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How do you choose paint for the surface you have?
Choose a coating by naming the surface and the room, then checking the tin was designed for that use, rather than by a shop display. This page is that choice, and it points a label, wallpaper, new plaster, a step, a ceiling and a bath to their own pages.
Last reviewed:What should you decide before you look at a brand?
Before anyone in Crewe, Nantwich or Sandbach opens a tin, the surface has to have a name. Cheshire is the first place this advice is written for. Anyone in the UK can post a decorating job or register.
Name the surface, then the room, then read the back of the tin. A brand on the front does not say whether the coating was made for an indoor wall, outdoor masonry, wooden trim or a floor. This page does not rank tins or colours.
Which job belongs on a different page?
Stay on this page for a sound wall or ceiling that is already painted, when the question is which coating to ask for.
| The surface in front of you | The page that stays on that surface |
|---|---|
| The word latex, or emulsion, on a label | What latex means on a UK tin |
| Wallpaper that is already up | Whether to paint over wallpaper |
| New or bare plaster | Painting new plaster |
| A step people walk on | A coating for a doorstep |
| White on an ordinary ceiling | Choosing a white for a ceiling |
| Kitchen walls | Paint for kitchen walls |
| A room that lives with steam | Paint for a steamy bathroom |
| A radiator | Paint for a white radiator |
| The bath itself | A coating for the bath itself |
If a row matches, use that page.
What do the paint regulations call a coating designed for a use?
For the purposes of these regulations, paints and varnishes means products listed in the sub-categories below, excluding aerosols. They are coatings applied to buildings, their trim and fittings, and associated structures for decorative, functional and protective purpose [S1].
- Matt coatings for interior walls and ceilings means coatings designed for application to indoor walls and ceilings with a degree of gloss. Glossy coatings for interior walls and ceilings means coatings designed for application to indoor walls and ceilings with a degree of gloss. This page does not print the measure that splits them [S1].
- Coatings for exterior walls of mineral substrate means coatings designed for application to outdoor walls of masonry, brick or stucco [S1].
- Interior/exterior trim and cladding paints for wood, metal or plastic means coatings designed for application to trim and cladding which produce an opaque film. These coatings are designed for either a wood, metal or a plastic substrate. This sub-category includes undercoats and intermediate coatings [S1].
- Primers means coatings with sealing and/or blocking properties designed for use on wood or walls and ceilings [S1].
- One-pack performance coatings means performance coatings based on film-forming material. They are designed for applications requiring a special performance, such as floor coatings, including for wood and cement floors [S1].
When does an outside colour become a planning question?
Any internal decorating such as wallpapering, new skirting boards or painting will not normally require approval under the Building Regulations. There are, however, other considerations to bear in mind and work on external walls is treated differently [S5].
For a house, you do not need to apply for planning permission for repairs, maintenance or minor improvements, such as painting your house [S3]. If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external [S3]. The permitted development allowances described on that page apply to houses and not to flats and maisonettes [S3].
You will not need to apply for planning permission to paint or maintain the external walls of your flat or maisonette. However, in some areas these rights have been removed by way of what is known as an article 4 direction [S4]. Painting includes any application of colour [S4]. If you are a leaseholder, you may first need to get permission from your landlord, freeholder or management company [S4]. If your flat is a listed building you will need listed building consent, unless it is repainting in the existing colour, and you should contact your local planning authority to determine this [S4]. Works to a listed building that affect its special historic character without consent is a criminal offence [S4].
What should the written quote name?
Be very clear about the work you want done. This will help you get the most accurate price and prevent misunderstandings later [S2]. A quote is a fixed price [S2]. An estimate is just a rough guess, so you might end up paying more [S2]. Do not rely on a verbal quote. Get it in writing [S2]. Some traders charge for quotes. Ask about this first [S2].
A quote should include a fixed total price, not a daily rate, a breakdown of all the work to be done and the materials needed, separate costs for each material and part of the work, how long the price is valid for, if the price includes VAT, and when the price can go up, for example only if you agree to extra work [S2]. Try to get written quotes from at least three different traders before you decide on one. Comparing quotes will help you decide if you are getting a fair price [S2]. You should also be cautious if their price is a lot lower than other quotes you get. It might mean they do not have the right skills or experience, or they are not being honest. It could also mean they are not quoting for exactly the same work [S2].
On a decorating quote, name the rooms and the surfaces that are in, and say if the ceiling, the woodwork, the door and the step are out. Ask for the coating the schedule names for that surface [S1].
What goes into the cost of painting a room and what changes the cost of painting the outside are the cost questions. This page does not print a price.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Lounge and hall, walls already painted. Please name a coating designed for indoor walls and ceilings. The ceiling, the woodwork and the stairs are out."
- "Outside brick on a house, same colour as now. Please name a coating designed for outdoor walls of masonry. The door and the step are out. It is not a flat and it is not listed."
How do you post the decorating job?
Name the rooms and the surfaces, and say which surfaces are out. Add a photo of the wall. Up to five matched local businesses can send a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See our painters and decorators page.
What else are people asking?
Can one tin cover the walls, the woodwork and the floor?
The paint regulations split them. Matt coatings for interior walls and ceilings means coatings designed for application to indoor walls and ceilings with a degree of gloss. One-pack performance coatings name floor coatings, including for wood and cement floors. Interior/exterior trim and cladding paints for wood, metal or plastic are coatings designed for application to trim and cladding which produce an opaque film. A step, wallpaper and new plaster each have their own page.
Do I need planning permission to change an outside colour?
You do not need to apply for planning permission for repairs, maintenance or minor improvements, such as painting your house. If you live in a listed building, you will need listed building consent for any significant works whether internal or external. The permitted development allowances described there apply to houses and not to flats and maisonettes. You will not need to apply for planning permission to paint or maintain the external walls of your flat or maisonette. In some areas these rights have been removed by way of what is known as an article 4 direction. If your flat is a listed building you will need listed building consent, unless it is repainting in the existing colour.
Does indoor painting need building regulations approval?
The Planning Portal's decorations page says any internal decorating such as wallpapering, new skirting boards or painting will not normally require approval under the Building Regulations. There are, however, other considerations to bear in mind and work on external walls is treated differently. That is about approval for the decorating, not about which tin matches the wall.
If the tin says latex, is the choice already made?
No. Latex is a word on some labels, and it is not the name of a sub-category in the paint regulations. Those regulations name coatings by the use they are designed for, such as an indoor wall, a primer or a floor. What latex means on a UK tin is the page for the word itself. This page still starts with the surface.
Does QuoteZila check the decorators?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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Related pages
- Johnstone's Paint: What to Check Before You Buy. Johnstone's paint explained for homeowners: how to pick a finish, read the tin and data sheet, and what to ask a decorator who wants to use a particular brand.
- Kitchen wall paint: what to ask a decorator. In Cheshire, kitchen wall paint is a decorating job. No pound total is printed. Ask about preparation, coats, damp and how to compare written quotes.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Schedule 1, The Volatile Organic Compounds in Paints, Varnishes and Vehicle Refinishing Products Regulations 2012, legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2012/1715/schedule/1
- S2: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S3: External walls, planning permission, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://interactive.planningportal.co.uk/smart-search-house-elements/external-walls-house
- S4: I want to paint the outside of my flat, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/flats-and-maisonettes/paint-the-outside-of-flat
- S5: Building regulations: decorations, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-29. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/decorations/building-regulations/