Painting looks like a simple trade from the outside. Roller. Paint. Wall. Done. But anyone who's ever had a bad decorating job knows there's a chasm between "painted" and "painted properly".
Here are three questions that quickly sort the pros from the chancers in Bristol.
1. "How will you prepare the walls before you paint?"
This is the tell. A weak painter will say something like "Oh I'll give them a quick sand and off we go." A proper Bristol painter and decorator will walk you through:
- Filling holes and cracks with proper filler (Toupret, Polyfilla Deep Repair)
- Sanding filled areas smooth and priming them
- Washing down glossy paint with sugar soap so the new coat adheres
- Caulking gaps between skirting and wall
- Masking sockets, skirtings, and window frames
- Sheet-covering your floors and furniture properly, not with a bin bag
Preparation is 60-70% of a decorating job. If they gloss over that answer, they'll gloss over the actual prep too. And you'll be looking at rippled walls, filler shrinkage lines, and roller marks for the next five years.
2. "What paint will you use, and how many coats?"
You want a specific answer. Not "just some emulsion". A confident Bristol decorator will say something like:
"I'd recommend Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt in the colour you've chosen. Two full coats on top of a diluted mist coat if it's fresh plaster. If you go with a Farrow & Ball or Little Greene, I'll price accordingly because they cover slightly less per litre and the price is a step up."
The answer tells you three things: they know their brands, they understand primer/mist coats on plaster, and they're not going to skimp on coats to save time. Two full coats is standard for a proper finish. If someone quotes "one coat" for a re-paint, that's a red flag — even on a like-for-like colour, one coat rarely gives an even sheen.
3. "What happens if I'm not happy with the finish?"
This one separates the pros from the ones who'll ghost you when you point out a run in the paint. A confident painter will say:
"You'll see the work as I go, so if there's anything you're not happy with we can fix it before I move on to the next room. Once the job's done I'll come back within a week to touch up anything that's needed at no extra cost."
Any hesitation, or a "well, once I'm done I'm done" attitude, tells you they've had complaints before and don't want to deal with any more. Move on.
Bonus red flags in Bristol specifically
- Cash-in-hand-only quotes for anything over about £500. Limits your consumer rights and often means no insurance.
- No van signage and no company details on invoices. Bristol has genuinely great small decorators, but a total absence of any business identity is a warning.
- Won't quote until you've paid a "site visit fee" — a quick 10-minute walk-through should be free for a normal domestic job.
What a fair Bristol painting quote looks like in 2026
- Small bedroom (walls + ceiling, one coat existing colour): £250-400
- Small bedroom (full prep + two coats, colour change): £400-650
- Average lounge (18-22 sqm walls + ceiling): £500-900
- Whole two-bed flat repaint: £1,800-3,200 depending on prep needed
- Gloss woodwork per room: add £120-200
Prices in central Bristol and Clifton run higher than the outer areas like Bedminster or Fishponds. Get three quotes, and be wary of anything that comes in more than 25% below the others — that's often a sign the prep won't happen.
Why homeowners in Bristol are joining MyHandyHub
MyHandyHub is a UK trades marketplace launching soon. We verify every painter and decorator's insurance and business details before they can quote on your job. No lead fees, no commission — just fair, side-by-side quotes.
Join our waitlist and be one of the first 100 to post a job when we launch. £20 Amazon voucher on us.
The takeaway
A great Bristol painter will happily talk you through prep, brands, coats, and their guarantee. A bad one will fob you off. Ask these three questions, listen carefully to the answers, and you'll almost never end up with a botched decorating job.