How Much Does It Cost to Paint a Whole House?
The quick answer
Short answer: a full interior repaint of a three bedroom house is typically £2,500 to £5,000 including hallway, stairs and landing, and takes 7 to 14 days. A full exterior is £2,000 to £4,000 for a semi and £3,500 to £7,000 for a detached, taking 3 to 14 days depending on access and repairs.
These are guide ranges based on our real project costs across Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds.
No pressure either way, but if you want a figure for your own property, get a free quote.
Interior and exterior bands
Whole house work is usually quoted as one project rather than a stack of room prices, because the setup, protection and access are shared across the job.
Where the money goes on a full house
Inside, the cost is driven by the number of surfaces and the amount of woodwork rather than by square footage alone. Hallways, stairs and landings are the slowest part of most houses because of the height, the spindles and the constant access.
Outside, scaffolding and repair work dominate. Most two storey properties need scaffold or tower access, typically £500 to £1,500 depending on coverage, and flaking paint, blown render or rotten timber can add 30 to 50 per cent before a brush touches the wall.
Sequencing a whole house sensibly
If plastering is part of the plan, new plaster needs two to four weeks to dry before it is decorated, so that goes first. Exterior work is planned around dry, mild weather. Inside, we usually work top down and room by room so you keep usable space throughout, and we agree the running order with you before we start.
Common Questions
Can we live in the house while it is decorated?
Almost always yes. We work room by room, protect floors and furniture, and keep the kitchen and at least one bedroom usable. We will tell you in advance which days are the disruptive ones.
Is a whole house cheaper than doing it room by room over time?
Per room, yes. One setup, one delivery of materials and one visit is more efficient than repeated single room bookings, and colour consistency across the house is easier to control.
Do exterior and interior get quoted together?
They can be, and combining them means scaffold is hired once if it is needed for both. We are happy to price them separately so you can phase the work.
Next step, whenever you are ready
Nothing here commits you to anything. If you want the detail on how the work is actually done, or a price for your own town, these are the useful next pages.