking paint does not survive two winters facing the Forth.
What this work typically costs
Published ranges are market context gathered from local jobs, not a quotation. We do not price work, arrange it or take a cut of it — always get your own written quotes.
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Decorate one bedroom, walls and ceiling | £350-£700 | Preparation level and ceiling height. |
| Whole two-bedroom flat, full redecoration | £1,800-£4,000 | Woodwork and cornice detail add days. |
| Sash window, prepare and repaint (each) | £150-£350 | Burning off previous layers is the deciding factor. |
| Common stair redecoration (shared cost) | £3,000-£9,000 | Access towers over the stairwell and lining out damaged plaster. |
| Wallpaper hanging, per roll | £30-£60 | Pattern match and lining paper extra. |
Tenements and common repairs
Decorating the common stair is a shared repair, usually decided by majority under the deeds or the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 and often organised by the factor. It is also one of the highest-return improvements before a sale, because the close is the first thing a viewer sees.
Get the stair plaster repaired before painting, and agree the colour with the other owners in writing. Repainting because one flat objected afterwards is an avoidable expense.
What to check before you instruct
- Insurance
- Preparation specified in writing
- Access equipment for tenement stairs and gables
- Preparation written into the quote
- The quote should specify filling, sanding, caulking and number of coats. Otherwise you are comparing different jobs.
- Insurance
- Public liability, and confirm cover for working at height if externals are included.
- Access equipment
- Tenement stairwells need a specialist tower or ladder system. Ask how they intend to reach the top of the stair.
- Paint specification
- Ask which brand and finish. Trade contract emulsion and a premium finish are very different products at the same labour cost.
We publish factual detail supplied by each business. We do not rate, rank, endorse or guarantee anyone listed, and no business pays for placement. Checking registration, insurance and references is always your decision.
Questions to ask before you instruct
- How many coats, and is the paint included in the price?
- What preparation is included and what would be extra?
- Do you cover floors and furniture and clean at the end of each day?
- How many days will the flat be unusable?
- For externals, what happens if the weather stops work?
- Can you match the existing stair colour and finish?
Businesses listed
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Lothian Property is a property information and professional-introduction service operated by Maybury Scotland Limited. Lothian Property is not an estate agency. Where requested, we may connect homeowners with independent estate agents and other property professionals. How we work.
Read our guide on painters and decorators
Painters and decorators: common questions
- Who organises painting of a common stair in an Edinburgh tenement?
- Either the owners jointly or the property factor, depending on the title deeds. Under the Tenements (Scotland) Act a majority of owners can normally agree common maintenance where the deeds are silent.
- What preparation should be written into an external painting quote?
- Washing down, scraping and sanding, treatment of any bare or rotten timber, filler, primer and undercoat, plus how many finish coats. Preparation is where quotes genuinely differ.
- When is the best time of year to paint outside in Edinburgh?
- Late spring to early autumn. Most exterior coatings need surfaces above roughly 5°C and dry, which is unreliable here from November through February.