By Emily Rivers
Last updated 4th May 2023

How Much Does it Cost to Paint a Ceiling in 2023?

When you paint and decorate a room, it’s important not to leave out the ceilings. If you don't paint the ceiling when you decorate, you'll soon notice – especially if it's white. While everything else will look fresh and clean, the ceiling will look dull and grubby.

Lots of people leave ceilings because they're more difficult to paint. So how much does it cost to get a decorator to paint a ceiling for you?

How much does it cost to paint a ceiling in the UK?

How much it costs to paint a ceiling in the UK depends on how big it is, how high it is and your location in the country, but here are the average costs:

Job

Average cost

Painting a ceiling

£7-£10 per square metre

Painting a ceiling in an average living room

£100-£200

Paint for ceiling, coving and ceiling rose

£5-£8 per litre

Painting and decorating day rate

£250-£400

HaMuch has a large database of hourly and daily rates for painters and decorators across the country, but these costs are taken from averages across the UK. Take a look at the table further down the page for a more specific estimate for labour in your area.

Cost to paint a ceiling

What affects the cost of painting a ceiling?

There are a few things that will affect the cost to paint a ceiling:

  •   How big your ceilings are: The larger the surface area, the longer it will take to paint – so your decorator will charge more
  •   Brand of paint: Using a premium brand will cost more, but a mid-range brand is probably the most cost-effective. Cheap brands might require more coats, driving labour costs up
  •   Your location: If you live in London or the south east, or in major cities, you'll pay more than smaller towns or villages

How much does it cost to paint a room with high ceilings?

If you have high ceilings, the cost to paint a room may be slightly more than if you had standard-height ceilings, but normally it won't add any extra. A decorator will use the appropriate ladder and telescopic poles to reach your ceilings and get a good finish.

The average cost to paint a room and the ceilings is £450.

How much does it cost to paint a room with vaulted ceilings?

The cost to paint a room with vaulted ceilings is a tricky one to put a price on. Vaulted ceilings are high and a decorator generally won't be able to reach the top with a normal ladder safely.

That means that a decorator will have use special indoor scaffolding to reach the apex of your vaulted ceiling.

We'd expect this to add at least £100 onto the cost of painting a room, but it could be more.

Will a painter charge extra to paint a ceiling rose?

Normally, a painter will roll painting a ceiling rose into the cost of painting your ceiling, unless it's very large or has lots of intricate crevices. They may charge more if it will add significant time onto the project, but it's unlikely for most standard ceiling roses.

Ceiling roses can generally be treated the same as coving, so the decorator will paint them at the same time.

Is ceiling paint more expensive than wall paint

No – ceiling paint isn't more expensive than wall paint. Most brands of paint can be used across walls and ceilings, which is handy if you want to paint your room the same colour as your ceiling.

It's always best to go with a trusted brand of paint for your ceilings. Brands like Dulux, Leyland or Armstead don't have to cost much – you can pick them up for £5-£8 per litre. If you want a premium brand like Farrow & Ball or Lick, that will cost £20-£25 per litre.

How long does it take a painter to paint a ceiling?

How long it takes a painter to paint a ceiling will obviously depend on how big it is, but for an average UK living room expect the ceiling to take 1-2 hours to complete.

You might find that it's more cost-effective to have more than one ceiling in your home painted, as then the decorator can move onto that one while the first one dries.

Is it hard to repaint a ceiling?

It's certainly not easy to repaint a ceiling! You'll need to use a ladder and telescopic poles, and you won't be able to move around the room as easily as you can if you're painting the walls, which is why lots of people get decorators to paint ceilings.

It's easy to miss spots when you're painting a ceiling yourself, especially if you're painting white over white. Try to paint in natural light to get the best result, but hiring a decorator will ensure you get the best finish.

Does a ceiling need 2 coats of paint?

Yes, most decorators will always recommend that you have two coats of paint applied to your ceiling. It's easy to miss patches on the first coat, so going over it with a second coat ensures you get the best finish.

Do you paint the ceiling or wall first?

A painter and decorator will always say that you should paint the ceiling first. The general rule is to work from the top down, so paint your ceiling, coving and ceiling roses first. Then move onto the walls, followed by the skirting boards, window frames, picture rails or dado rails.

Working from top to bottom ensures that you don't drip ceiling paint on freshly painted walls or woodwork.

If you're ready to get comparison quotes to paint your ceilings, post your job on HaMuch. We'll put you in touch with trusted painters and decorators in your area.


Estimates for common painter & decorator jobs;

Rates for other trades

Paint a ceiling cost in the UK
Paint a ceiling cost in the UK (excluding VAT or callout charges)
Location in UKPaint a ceiling cost
Paint a ceiling near Aberdeen£108
Paint a ceiling near Amber Valley£108
Paint a ceiling near Arun£273
Paint a ceiling near Ashfield£118
Paint a ceiling near Aylesbury Vale£158
Paint a ceiling near Barnsley£108
Paint a ceiling near Basildon£143
Paint a ceiling near Basingstoke & Deane£153
Paint a ceiling near Bassetlaw£103
Paint a ceiling near Bath & North East Somerset£118
Paint a ceiling near Bedford£183
Paint a ceiling near Belfast£98
Paint a ceiling near Birmingham£108
Paint a ceiling near Blackburn£113
Paint a ceiling near Blackpool£108
Paint a ceiling near Bolton£118
Paint a ceiling near Bournemouth£133
Paint a ceiling near Bracknell Forest£158
Paint a ceiling near Bradford£113
Paint a ceiling near Braintree£128
Paint a ceiling near Breckland£103
Paint a ceiling near Bridgend£118
Paint a ceiling near Brighton£223
Paint a ceiling near Bristol£118
Paint a ceiling near Broadland£103
Paint a ceiling near Broxtowe£113
Paint a ceiling near Bury£118
Paint a ceiling near Caerphilly£113
Paint a ceiling near Calderdale£113
Paint a ceiling near Cambridge£148
Paint a ceiling near Canterbury£98
Paint a ceiling near Cardiff£113
Paint a ceiling near Carmarthenshire£83
Paint a ceiling near Charnwood£103
Paint a ceiling near Chelmsford£133
Paint a ceiling near Cheltenham£123
Paint a ceiling near Cherwell£173
Paint a ceiling near Chester£103
Paint a ceiling near Colchester£113
Paint a ceiling near Conway£93
Paint a ceiling near Coventry£108
Paint a ceiling near Crewe & Nantwich£103
Paint a ceiling near Dacorum£163
Paint a ceiling near Derby£103
Paint a ceiling near Doncaster£93
Paint a ceiling near Dover£108
Paint a ceiling near Dudley£103
Paint a ceiling near Dundee£98
Paint a ceiling near East Ayrshire£103
Paint a ceiling near East Devon£98
Paint a ceiling near East Dunbartonshire£1733
Paint a ceiling near East Hampshire£128
Paint a ceiling near East Hertfordshire£143
Paint a ceiling near East Lindsey£128
Paint a ceiling near East Riding£108
Paint a ceiling near Eastleigh£153
Paint a ceiling near Edinburgh£123
Paint a ceiling near Elmbridge£158
Paint a ceiling near Epping Forest£158
Paint a ceiling near Erewash£113
Paint a ceiling near Exeter£108
Paint a ceiling near Falkirk£128
Paint a ceiling near Fife£158
Paint a ceiling near Flintshire£108
Paint a ceiling near Gateshead£108
Paint a ceiling near Gedling£118
Paint a ceiling near Glasgow£1578
Paint a ceiling near Gloucester£123
Paint a ceiling near Guildford£158
Paint a ceiling near Gwynedd£108
Paint a ceiling near Halton£108
Paint a ceiling near Harrogate£108
Paint a ceiling near Havant & Waterloo£128
Paint a ceiling near Highland£103
Paint a ceiling near Horsham£133
Paint a ceiling near Huntingdonshire£178
Paint a ceiling near Ipswich£103
Paint a ceiling near Isle of Wight£153
Paint a ceiling near Kings Lynn & West Norfolk£118
Paint a ceiling near Kingston-upon-Hull£103
Paint a ceiling near Kirklees£113
Paint a ceiling near Knowsley£118
Paint a ceiling near Lancaster£123
Paint a ceiling near Leeds£113
Paint a ceiling near Leicester£108
Paint a ceiling near Lisburn£98
Paint a ceiling near Liverpool£118
Paint a ceiling near London£158
Paint a ceiling near Luton£148
Paint a ceiling near Macclesfield£113
Paint a ceiling near Maidstone£133
Paint a ceiling near Manchester£118
Paint a ceiling near Mid Bedfordshire£163
Paint a ceiling near Mid Sussex£143
Paint a ceiling near Middlesbrough£193
Paint a ceiling near Milton Keynes£173
Paint a ceiling near Neath Port Talbot£108
Paint a ceiling near New Forest£133
Paint a ceiling near Newbury£143
Paint a ceiling near Newcastle-under-Lyme£103
Paint a ceiling near Newcastle-upon-Tyne£108
Paint a ceiling near Newport£113
Paint a ceiling near North Ayrshire£103
Paint a ceiling near North East Lincolnshire£93
Paint a ceiling near North Hertfordshire£148
Paint a ceiling near North Lanarkshire£1548
Paint a ceiling near North Lincolnshire£103
Paint a ceiling near North Somerset£118
Paint a ceiling near North Tyneside£108
Paint a ceiling near North Wiltshire£113
Paint a ceiling near Northampton£178
Paint a ceiling near Norwich£103
Paint a ceiling near Nottingham£118
Paint a ceiling near Nuneaton & Bedworth£113
Paint a ceiling near Oldham£118
Paint a ceiling near Oxford£228
Paint a ceiling near Perth & Kinross£203
Paint a ceiling near Peterborough£173
Paint a ceiling near Plymouth£113
Paint a ceiling near Poole£128
Paint a ceiling near Portsmouth£143
Paint a ceiling near Powys£78
Paint a ceiling near Preston£108
Paint a ceiling near Reading£168
Paint a ceiling near Redcar & Cleveland£143
Paint a ceiling near Reigate & Banstead£148
Paint a ceiling near Renfrewshire£1783
Paint a ceiling near Rhondda, Cynon, Taff£113
Paint a ceiling near Rochdale£118
Paint a ceiling near Rotherham£98
Paint a ceiling near Salford£118
Paint a ceiling near Salisbury£123
Paint a ceiling near Sandwell£103
Paint a ceiling near Scarborough£113
Paint a ceiling near Scottish Borders£103
Paint a ceiling near Sefton£118
Paint a ceiling near Sevenoaks£138
Paint a ceiling near Sheffield£93
Paint a ceiling near Slough£158
Paint a ceiling near Solihull£108
Paint a ceiling near South Ayrshire£108
Paint a ceiling near South Bedfordshire£183
Paint a ceiling near South Cambridgeshire£148
Paint a ceiling near South Gloucestershire£118
Paint a ceiling near South Kesteven£118
Paint a ceiling near South Lanarkshire£93
Paint a ceiling near South Oxfordshire£198
Paint a ceiling near South Somerset£113
Paint a ceiling near South Tyneside£108
Paint a ceiling near Southampton£148
Paint a ceiling near Southend-on-Sea£143
Paint a ceiling near St Albans£158
Paint a ceiling near St Helens£118
Paint a ceiling near Stafford£118
Paint a ceiling near Stockport£118
Paint a ceiling near Stockton-on-Tees£188
Paint a ceiling near Stoke-on-Trent£108
Paint a ceiling near Stratford-on-Avon£103
Paint a ceiling near Stroud£123
Paint a ceiling near Suffolk Coastal£103
Paint a ceiling near Sunderland£108
Paint a ceiling near Swale£133
Paint a ceiling near Swansea£98
Paint a ceiling near Tameside£118
Paint a ceiling near Teignbridge£103
Paint a ceiling near Tendring£108
Paint a ceiling near Test Valley£128
Paint a ceiling near Thamesdown£113
Paint a ceiling near Thanet£103
Paint a ceiling near The Wrekin£98
Paint a ceiling near Thurrock£148
Paint a ceiling near Torbay£108
Paint a ceiling near Trafford£118
Paint a ceiling near Vale of Glamorgan£118
Paint a ceiling near Vale of White Horse£153
Paint a ceiling near Vale Royal£103
Paint a ceiling near Wakefield£113
Paint a ceiling near Walsall£108
Paint a ceiling near Warrington£118
Paint a ceiling near Warwick£108
Paint a ceiling near Waveney£98
Paint a ceiling near Waverley£158
Paint a ceiling near Wealden£133
Paint a ceiling near West Lancashire£118
Paint a ceiling near West Lothian£133
Paint a ceiling near West Wiltshire£113
Paint a ceiling near Wigan£113
Paint a ceiling near Windsor & Maidenhead£163
Paint a ceiling near Wirral£118
Paint a ceiling near Wokingham£158
Paint a ceiling near Wolverhampton£103
Paint a ceiling near Wrexham Maelor£103
Paint a ceiling near Wychavon£103
Paint a ceiling near Wycombe£183
Paint a ceiling near York£103