Waterford · South Kilkenny · South East · Painting and decorating since 2006
What affects the cost of painting in Waterford
We do not publish a price list, and it is not because we are hiding anything. Two houses on the same road can be very different jobs: one needs a wash and two coats, the other needs a week of preparation before a brush touches it. This guide explains what actually moves the number on a painting job, so you know what you are paying for and can compare quotes properly – ours or anyone else’s.
Preparation is usually the bigger half of the job
The paint is the easy part. What decides the price – and whether the finish lasts – is what happens before it: washing down, scraping off failed paint, filling cracks, sanding, treating algae with a biocide and giving it time to work, priming bare timber and patched render.
A low quote very often means low preparation. Paint over chalky, damp or flaking surfaces and it looks fine for one summer. A proper quote lists the preparation, and a proper crew does not skip it to finish a day sooner.
Access and height
On an exterior, how we reach the wall can matter as much as the size of it. A bungalow from a ladder is one job; a two-storey gable over a conservatory, a terrace on a slope or a house with no side access is another. Some walls need a tower or scaffolding, and that has to be costed, delivered and put up safely.
We look at the back of the house as well as the front, and any access equipment goes into the written price before you agree to anything – it is never added afterwards as an extra.
The type and state of the surface
Smooth render, pebbledash, brick, timber cladding and old lime-rendered walls all take paint differently. Older solid walls need breathable masonry systems; seal them with the wrong paint and you trap the damp inside. Walls with algae, salt from sea air or blown render need repair and treatment first.
Inside, the same applies to cracked ceilings, previously wallpapered walls, stained areas that need a stain block, and woodwork that has been glossed over many times.
Interiors: what moves the number
The number of rooms is not really the measure. What matters is the amount of preparation, whether ceilings and woodwork are included, whether wallpaper has to come off, and how big the colour change is – going from a dark colour to a light one takes more coats. Tall stairwells and landings need proper access too.
An occupied house takes more care than an empty one: furniture moved and covered, floors sheeted, rooms done in a sensible order so you can keep living there.
Paint and products
Trade-quality paint costs more than budget paint, and it is usually the cheaper choice over ten years. On exposed coastal walls – Tramore, Dunmore East, Dungarvan – we usually recommend two full coats of a system rated for coastal exposure, because salt strips cheaper paint years earlier. We name the products in the quote so you can compare like with like.
Time of year and scheduling
Exteriors need dry walls and settled weather, so late spring to early autumn is the main season and the diary fills first. Interiors can be done all year. Being flexible on the start date often means an earlier start. We plan work outside Waterford city in blocks rather than single days, and there is no call-out charge inside our area.
How to compare painting quotes
- Is the preparation written down? Washing, scraping, filling, biocide, priming – or just “paint the house”?
- How many coats, and of what? The product names should be on the quote.
- Is access included? Ladders, towers or scaffolding, priced in, not added later.
- Fixed price or day rate? A day rate shifts all the risk onto you.
- Who does the work? The crew that quotes it, or whoever is free that week?
- Insurance and VAT. Ask, and ask to see it.
- A realistic timeline. A quote that promises a full exterior in two days is usually skipping something.
How we price
We come out and look at the job – free, and usually within a few days. You get a written quote within 48 hours, usually within 24, with a fixed price, the preparation, the products and a realistic number of days. No day rates and no surprises: if we find a problem once work starts, we tell you before we touch it, with the cost of fixing it in writing.
We are fully insured and VAT registered, and the same crew that surveys your house paints it. See what that looks like on exterior painting and interior painting, or in towns like Tramore, Dungarvan, Kilkenny and Carrick-on-Suir.
Questions we get asked
Why don't you publish prices?
Because a price list would be wrong for most houses. The preparation, access and surface decide the number, and we would rather give you a fixed figure for your house than a range that changes once we see it.
Is the quote really fixed?
Yes. The price in writing is the price you pay. The only time it changes is if you add work, or we find a hidden problem – and then we tell you first and put the cost in writing before doing anything.
Do you charge for the survey?
No. The visit is free, there is no call-out charge in our area, and the written quote follows within 48 hours.
Get a fixed written quote for your house
Send a few photos on WhatsApp or book a free survey. We measure, talk through the job and send a written price within 48 hours. Phone 087 067 60 56.
