How much should I pay for painting my rooms?

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Mysterious_Beach_673@reddit

Sounds like you want it doing for free as payment for you taking him to another country, and providing his food and accommodation. If he was a tradesperson would you expect him to work for less?

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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Mysterious_Beach_673@reddit

I’d say you’re paying him his normal hourly rate. If you want it doing cheaper tell him you’d expect that

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Broken_Woman20@reddit

I think that sounds like a good price. I would say £150-£200 a day depending on where you live would be about the going rate.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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Oh… I would say he should sand ideally. That price would be a day’s work IMO. I would probably say to him that’s fine for a full sand and top coat. Then see what he says. At least you can then negotiate the price or the work. It sets expectations for the work/price that way and avoids any confusion about what’s to be done.

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Rude-Possibility4682@reddit

If you're complaining about the cost, do it yourself, see how long it takes you, and how much of your hourly pay it's taking. Bet it takes you more than a day, to do a decent job.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

I have done it lol but i suffer from tremors now so its difficult. He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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Rude-Possibility4682@reddit

You're paying for his experience, and time. He could easily do another job that day and earn 400 plus.

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JustinTime4z@reddit

4 doors for £200 sounds easy money

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GetCapeFly@reddit

It’s not if you want it done properly - sanding, filling, removing metal work etc before painting.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

Four doors, and frames, and skirtings in three rooms.

Sand everything, clean everything, one coat of paint, drying time, rubbing down, second coat of paint.

Four doors, and frames, and skirtings in three rooms.

Easy money?

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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JustinTime4z@reddit

Yeah I was a labourer and I painted like a maniac, get fresh wooden doors so no sanding needs done and do 2 coats?

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

Fresh wooden doors, no primer/undercoat, just 2 coats of topcoat?

You get what you pay for I guess...

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JustinTime4z@reddit

Yes undercoat is very very watered down paint.. and then 2 coats. Ok took a while to complete like a week for 5 of there frames and doors and skirting

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

Ok so 5 days for 5 doors, frames and skirtings, so let's say 4 days for 4 doors, frames and skirtings. £200 / 4 = £50 a day, 50 / 8 = £6.25 an hour. You're right, it is easy money!

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JustinTime4z@reddit

Ok I get it, but I'm also someone who's built like 15+ doors in a day. Garden doors more like so using nail guns and that. I-know all about it, but the painting business is just an end of it all things, needs precise work done like even 4 coats for perfection. But the cash bit, well yeah I done £500 per week cash in hand for a few months and ngl was quite a variety of things to do.

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

I have 20 years experience as a carpenter / joiner / cabinet maker / joinery fitter.

Bashing together some planks for garden gates and equating that to making doors is not the same thing.

£500 a week is poverty wages in 2026.

Painting and decorating is not just something you do at the end of the job, it's a skilled profession in its own right. When you've done a good project, the finish is crucial. If you don't properly prepare and use the right products in the right order, your work won't last long. People pay good money for a good job that will last years.

With all due respect, you are a part time labourer trying to tell a professional with almost 40,000 hours experience what's what.

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T0urnad0@reddit

How long will it take him? And do you agree on the timescale?

If that’s a day’s work then £200 seems perfectly reasonable to me. If you’re near the south east or he’s suggesting it’ll take more than a day, it’s cheap.

I’m not sure of the relevance of the first paragraph unless you’re suggesting he should be charging mates rates because you’ve helped him out before?

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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Fickle_Low_8231@reddit

Does any of it need prep work before? Sanding and filling? Or you expect him to just turn and slap paint on it? How long will it take?

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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DeadBallDescendant@reddit

Yeah. That's the point. Sanding is the worst thing ever.

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

4 doors and doorframes, and skirting in 3 rooms sounds like it would take a whole day.

£200 a day is the minimum I would expect to pay a skilled tradesperson.

If you think it's too expensive, you should get a few other quotes for the work and pick the most reasonable one.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

4/5 hours - no option to pick up any other work in that day. You're paying for a day. £200 a day for skilled labour is a good rate.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

I suppose you have a point

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JustinTime4z@reddit

You must be a Tradie ngl, with those rates no wonder it's all wacky. Relying on a single customer to pay entire weekly wage. Like I said pay someone £500 a week and he will assist in building a house..

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

You won't even get a labourer to turn up for £100 a day mate. There are 232 working days in a year. You will never find a skilled worker who'll work for 23k a year

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JustinTime4z@reddit

Fine I suppose it's actually all valid in the end, but with everything put together in place it is easy... ok everyone can paint.. but theres obviously tricks and all so its not got drips and uneven. In the end it is quite valid for the skill then.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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DeadBallDescendant@reddit

Prep? Two coats? There's a lot of variables.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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br0wn0ni0n@reddit

But if it takes him a day and he could be somewhere else for that day, earning £200, why would he be doing your job? I’d say it’s standard to pay someone their “rate” or they can and probably should decide not to do the job.

If you’re not willing to pay it, then find someone else who will do it cheaper (and probably less well) or do it yourself.

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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Ok_Aioli3897@reddit

That sounds about right

Sounds like you want to take advantage of him because he is a friend

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hurriyafaith@reddit (OP)

He doesnt sand just one coat of paint, 2 if really necessary. He does the job in like 4 hours maybe 5.

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Mr-Incy@reddit

Given the first part of your post, you are obviously expecting some sort of 'mates rates' and have come on here to whinge that you don't think you have been given those 'mates rates'.

Have a ring around and see what other people quote you.

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