Guide
What shapes the cost of commercial decorating.
Six things decide most of the price. Knowing them helps you brief contractors clearly and compare quotations fairly.
Guide by Redmeres · Revised 30 September 2026
Why do commercial decorating quotes differ?
Quotes differ when preparation, products, access, working hours or handover assumptions differ. Compare the written scope and exclusions alongside the total price.
When comparing quotations
- Check that preparation and coatings are comparable
- Identify protection, access and working-hour assumptions
- Confirm drying, snagging and exclusions in writing
What we look at when we price.
- 01
Condition and preparation
Surfaces in poor condition need more filling, repair and priming. Preparation often decides the price more than the paint.
- 02
Surfaces and products
Walls, ceilings, joinery, metalwork and wet areas each need different systems.
- 03
Access
Heights, stairwells, scaffolding or towers, and how easily materials get in.
- 04
Working hours
Out-of-hours shifts, restricted access and repeated setup can affect labour costs. Any closure and return-to-use conditions belong in the quotation.
- 05
Phasing
How many phases the work is split into, and how often areas are handed back.
- 06
Scale and repetition
Repeated room types and consistent specifications across sites make planning more efficient.
Comparing quotations line by line.
Quotations are only comparable when they describe the same work. Check what each one states for every line below; a gap is a question to ask, not necessarily a problem.
| Item | What to check in each quotation | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Surfaces and areas | Which rooms, areas and surfaces are listed — walls, ceilings, doors, frames, skirtings, metalwork — and whether a schedule of areas or measurements is stated. | Two prices for “the ground floor” can describe very different work. |
| Preparation | The preparation described for each surface, such as cleaning, filling, sanding and spot-priming, and the standard it aims for. | Preparation often decides the finish, and much of the price. |
| Repairs | Whether plaster, joinery or other repairs are included, allowed for separately or excluded, and how defects found during the work are raised and agreed. | Hidden conditions are a common source of later changes. |
| Coating system | The product type, number of coats, sheen and colours for each surface, and whether it follows your specification or brand standard. | Different surfaces and settings need different systems; “two coats” alone says little. |
| Occupied access and hours | The working hours, shift pattern, closure windows and areas taken out of use that the price assumes. | An access assumption changes both the programme and the labour. |
| Protection | What is protected, how work areas are separated from people using the building, and who moves furniture. | It affects the building in use and the clean-down at handback. |
| Phasing and handback | How the work is split into phases, the order of areas, and the conditions for handing each area back to use. | In an occupied building the sequence matters as much as the total time. |
| Exclusions | What is expressly not included — for example access equipment, specialist coatings, out-of-hours working, repairs or making good after other trades. | Exclusions are where like-for-like comparisons usually break down. |
| Handover | How snagging and sign-off are carried out, and whether the products and colours used are recorded. | A record makes touch-ups and the next cycle simpler. |
Questions to agree before work starts.
- The written scope and specification, including what is excluded
- Working hours, access arrangements and the areas that stay in use
- Phasing, and the conditions for handing each area back
- How changes to scope, access or timing are raised and recorded
- Site rules, and the documents needed before mobilisation
- Named contacts on each side, and who signs off the work
How we work shows where each of these is settled, from site visit to sign-off. Our standards page explains our working approach. Before any appointment, confirm with us which supporting documents your contract requires.
What to put in a site brief.
- The site: its name or reference, and the area, town or borough
- How it is used: who is in the building, and when it is busiest
- The work: areas and surfaces to be decorated, and any known problems
- Staying open: areas that must stay in use, and the possible working hours
- Timing: your preferred window, and any fixed dates to work around
- Standards: any specification, colour schedule or brand standard to follow
Prioritising several sites.
A shared schedule helps decide which sites come first and which can share a working window. This is an example structure only — it shows the columns, not a real estate, project or prices.
| Column | What to record |
|---|---|
| Site reference and name | Your own code or name for each building, so everyone refers to it the same way. |
| Area, town or borough | Where it is — useful for grouping nearby sites into one phase. |
| Building use | What happens there, which shapes working hours and protection. |
| Areas and surfaces | What needs decorating at this site. |
| Known condition issues | Anything that may need repairs or another trade first. |
| Must stay open / possible hours | The areas that stay in use, and when work could happen. |
| Fixed dates / preferred window | Inspections, events, term dates or peak periods to avoid, and when you would like the work done. |
| Specification | The finish standard or brand standard that applies. |
| Priority | Your own scale — for example: needed before a fixed date; due this cycle; could move to a later window. |
| Notes | Anything else the contractor should know. |
List every site once
One row per building, even if nothing is planned there this year.
Mark what is fixed
Dates that cannot move, and areas that can never close.
Group by window and area
Sites that share a working window or sit close together can often be phased together.
Set the priority
Use your own scale, and note the reason for each site’s place in the order.
Review after the survey
Condition found on site may change the order; keep the schedule as the single record.
Blank templates.
Both files are blank. Use them for your own planning; nothing needs to be completed or sent before you get in touch.
Site brief template
One building per copy: the site, its use, the areas and surfaces, condition, working hours, timing, standards and contacts.
Multi-site planning schedule
A blank spreadsheet with the columns described above, one row per site. Opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On quotations
Why do quotations for 'the same' job vary so much?
Usually because of what is assumed about preparation, access and working hours. A written scope makes quotations comparable.
Is it cheaper to do several sites at once?
Not necessarily. A consistent scope and specification across sites makes the work easier to plan and quotations easier to compare. Each site’s cost and timing still depend on its survey, the agreed scope and access, and any changes found or agreed later, so no saving is assumed.
Do I need to fill in the templates before getting in touch?
No. They are optional aids for your own planning. A short description of your sites and timing is enough to start, and the enquiry form does not take attachments — copy in anything useful as text.
Ready to request a quotation?
Send a short brief and we will come back to you to arrange the next step, such as a site visit.