12 questions to ask a painter and decorator before you book

Before you book a painter and decorator, ask whether they will visit before pricing, put a room-by-room quote in writing, list the preparation and paint, name who will do the work, show their insurance, explain how they will handle old paint and access, and agree payment and snagging terms. A good decorator answers these clearly and puts the important parts in writing.

What should you ask a painter and decorator before you book?

Ask about the price and what it covers, who will do the work and when, how your home and family will be kept safe, and how payment and any problems will be handled. Twelve questions cover all of that. The answers matter less than how they are given: a decorator who knows the job answers quickly, specifically and in writing, and does not mind being asked.

“Are you insured?” and “can I see your work?” are worth asking, but they will not tell you whether a quote covers proper preparation or what happens when the old wallpaper turns out to be three layers deep. The table gives each question, what a good answer sounds like and the answer that should make you pause.

Questions about the price and what it covers

The first four questions protect you from a familiar problem: a cheap quote that turns out to cover less work than you assumed. Ask for a visit, a written breakdown, the preparation in detail and the exact paint and number of coats. Two quotes can only be compared once they describe the same job.

1. Will you come and see the job before you price it?

A decorator needs to see the walls. Hairline cracks, flaking ceilings, old gloss on skirting and patched plaster all add time, and none of them show up in a phone call. Which? Trusted Traders’ guide to hiring a decorator says good decorators will rarely quote or agree to work without first visiting the property. Treat a firm phone price for a whole room as a guess.

2. Will the quote be in writing, broken down by room and surface?

Which? Trusted Traders is plain about this: always get quotes in writing. A good quote lists each room, which surfaces are included (walls, ceilings, woodwork, radiators, doors), the number of coats and anything left out. It matters legally too. Under section 50 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, what a trader tells you about the service can become a term of the contract if you relied on it when deciding to go ahead. Get those promises written down. Our guide to decorating costs in Northampton explains why two written quotes for the same room can still differ.

3. What preparation is included, and what happens if you find more?

Preparation is where the finish comes from and where corners get cut. Ask the decorator to talk you through it for your rooms: filling and sanding, caulking gaps along skirting and architrave, keying old gloss, spot priming repairs, and a mist coat on any new plaster (our guide to painting new plaster explains why). Then ask what happens if they uncover something. Which? notes that most traders quote on the assumption that there is one layer of wallpaper, so extra layers or damaged plaster underneath can reasonably cost more. A good quote says how that will be priced before it happens.

4. Which paint will you use, in which finish, and how many coats?

Ask for the product name and finish for each surface: matt or eggshell on the walls, satin or gloss on the woodwork, and how many coats on each. Which? suggests asking whether a slightly more expensive approach, such as high quality paint, might give a better finish. The number of coats matters too. A strong colour change, a dark wall going pale or bare wood will often need more than two, and a quote that says “two coats throughout” may not cover it.

Questions about who does the work and when

Questions five to seven tell you what living with the job will be like. You want to know the name of the person who will be in your home, a realistic start date, how many days it will take and how the house will be left each evening.

5. Who will actually do the work?

The person who quotes is not always the person who paints. Which? advises asking whether a decorator uses subcontractors, and points out that a decorator’s membership of a professional organisation does not usually extend to subcontractors. Neither answer is wrong in itself. You just need to know who will be in your home and whether their work is covered by the same quote, insurance and standards.

6. When can you start, and how many days will it take?

A busy decorator may well be booked a few weeks ahead. Which? advises caution with any trader who says they can start work the next day. Ask for a start date and a day count, and get both on the quote. If no time is agreed, section 52 of the Consumer Rights Act says the work must be done within a reasonable time, but a number in writing is far easier to rely on.

For outside work, also ask what happens if the weather turns. Paint makers set limits. Dulux Trade lists its water-based Weathershield Maximum Exposure masonry paint for application down to 7°C, while its solvent-based All Seasons Pliolite masonry paint can go on down to 0°C, provided the surface is above freezing. On a damp autumn morning in the Nene valley, that difference decides whether the job goes ahead. Our guide to the best time for exterior painting covers the seasons in more detail.

7. What hours do you work, and how will you leave the house each evening?

Ask about start and finish times, where they will park, and how each room is left at the end of the day. A tidy decorator moves and sheets furniture, keeps a walkway clear, puts lids on tins and leaves bathrooms and stairs usable overnight. If you work from home, have young children or pets, or the job includes the only staircase, say so now so the work can be planned around it. Which? also suggests checking for hidden charges, such as parking or weekend working, before you agree to anything.

Questions about safety and protecting your home

Questions eight to ten cover the things that hurt people or damage property: no insurance, disturbing old lead paint the wrong way, and unsafe access at height. They matter most in older houses and on stairwells and exteriors. A professional answers them without fuss, and the answers often explain why one quote is higher than another.

8. Are you insured, and can I see the certificate?

Public liability insurance covers accidental damage to your property, or injury to someone else, while the decorator is working. Think of a tin knocked over on a new carpet or a ladder foot through a conservatory roof. Asking to see the certificate is normal, and checking the expiry date takes seconds. If a decorator will not show it, keep looking.

9. My house is old. How will you deal with the old paint?

This matters in Northampton’s Victorian and Edwardian terraces, in places like Abington. The British Coatings Federation’s guidance on lead in painted surfaces says lead pigments were taken out of most paints in the 1960s, and that many wood or metal surfaces painted before then could contain significant lead. In older houses that often means original skirting, sash windows, doors and banisters under later coats. The HSE lists burning of old lead paint and stripping old lead paint from doors and windows among the activities where people are most at risk of lead exposure.

The BCF’s do-not list includes dry abrasive paper, blow lamps or gas torches, and removing paint that is in sound condition, because overcoating is the safest option. It also says to test the surface if you suspect lead, and to keep bystanders out of the room. Cambridge City Council’s lead paint advice says to moisten the surface and use waterproof abrasive paper, and notes that young children and pregnant women are most at risk. A good answer mentions testing suspect paint, wet methods and keeping dust down. If the answer is “I’ll just burn it off”, look elsewhere.

10. How will you reach the high parts?

Stairwells, high ceilings, gable ends and fascias need proper access. The HSE’s guidance on ladders says they can be a sensible option for low-risk, short-duration tasks, but should not automatically be the first choice. For a full day’s work over a stairwell, expect a decorator to mention a stair platform or a tower. Access kit costs money, and it is one honest reason a stairs-and-landing quote is higher than a bedroom of the same size.

Questions about payment and putting things right

The last two questions settle the money and what happens if the finish is not right. Agree how and when you will pay before work starts, keep the larger share until the end, and know your rights if something needs redoing. Clear terms protect a good decorator just as much as they protect you.

11. How and when do you want paying?

Which? says most painting and decorating jobs are paid for when the work is completed and accepted, though a decorator may ask for an upfront instalment on a job lasting more than a fortnight. It says painters who offer cash deals or use high-pressure sales techniques are best avoided. A modest deposit towards materials can be reasonable. A large cash sum before anything happens is not.

Know your cancellation rights too. Citizens Advice explains that if you agree to the work somewhere other than the trader’s premises, such as your own home, you get a cooling-off period of at least 14 days, starting the day after you give the go-ahead. The business must give you details of how to cancel, and if it does not, the period is extended. If you asked for the work to start inside the cooling-off period and then cancel, you pay for the part already done.

12. What happens if I’m not happy with something?

Ask whether they walk round the finished job with you. A snagging walk-round in good light, before the dust sheets go, is how missed patches, wobbly cut-in lines and paint on glass get caught. Which? advises checking the finished work and sorting any snagging before you pay. The law backs you too. The Consumer Rights Act requires a service to be carried out with reasonable care and skill, and under section 55 you can ask the trader to put work right at their own cost, within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you.

Which extra questions depend on your job?

The twelve questions work for most homes, but some jobs carry their own risks. Add one or two from the table below if they fit your house or situation.

If you are hiring for the first time, our wider guide on how to choose a painter and decorator covers reviews, photos of past work and warning signs.

When is DIY fine, and when should you book a decorator?

A confident DIYer can repaint a spare bedroom in a similar colour with a weekend and decent rollers. Book a decorator when the job involves a stairwell or exterior work at height, old paintwork in a pre-1960s house, lots of woodwork, new plaster, or a deadline you cannot miss. Those are the jobs where preparation, access and safety decide the result.

If you are getting quotes in Northampton or nearby, Dean is happy to be one of them. He has more than 30 years in the trade, comes out to look at the job before pricing it and gives a free written quote. Ask him all twelve questions. Call 07539 779 036 to arrange a visit.

Header photo: Blue Bird on Pexels. Photos of our own work appear further down the page.

Last updated 9 October 2026 by Dean, DH Painter & Decorator.