25 Best Painters & Decorators in Edinburgh for 2026
🖌️ 25 businesses·📍 Edinburgh
✓ Reviewed regularly·✓ Updated 29 May 2026
Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 29 May 2026
Edinburgh's housing stock throws up some real challenges for decorators. The city is full of Georgian and Victorian tenements, particularly across Leith, Morningside, Stockbridge and the New Town, where high ceilings, ornate cornicing and original sash windows require a lighter touch than a modern new-build in Craigmillar or Granton. Sandstone and harled exterior walls are common too, and they behave very differently to rendered or brick surfaces when it comes to exterior masonry paint, especially given the damp westerly weather Edinburgh gets for a good chunk of the year. Many local decorators also work across the Lothians and into Fife, so coverage tends to be broader than the EH postcode alone.
The businesses on this page were drawn from third-party public business listings and ranked by their public review rating and review count, with a small additional lift for those that show a working website and active phone number. Before any business appears here, we check its homepage to confirm that painters and decorators work is what it primarily offers. That step keeps unrelated trades off the page. Listings flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. Where you see a Trust Verified badge on a business, it has additionally passed our full verification process, which covers trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history and registered company information. You can see the full list of checks on our How We Verify page. Businesses without that badge have not been independently verified by us, so those checks are yours to carry out before you book.
Before committing to any decorator, get at least three written quotes and make sure each one breaks down labour and materials separately so you're comparing like for like. Ask whether they use trade-grade paints such as Dulux Trade or Johnstone's, or whether cheaper retail tins are included in the price, because it makes a genuine difference to coverage and durability. For any exterior work, ask specifically how they prepare the surface, whether that's filling, sanding, priming or applying a stabilising solution to bare render. Check that the contractor carries public liability insurance and ask to see a copy of the certificate, not just a verbal confirmation. If your flat is a traditional tenement, it's worth checking with your factor or property manager before instructing any work to shared stairwells or the building's exterior, as consent from co-owners is often required.
How We Select & Rate The Best Painters & Decorators in Edinburgh
Rankings on this page are driven by public review rating and review count pulled from third-party business listings, with a small lift applied to businesses that have a working website and phone number. We check each business's homepage to confirm that painters and decorators work is what they primarily offer, which keeps unrelated trades off the page. Listings marked as permanently closed are removed automatically. Businesses displaying a Trust Verified badge have additionally passed our full verification, covering qualifications, insurance, trading history, customer review history and registered company information. See our How We Verify page for the complete list. All other businesses on this page have not been independently verified by us, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Always carry out your own checks before hiring.
Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Quick Comparison: Painters & Decorators in Edinburgh
Dean Mccathie Painters And Decorators Ltd. provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. The company focuses on quality workmanship and customer satisfaction.
Edinburgh Painting Services Ltd. provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. The company handles both interior and exterior projects for residential and commercial properties across the city.
Bily Renovation Painting and Decorating provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh from their base in Leith. They serve both residential and commercial clients across the Edinburgh area, offering comprehensive painting and decorating solutions.
Bert's Painting & Decorating provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. Their experienced team handles both interior and exterior projects for residential and commercial properties across the city.
Borthwick Decorators Ltd provides professional painting and decorating services from their base in Edinburgh's city centre. They serve clients across Edinburgh, offering comprehensive interior and exterior decoration solutions for both residential and commercial properties.
Capital Painters & Decorators Edinburgh provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They offer both interior and exterior painting solutions for residential and commercial properties across the city.
J&D Painters provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They handle both interior and exterior painting projects for residential and commercial properties across the city.
Painting the Capital provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They offer comprehensive interior and exterior painting solutions for residential and commercial properties across the city.
Artur Edinburgh Painter Ltd provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They serve residential and commercial clients across the Edinburgh area with comprehensive interior and exterior painting solutions.
Paintrite Decorators provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. Their services cover both interior and exterior decoration projects for residential and commercial properties across the Edinburgh area.
Edinburgh Painting Specialists provides professional painting and decorating services across Edinburgh from their Bruntsfield base. They serve residential and commercial clients throughout the Edinburgh area, offering comprehensive interior and exterior painting solutions.
Bespoke Decor Edinburgh provides professional painting and decorating services across Edinburgh. They serve residential and commercial clients throughout the Edinburgh area with comprehensive interior and exterior decoration solutions.
Happy Days Painting And Deco provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They offer comprehensive interior and exterior decoration solutions for residential and commercial properties across the city.
Pentland Painting and Decorating provides professional painting and decorating services in Edinburgh. They serve Edinburgh and surrounding areas, offering both interior and exterior painting solutions for residential and commercial properties.
CM Decorators provides professional painting and decorating services across Edinburgh and the surrounding areas from their Kirkliston base. Their comprehensive approach to interior and exterior decorating projects serves both residential and commercial clients throughout the region.
The Painted Lady provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. This local decorator handles both interior and exterior projects for residential and commercial properties.
Ace Finish Decorators provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They serve residential and commercial clients across the city, handling interior and exterior decoration projects.
Thistle Decorators provides professional painting and decorating services from their base in Leith, Edinburgh. The company serves clients across the Edinburgh area with interior and exterior painting, wallpapering, and general decorating work.
Paul D Shapero is a painting and decorating contractor based in Edinburgh, covering residential and commercial properties across the city. The business offers interior and exterior work to clients in the surrounding neighbourhoods. A dedicated website at pauldshapero.co.uk provides further details on the scope of work available.
E & P Decorators Edinburgh provides professional painting and decorating services across Edinburgh. Their experienced team handles both interior and exterior decoration projects for residential and commercial clients throughout the city.
MBHall Painting & Decorating provides professional painting and decorating services to customers across Edinburgh. Their experienced team handles both interior and exterior painting projects for residential and commercial properties throughout the city.
James Ramage Decorators provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. They offer comprehensive interior and exterior painting solutions for residential and commercial properties across the city.
Almond Decorators provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. Their experienced team handles both interior and exterior decoration projects for residential and commercial clients across the city.
Dovetail Renovations Ltd provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. Their team serves residential and commercial clients across the city, delivering comprehensive renovation solutions with attention to detail.
Marquina Painters and Renovators provides professional painting and decorating services throughout Edinburgh. The company handles both interior and exterior painting projects alongside general renovation work for residential and commercial properties.
Transparency notice: Recommended and Featured listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears. All other listings are ranked by a combined score drawn from ratings and review counts published on third-party business listings, plus basic completeness signals such as a working website and phone. A Trust Verified badge means we have independently checked that business's documents; businesses without it have not been independently verified by us. How we verify →
Looking for a Painter & Decorator in Edinburgh?
Get up to three no-obligation quotes from verified businesses. Takes less than a minute.
How much does a painters & decorators cost in Edinburgh?
Expect to pay £150-250 per day for a skilled decorator, or £15-25 per square metre for interior walls including materials. A typical Edinburgh tenement room costs £300-600 to paint depending on prep work needed. Exterior painting runs £20-35 per square metre for render or £25-45 for stonework requiring specialist paints. Period properties with detailed cornicing or original features cost more due to careful preparation time. Always get two or three quotes to compare pricing and what's included.
Do I need special paints for Edinburgh's sandstone buildings?
Yes, sandstone needs breathable paints that allow moisture to escape naturally. Standard modern paints can trap dampness and cause stone damage over time. Look for mineral paints or lime-based systems specifically designed for historic buildings. Many Edinburgh decorators stock Keim or similar specialist ranges. The extra cost is worth it for preserving your building's structure, especially on exposed elevations facing Edinburgh's prevailing winds.
How long does exterior painting take in Edinburgh's climate?
Most exterior jobs need 3-7 dry days depending on size and prep work required. Edinburgh's changeable weather means scheduling flexibility is crucial, especially between October and March. Expect delays during wet spells, as rushing exterior work in damp conditions leads to poor adhesion and early failure. Many decorators book exterior work for April through September but stay flexible with start dates based on weather forecasts.
What preparation work do Edinburgh tenement flats typically need?
Victorian tenements often need extensive prep work including filling cracks around window frames, treating damp patches, and repairing plaster damage from old picture rails or fireplaces. Expect wallpaper stripping in older properties, plus sugar soap cleaning of years of cooking residue. High ceilings mean extra scaffolding time. Factor in 1-2 days prep work for each day of actual painting in period properties.
Should I move furniture out before decorators arrive?
Most Edinburgh decorators will move furniture and protect it with dust sheets, but clearing smaller items and valuables yourself saves time and money. Remove pictures, ornaments, and electronics completely. Push larger furniture to room centres so decorators can access walls and skirting boards easily. Discuss protection methods beforehand, especially for period features like original floorboards that need careful covering.
How do I verify a painter and decorator's credentials?
Check their business insurance certificate covers public liability of at least £1 million. Ask for recent customer references and actually phone them to ask about work quality and reliability. Look up their business on Companies House if they're limited, or ask for their UTR number if self-employed. Check their Google reviews span several months, not just recent jobs. Ask to see photos of similar Edinburgh properties they've worked on, particularly if yours has period features.
Related Guides
More independently researched rankings you might find useful
