How to Get More Painting and Decorating Jobs in the UK

Painting and decorating is one of those trades where demand is always there, but the work can still feel inconsistent.

You might be booked for three weeks, finish two large jobs, then suddenly have a gap in the diary because the next customer has delayed, cancelled or chosen someone else.

That is why relying only on:

word of mouth + Facebook recommendations + people calling when they remember you

is risky.

To get more painting and decorating jobs consistently, you need a system that helps local customers:

find you → trust you → see your work → understand your pricing → request a quote.

For most UK painters and decorators, the strongest combination is:

Google Business Profile + local SEO + a strong visual portfolio + genuine reviews + fast quote follow-up + referrals + selective paid advertising.

The goal is not to generate the highest possible number of enquiries.

It is to generate profitable decorating work in the areas and job types you actually want.

1. Decide What Type of Decorating Work You Want More Of

Do not advertise:

Painting and decorating. All jobs considered.

and expect high-quality leads.

Be clearer.

You might want more:

• full-house repaints;
• interior decorating;
• exterior painting;
• rental-property refreshes;
• wallpapering;
• feature walls;
• woodwork;
• commercial decorating;
• pre-sale decorating;
• end-of-tenancy redecorating.

Different jobs attract different customers.

A decorator wanting £4,000 whole-house projects should market differently from someone trying to fill small £300–£500 room-painting jobs.

2. Understand Which Jobs Are Most Profitable

More revenue does not automatically mean more profit.

A £5,000 decorating project can still be poor work if it involves:

• extensive travel;
• difficult preparation;
• constant colour changes;
• expensive parking;
• several unpaid return visits.

Likewise, three nearby £700 jobs can sometimes be more profitable.

Track:

quoted price

materials

days required

travel

additional labour

gross profit

That tells you what work you should actively market.

If full internal house painting consistently produces the strongest margin, build more marketing around that service.

3. Get Your Google Business Profile Right

Google should be one of your first priorities.

Potential customers search:

painter and decorator near me

decorator in Birmingham

house painter Worcester

interior painter near me

wallpapering service Bristol

These searches show intent.

The customer is already looking for the service.

Make sure your Google Business Profile contains:

• correct business name;
• phone number;
• website;
• genuine service areas;
• opening hours;
• painting/decorating services;
• photographs;
• reviews.

If you work from home and travel to clients, use the correct service-area business setup rather than displaying a residential address unnecessarily.

Google visibility is particularly important because painting and decorating is usually a local purchase.

Homeowners rarely want a decorator travelling 100 miles for a £500 bedroom repaint.

4. Do Not Hide Behind “Painter & Decorator”

List your actual services.

For example:

Interior Painting

Exterior Painting

Bedroom Decorating

Living Room Painting

Wallpaper Hanging

Wallpaper Removal

Woodwork Painting

Rental Property Decorating

Commercial Decorating

Full House Repainting

This improves clarity for both customers and search engines.

A homeowner searching for wallpaper installation may ignore a generic profile even if you technically provide it.

Make the service obvious.

5. Build a Website That Targets Services

A basic website saying:

Quality painting and decorating at competitive prices.

will not do much on its own.

Create proper pages for the services you actually want to rank for.

For example:

Interior Painting

Exterior House Painting

Wallpapering

Full House Decorating

Painting Before Selling

Rental Property Decorating

Then explain:

• what the service includes;
• what preparation is required;
• typical project process;
• where you work;
• how quotations are provided;
• relevant FAQs.

That creates a better landing page for both SEO and paid advertising.

6. Create Local Pages Where You Genuinely Work

If you serve several towns, create genuinely useful local pages.

For example:

Painter and Decorator in Hereford

Painter and Decorator in Worcester

House Painting in Gloucester

Do not copy the same paragraph 30 times and replace the town name.

A stronger local page includes:

• services offered;
• real work in the area where available;
• project photographs;
• typical property types;
• clear service radius;
• contact details.

Local SEO can become one of your most valuable long-term lead sources.

7. Use Cost Content to Attract Customers Before They Request Quotes

Homeowners often research prices before contacting decorators.

They search:

how much does a painter cost per day

how much does it cost to paint a house

how much to paint a room

That creates a strong opportunity.

You can create useful guides that explain:

• realistic pricing;
• preparation;
• materials;
• number of coats;
• ceilings;
• woodwork;
• VAT where applicable.

The Right Guy’s guide to how much a painter and decorator charges per day is an example of the type of search intent decorators can target themselves.

Customers reading this content are often closer to hiring than someone casually browsing decorating inspiration.

8. Use Your Work as Your Marketing

Painting and decorating is extremely visual.

Every finished job can become marketing material.

Photograph:

Before

• tired walls;
• peeling paint;
• dark colours;
• damaged woodwork.

Preparation

• filling;
• sanding;
• masking;
• priming.

After

• clean finish;
• sharp lines;
• woodwork;
• final room.

A customer does not simply want to know that you can paint.

They want to see:

what your finish looks like.

9. Preparation Photos Are More Valuable Than You Think

Many decorators only photograph the final result.

But preparation proves professionalism.

Show:

• repaired cracks;
• sanded woodwork;
• filled walls;
• stain blocking;
• protected flooring;
• masking.

This tells the customer that your price covers more than simply rolling paint onto a wall.

That is especially important when your quote is higher than someone else’s.

You can explain:

Our quote includes preparation, repairs and proper finishing rather than simply repainting over defects.

Now the customer understands the difference.

10. Build Before-and-After Case Studies

Turn larger projects into mini case studies.

For example:

Three-Bedroom House Repaint – Worcester

Problem: heavily marked walls and dark existing colours.

Work: filled damaged areas, prepared woodwork, repainted ceilings, walls and skirting throughout.

Result: lighter neutral finish ready for the property to be marketed.

Add photographs.

This works on:

• website;
• Google;
• Facebook;
• Instagram;
• directory profiles.

One job becomes several pieces of marketing.

11. Ask Every Happy Customer for a Google Review

Reviews matter enormously.

Customers often compare several decorators who all appear capable.

Reviews help answer:

Will they turn up?

Will they make a mess?

Will they finish the job?

Will the price suddenly change?

Ask after completion.

For example:

Thanks again for having us do the decorating. If you’re happy with the finished work, we’d really appreciate a Google review. It helps local customers find the business.

Simple.

No pressure.

No fake reviews.

12. Encourage Reviews That Mention the Actual Job

Do not script the customer’s review.

But you can explain that mentioning the work can be helpful.

A review saying:

Brilliant.

is good.

A review saying:

Painted our three-bedroom house in Hereford, including ceilings and woodwork. Very tidy and completed on schedule.

is far stronger.

It gives the next customer relevant proof.

13. Use The Right Guy as Another Place to Be Found

Customers often research local professionals across several places before contacting them.

A decorator can appear on:

• Google;
• their own website;
• social media;
• directories;
• local marketplaces.

The Right Guy gives UK painters and decorators another place to create a visible service profile and be discovered by people looking for local professionals.

Keep your profile accurate and useful.

Include:

• real services;
• genuine service area;
• photographs where available;
• clear description;
• correct contact information.

The goal is to increase the number of credible places where a potential customer can encounter your business.

14. Use Google Search Ads for High-Intent Decorating Jobs

Google Ads can be useful when you want faster visibility than SEO alone can provide.

Target searches such as:

painter decorator near me

house painter Worcester

wallpaper installer near me

interior painting company

exterior house painter

Avoid broad campaigns such as:

painting

because that can attract searches for:

• paint products;
• art;
• DIY advice;
• careers.

Use tight keyword targeting and negative keywords.

15. Send Paid Traffic to the Correct Page

Do not advertise:

Exterior House Painting

and send the customer to a generic homepage.

Create an exterior painting page.

Show:

• what you paint;
• preparation;
• access;
• exterior materials;
• photographs;
• service area;
• enquiry form.

Match:

search → advert → page.

This usually improves both relevance and conversion.

16. Do Not Assume Local Services Ads Are Available for Decorators

Google Local Services Ads currently support selected UK home-service categories, including trades such as carpentry, flooring, general contracting and home improvement. Google advises businesses to check category eligibility because availability is limited to supported services and locations.

At the time of writing, painting and decorating is not clearly listed by Google as a standalone UK eligible category in its published home-service list.

So do not build your entire marketing plan around LSAs without checking your exact eligibility first.

Standard Google Search Ads remain available regardless of whether your specific decorating category qualifies for Local Services Ads.

17. If You Qualify Under a Relevant Category, Optimise the Profile Properly

For businesses eligible for Local Services Ads, Google says performance depends on more than bidding.

Factors can include:

• responsiveness;
• review count;
• rating;
• service relevance;
• business information;
• high-quality photographs.

Google also says high-quality photos can contribute to stronger visibility and engagement.

That reinforces a broader principle for decorators:

your work should be visually documented properly.

18. Use Facebook for Local Proof

Facebook can work well for painters and decorators.

But use it primarily to demonstrate work.

Example:

Living room completed in Hereford

Walls repaired and repainted in a warm neutral, with fresh white ceilings and satin woodwork.

Add:

before + after

rather than:

PAINTER AVAILABLE CALL NOW.

Specific project content feels more credible.

19. Use Local Facebook Groups Carefully

Local groups constantly contain posts such as:

Looking for a decorator.

or:

Can anyone recommend someone to wallpaper a bedroom?

Respond professionally.

For example:

Hi, we cover that area and carry out interior decorating and wallpapering. Happy to quote — if you send a photo and postcode I can get an idea of the job first.

Do not flood every recommendation post with:

PM sent.

You want to look like a professional business, not someone chasing anything available.

20. Instagram Works Particularly Well for Decorators

Decorating is one of the most visual trades.

Instagram can act as your public portfolio.

Show:

• transformation videos;
• cutting-in;
• wallpaper installation;
• woodwork restoration;
• colour changes;
• before-and-after reels.

You do not need 50,000 followers.

A customer who finds you on Google may then check Instagram before calling.

If the profile shows consistent real work, that strengthens trust.

21. Create Reels Around Transformations

A simple 10-second video can work well.

For example:

Clip 1: dark room.

Clip 2: preparation.

Clip 3: final finish.

Overlay:

Two-day bedroom refresh in Worcester.

This is much stronger than generic motivational business posts.

People want to see the outcome.

22. Work With Estate Agents

Estate agents regularly need decorators for:

• pre-sale refreshes;
• rental properties;
• damaged walls;
• recently vacant properties.

A reliable decorator who can quote quickly becomes useful.

Agents often need:

Can you repaint this flat before photography next week?

If you respond quickly and complete work reliably, they may send repeated jobs.

One agency relationship can generate far more business than constantly chasing one-off leads.

23. Work With Letting Agents

Letting agents can be particularly valuable because rental properties need regular redecorating.

Common jobs include:

• end-of-tenancy repainting;
• patch repairs;
• landlord refreshes;
• mould-stained areas after the cause is addressed;
• full property decorating.

Agents value:

speed + reliability + predictable pricing + invoices.

You may need to sacrifice slightly higher margins for repeat volume, but only if the numbers still work.

24. Target Landlords

One private homeowner might repaint every five years.

A landlord with 20 properties may need decorating every month.

That changes customer value considerably.

Market specifically around:

rental property decorating

end-of-tenancy repainting

landlord painting services

Do not just advertise “painting”.

Speak directly to their problem.

25. Build Relationships With Builders

Builders regularly need painters and decorators towards the end of projects.

They complete:

• extensions;
• garage conversions;
• renovations;
• plastering.

Then they need someone reliable to finish the decoration.

Contact local builders.

Say:

We handle interior and exterior decorating across [area]. If you ever need extra decorating capacity on renovation or extension projects, happy to send examples of recent work and rates.

Builders care heavily about:

• reliability;
• finishing quality;
• timing.

If you become their regular decorator, the lead flow can become extremely consistent.

26. Build Relationships With Plasterers

This is one of the most natural referral partnerships available.

Plasterer finishes walls.

Customer asks:

Who do you recommend for painting?

You want your name to come up.

Likewise, if you arrive at a decorating job and discover walls need more substantial plaster repair, refer work back.

A two-way relationship is much stronger than asking someone to send you customers while offering nothing in return.

27. Partner With Property Developers

Small property developers frequently need decorators.

A single refurbishment may involve:

• every ceiling;
• every wall;
• doors;
• skirting;
• staircases;
• exterior.

That can be several weeks of work.

The developer often values:

price certainty + speed + the ability to scale.

If you can provide a two- or three-person team when needed, this market can be particularly attractive.

28. Target Homeowners Preparing to Sell

This is a strong niche.

People preparing homes for sale often want:

• neutral walls;
• fresh woodwork;
• stain covering;
• hallway refresh;
• tired room repainting.

They may not want an expensive designer finish.

They want:

clean + neutral + presentable + fast.

Create a page around:

Painting Before Selling Your House

The Right Guy’s guide to whether repainting can increase house value addresses exactly this customer concern.

Decorators can target this intent directly.

29. Work With Home Stagers and Interior Designers

Interior designers and home stagers regularly need decorators.

A designer may need someone capable of:

• premium finishes;
• feature colours;
• wallpaper;
• specialist products.

These customers often care more about quality and reliability than finding the cheapest decorator.

A strong relationship can generate higher-value projects.

30. Do Not Compete Only on Price

There will always be someone charging less.

Current 2026 market pricing puts many painters and decorators around £250–£400 per day, depending on experience, location and work involved.

If you constantly try to beat everyone by £50 per day, you eventually damage your margins.

Use our guide to painter and decorator day rates as a broader pricing reference.

Instead of selling:

cheap labour

sell:

preparation + clean finish + reliability + organisation + communication.

31. Explain Why Preparation Costs Money

Customers often think:

It’s just painting.

Explain what is actually involved.

For example:

The quote includes filling the damaged sections, sanding walls, sealing the stain, preparing woodwork, two wall coats and two woodwork coats.

Now the price makes sense.

A £1,500 quote with proper preparation is not directly comparable with a £1,000 quote covering:

quick sand + one coat.

Education helps you defend margin without arguing about price.

32. Use Fixed Quotes for Clearly Defined Jobs

Homeowners often prefer knowing the final price.

For example:

Bedroom walls, ceiling and woodwork — £580 including standard trade materials.

rather than:

£280 per day, probably two days, maybe three.

Fixed pricing reduces uncertainty.

Day rates still have a place where the scope is unclear.

But where you know the room, specification and preparation, fixed quotes can help conversion.

33. Make Your Written Quote Look Professional

Do not send:

£1,700 all in mate.

A good quote can include:

• rooms;
• walls;
• ceilings;
• woodwork;
• preparation;
• number of coats;
• paint/material specification;
• exclusions;
• VAT position;
• expected duration.

A professional quote makes the business feel more organised.

For larger decorating jobs, that can help win customers even where your price is not the lowest.

34. Offer Clear Painting Packages

You do not have to literally call them Bronze/Silver/Gold.

But giving customers options can work well.

For example:

Option A

Walls only.

Option B

Walls + ceiling.

Option C

Walls + ceiling + woodwork.

This reduces the chance that you lose the entire job simply because the complete specification was outside the customer’s budget.

Instead of discounting labour, adjust the scope.

35. Make Material Choices Clear

Specify whether the customer is paying for:

• standard trade emulsion;
• durable washable paint;
• premium designer paint;
• specialist exterior coatings.

One decorator may quote £2,000 with standard trade paint.

Another may quote £2,500 using significantly more expensive materials.

The customer needs to understand that difference.

36. Follow Up Every Serious Decorating Quote

Decorators lose jobs simply because they send a quote and disappear.

Follow up after several days.

For example:

Hi Emma, just checking whether you had any questions about the decorating quote I sent over. Happy to clarify the preparation or paint options if useful.

That is enough.

Do not chase someone every morning.

One or two professional follow-ups can recover work.

37. Track Your Quote Conversion Rate

Suppose you send:

25 quotes

and win:

5 jobs.

Conversion:

20%.

Now divide by service.

Bedrooms

10 quotes → 4 jobs = 40%

Whole-house decorating

5 quotes → 1 job = 20%

Exterior work

10 quotes → 0 jobs = 0%

Now you know where the problem may be.

Perhaps:

• exterior pricing is wrong;
• your portfolio is weak;
• customers need stronger trust;
• your service area is too wide.

Without tracking, you are guessing.

38. Record Where Every Lead Came From

Use a simple spreadsheet:

This tells you where to focus.

Facebook may produce more messages.

Builder referrals may produce far more revenue.

39. Track Profit, Not Revenue Alone

Suppose Source A produces:

£20,000 revenue

but requires:

• expensive advertising;
• long travel;
• heavy discounts.

Source B produces:

£15,000 revenue

with:

• no ad spend;
• local jobs;
• higher margin.

Source B may be better.

Calculate marketing decisions based on:

gross profit

not just job value.

40. Separate Small and Large Jobs

Small decorating work has different marketing economics from whole-house projects.

Small job pipeline

Use:

• Google Business Profile;
• Facebook groups;
• referrals;
• local directories.

Large project pipeline

Use:

• SEO;
• Google Ads;
• estate agents;
• builders;
• designers;
• property developers.

Do not spend £100 acquiring a £300 room-painting job if the same channel could generate £4,000 house-painting projects.

41. Use Empty Diary Days Strategically

If you have a three-day gap next week, do not panic-discount everything.

Post:

We have availability next week for one bedroom/living-room decorating project in Worcester due to a schedule change.

This creates urgency without making the business look desperate.

Existing customers may also have small additional jobs.

42. Build a Waiting List

If you are booked six weeks ahead, that is good.

Do not simply tell customers:

We’re busy.

Say:

We’re currently booking from mid-October. If that works with your timing, I can arrange a quote now.

Some customers will wait.

A waiting list creates future pipeline and reduces the cycle of:

busy → no marketing → project finishes → empty diary.

43. Use Seasonal Demand

Decorating demand changes during the year.

Spring

• exterior painting;
• pre-sale refreshes;
• renovation work.

Summer

• exterior work;
• rental turnarounds;
• larger projects.

Autumn

• interior decorating;
• preparation before Christmas.

Winter

• interiors;
• rental properties;
• renovation finishing.

Market the next season before it arrives.

Do not start advertising exterior painting only after summer is almost over.

44. Use Your Existing Customers More Effectively

Previous customers already trust you.

A customer who hired you for a bedroom may later need:

• hallway;
• exterior;
• living room;
• entire house.

Keep contact details appropriately and follow up occasionally.

For example:

We’re now booking interior decorating for autumn. If you’re planning to finish the hallway or living room later this year, feel free to get in touch early.

That can generate easy repeat business.

45. Ask for Referrals When the Customer Is Happiest

The best time is normally right after completion.

You can say:

If any friends or neighbours need decorating, feel free to pass our details on. We’re looking to take on more work around this area.

Simple.

Do not offer huge referral discounts that destroy your margin.

A satisfied customer’s recommendation is already powerful.

46. Use Neighbourhood Marketing Around Larger Jobs

If you are decorating a house exterior, neighbours can see you.

If you are working inside, your van is still visible.

A professional leaflet to nearby properties can say:

Decorating work currently being completed in your area

Interior and exterior painting across [location].

This works because the recipient has already seen evidence that you are active nearby.

47. Use Van Signage

Your vehicle is local advertising.

Keep it easy to read:

ABC DECORATING

Interior • Exterior • Wallpapering

Phone

Website

Do not list 25 services.

Someone driving behind you has seconds to process the message.

48. Make Cleanliness Part of Your Marketing

Decorating happens inside people’s homes.

Customers care about mess.

Talk about:

• floor protection;
• furniture protection;
• dust control;
• tidying each day.

Show it in photographs.

A customer deciding between two equally skilled decorators may choose the one who appears less likely to destroy the carpet.

49. Reliability Is a Marketing Advantage

Many trades underestimate this.

If you say:

8:30 Tuesday

arrive at 8:30 Tuesday where reasonably possible.

If delayed, communicate.

Reliability creates:

review → referral → repeat job.

That means operations and marketing are directly connected.

A decorator with excellent Facebook Ads but poor communication will eventually generate negative reviews and weaken the entire lead system.

50. Use House-Painting Cost Content to Build Trust

People researching large decorating projects often worry about whether their quote is realistic.

Useful content can answer:

• cost by house size;
• interior vs exterior;
• labour vs materials;
• preparation;
• paint choice.

Our guide to how much it costs to paint a house in the UK shows the kind of high-intent information homeowners search before hiring.

Publishing genuinely useful pricing information can help establish your business as knowledgeable before the first conversation happens.

A Simple 30-Day Plan to Get More Decorating Jobs

Week 1 — Fix discoverability

Update:

• Google Business Profile;
• website;
• The Right Guy profile;
• service areas;
• services.

Week 2 — Build proof

Upload:

• ten strong project photographs;
• three before-and-after examples;
• recent genuine reviews.

Create dedicated service pages.

Week 3 — Build relationships

Contact:

• builders;
• plasterers;
• estate agents;
• letting agents;
• property developers.

Week 4 — Improve sales

Create:

• quote template;
• lead-response template;
• follow-up system;
• source-tracking spreadsheet.

Then start testing one paid channel at a time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get more painting and decorating jobs?

Focus on local Google visibility, reviews, project photographs, referrals, relationships with builders and property professionals, and a website targeting specific decorating searches.

Where can painters and decorators get customers?

Useful sources include:

• Google Business Profile;
• Google Search;
• Facebook;
• Instagram;
• The Right Guy;
• selected trade platforms;
• referrals;
• builders;
• estate agents;
• landlords;
• property developers.

Is Google good for painters and decorators?

Yes. Searches such as “painter and decorator near me” or “house painter in [town]” show strong local commercial intent.

Should decorators use Google Ads?

Potentially, particularly for profitable local services such as whole-house painting, exterior work and wallpapering. Use tight location and keyword targeting.

Are Google Local Services Ads available for painters and decorators?

Google Local Services Ads currently operate only for selected categories and locations. Painting/decorating is not clearly listed as a standalone eligible UK category in Google’s current published list, so check your specific business eligibility before relying on the channel.

Is Facebook good for decorators?

Yes, especially for before-and-after content, local groups and portfolio visibility. Google typically captures stronger immediate search intent.

How can I get more house-painting jobs?

Create dedicated house-painting pages, rank locally, publish real projects, target homeowners preparing to sell, and build relationships with estate agents and property developers.

How can I get landlord decorating work?

Market specifically to landlords and letting agents. Emphasise fast turnaround, consistent pricing, invoices, reliability and the ability to handle complete rental-property refreshes.

Should decorators charge by the day or by the job?

Both can work. Clearly defined rooms often suit fixed quotes, while uncertain preparation or mixed work may suit a day rate.

How often should I follow up decorating quotes?

A polite follow-up several days after sending the quote is reasonable. Follow up once more later if appropriate rather than repeatedly chasing.

The Real Formula for Getting More Decorating Work

A reliable pipeline should look like this:

Visibility → enquiry → photographs/details → quote → follow-up → job → review → referral → repeat work.

Google creates visibility.

Your photographs create confidence.

Your quote explains the value.

Your workmanship creates the review.

The review helps generate the next customer.

That is much stronger than repeatedly posting:

Painter available this week — message me.

You also do not need hundreds of enquiries.

A decorator might only need:

15 good enquiries → 10 quotes → 5 profitable jobs

to keep the diary full.

Focus on attracting the right type of work in the right geographic area, rather than chasing every room that needs paint.

And make sure potential customers encounter the same professional business wherever they look — your website, Google, social media or The Right Guy.

The more consistent that presence becomes, the less dependent you become on waiting for someone to remember your name and recommend you.

Author: The Right Guy Team

UK service guides published by The Right Guy Ltd.