How to work out a decorator day rate in the UK
Every reliable UK day rate comes from the same three numbers: the money you need to take home in a year, your business overheads for that year, and the number of days you can genuinely charge for. Divide the first two by the third and you have the minimum you can work for without going backwards.
(annual take-home + annual overheads) ÷ billable days = day rate
Overheads means van, fuel, insurance, brushes, rollers and sprayers, ladders and towers, accountancy and phone.
Worked example for a self-employed decorator
| Take-home target (a year) | £32,000 |
|---|---|
| Business overheads (a year) | £7,000 |
| Billable days (a year) | 210 |
| Day rate needed | £186 |
| Hourly equivalent (8-hour day) | £23 |
These are example figures, not a going rate — swap in your own targets and overheads. Rates vary a lot by region, sector and how much of the work is domestic versus commercial.
Pricing a job, not just a day
Once the day rate is right, a job price is labour (days × day rate) plus materials with a mark-up, plus dust sheets, filler, sundries, plus your profit margin. If you are VAT registered, VAT at 20% goes on top of that total — it is never a discount you can absorb.
What UK painters & decorators get wrong
Start from your income target, not the competition
Undercutting the firm down the road only works if their numbers are right. Work backwards from the money you need to take home, add your overheads, and divide by the days you can genuinely bill.
Be honest about billable days
260 working days a year is fantasy. Holiday, illness, quoting, chasing payments and van maintenance usually leave 200–220 chargeable days.
Price materials with a mark-up
Sourcing, collecting and guaranteeing materials is work. A mark-up on trade price covers the time and the risk of a faulty part you have to return.
Prep is most of the job
Filling, sanding, masking and washing down take longer than the topcoat. Quote the prep honestly or you'll work weekends for free.
Decorator pricing questions, answered
How do I work out my decorator day rate?
Add up what you need to earn in a year, plus your business overheads, then divide by the number of days you can realistically charge for. Most self-employed trades bill 200–220 days a year once holiday, sickness, quoting and admin are taken out, not 260.
What overheads should a decorator include?
Van and fuel, insurance, brushes, rollers, sprayers and their upkeep, ladders and towers, dust sheets, accountancy and phone. Spread the yearly total across your billable days rather than trying to add it job by job.
Do I need to add VAT to my prices?
Only if you are VAT registered. Registration is compulsory once your taxable turnover passes the HMRC threshold in any rolling 12 months, and you can register voluntarily before that. The standard rate is 20%, so check the current HMRC guidance for the work you're doing.
Should I charge a call-out fee or a minimum charge?
A minimum charge covering the first hour plus travel is standard for domestic call-outs. It protects you on small jobs where the travel and paperwork cost more than the work itself.
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