Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 14 September 2026
Harrow's housing stock is a real mix, from the 1930s semis around Pinner and Hatch End to the newer flats near Wealdstone and the mansion blocks close to Harrow town centre. That variety means decorators here need to be comfortable with everything from stripping old woodchip wallpaper and repainting picture rails to spraying modern uPVC fascias or matching render on a new-build extension. Plenty of local jobs also involve period features, sash windows, cornicing, that sort of thing, so a decorator who's worked on Harrow's older properties tends to have a good feel for what's needed. Parking and access matter too, streets like those around Roxeth or Wealdstone can be tight, so a decorator with local knowledge often works more efficiently than one coming from further out.
The businesses featured here are pulled from public business listings and ranked mainly by their review rating and how many reviews they've built up, with a small boost given to those showing a working website and phone number. We also read through each business's homepage to check that painting and decorating is genuinely their main line of work, which stops general builders or unrelated trades slipping onto the list. Any listing flagged as permanently closed gets removed as part of that process. Where you spot a Trust Verified badge, that business has gone further and passed our full verification, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. You can see exactly what that involves on our How We Verify page. For businesses without the badge, those checks haven't been done by us, so it's worth doing your own homework before booking.
Before you commit to anyone, ask to see recent examples of their work, ideally jobs similar to yours, whether that's a full exterior repaint or an internal refurb. Confirm they carry public liability insurance and ask for proof, and check whether they're a sole trader or a registered company, since that affects how you'd resolve any dispute. If the job involves external render or pebbledash repair, ask what preparation and primer they use, as skipping this step is a common cause of paint failing within a year or two. Get at least two or three written quotes covering the same scope of work, materials included, so you're comparing like for like rather than guessing at what's excluded.
How We Select & Rate The Best Painters & Decorators in Harrow
Rankings are based on review rating and review count taken from public business listings, with a small lift given to businesses showing a working website and phone number. We check each business's homepage to confirm painting and decorating work is what they primarily do, which keeps unrelated trades off the page. Listings flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. Businesses marked Trust Verified have additionally passed our full verification, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information; see our How We Verify page for details. Other businesses haven't been independently verified by us, and appearing on this page isn't an endorsement. Always do 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 →
Painting and decorating work in Harrow is handled by ABC Painting Ltd, covering interior and exterior jobs across the HA2 area. The firm has built a strong local reputation, reflected in a five-star average from 33 reviews. Enquiries can be made through its website for quotes on upcoming projects.
Top Proactive House Painting Harrow works across interior and exterior decorating jobs for local homes. The firm has built up a run of five-star feedback from twenty reviews, reflecting consistent attention to preparation and finish. Based in Harrow, it takes on both single-room refreshes and full house repaints.
Graham Elder Painting & Decorating works largely on older Harrow properties, where period features such as sash windows and original cornicing need careful preparation before any paint goes on. The firm's approach favours proper surface treatment over quick cover-ups, an emphasis reflected in a full five-star record from 18 reviews.
Harrow properties, from period terraces to newer builds, make up much of the work carried out by Lucci Decorating. The firm handles interior and exterior painting, wallpapering and general finishing touches, with a 4.9 rating from 16 reviews reflecting consistent standards on completed jobs.
Interior wall finishes and plastering repairs make up much of the work at Art Decor Shehu, a decorating service based in Harrow. Jobs typically cover full room repaints, wallpaper hanging and preparation of damaged surfaces before finishing. The business holds a 5 rating from 12 reviews on Google.
A typical call to Colour Craft starts with tired woodwork or a lounge that needs a fresh scheme before a house sale or a new arrival. The Harrow firm handles interior and exterior decorating, from prep and filler work to final coats, and has built a five-star record across ten reviews from local jobs of this kind.
Interior painting for period properties around Harrow is a particular strength of CLSi Decorators, with attention paid to cornicing and existing woodwork rather than covering it over. The firm has built a 5-star record from 8 reviews, suggesting consistent care on smaller domestic jobs across HA1 and surrounding streets.
AVI Painting Solutions in Harrow takes on jobs across older terraced houses and flats, where uneven walls and period woodwork need more preparation before a finish goes on. The firm covers both interior and exterior decorating, and its five-star record from six reviews points to consistent care on smaller residential projects around HA2.
Specialist interior and exterior painting and decorating, Andrew Farkas Ltd operates from Harrow, serving residential and commercial clients across the local area. The company handles everything from preparation and plastering repairs through to the finished coat, treating surface condition as central to the final result. Its work spans new builds and period properties alike.
Older properties around Harrow make up much of the workload for Quality Decoration Services, from period plasterwork needing careful preparation to tired woodwork requiring stripping back before repainting. Flats and family homes are also covered, with jobs ranging from single rooms to full internal redecoration. Based in the HA5 4NL area, the firm can be contacted via its website for quotes.
Terraced houses and period conversions around Harrow make up much of the workload for Legendary Decorators, with jobs ranging from cornice repair to full interior repaints. Older properties often need extra prep, stripping back layers of paint or sorting damp patches before any colour goes on, and that groundwork forms a core part of the service offered from the HA2 0HH base.
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 →
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How much does a painters & decorators cost in Harrow?
A single room repaint typically runs from around £250 to £450, depending on size and how much prep work the walls need. A full interior for a three-bedroom semi, the kind common around Kenton or South Harrow, often comes to £1,800 to £3,500. Exterior work costs more, a full house repaint including fascias and soffits can range from £2,000 up to £5,000 or more depending on scaffolding needs. Prices vary with paint quality, wall condition, and access, so getting two or three quotes for the same job is the best way to gauge a fair price.
Do I need to be in the property while the work is being done?
Not necessarily, plenty of decorators work while you're at your job or out for the day, as long as you've agreed access arrangements beforehand. For internal work you'll usually need to give access to water for cleaning brushes and a safe place to store dust sheets and equipment. For external jobs involving scaffolding or ladders, someone should ideally be reachable in case access to a rear garden or side passage is needed.
How long does a typical decorating job take?
A single room usually takes one to two days including drying time between coats. A full house interior can take anywhere from five days to two weeks depending on the number of rooms and how much wall repair is needed. Exterior work is more weather-dependent, a full house repaint might take a week in good conditions but longer if rain keeps interrupting the schedule, which is worth factoring in if you're booking for autumn or winter.
Should I supply my own paint or let the decorator source it?
Either works, but it's worth discussing upfront since it affects the quote. Decorators often get trade discounts on brands like Dulux Trade or Crown, so letting them source materials can sometimes work out cheaper overall even after their markup. If you've got a specific colour or finish in mind, such as a heritage shade for a period property, buying it yourself guarantees you get exactly what you want.
What's the difference between a painter and a decorator?
In practice most tradespeople in Harrow do both and the terms are used interchangeably. Painting covers applying paint or varnish to walls, woodwork and metalwork. Decorating can include wallpapering, minor plastering repairs, filling cracks, and sometimes small carpentry jobs like replacing skirting boards. If your job involves wallpaper hanging or more detailed plaster repair, mention this when getting quotes since not every painter is equally confident with paper.
How can I tell if a decorator is worth hiring?
Start by reading through their recent reviews rather than just the star rating, look for comments about tidiness, punctuality and whether they stuck to the quoted price. Ask to see photos of finished jobs similar in scale to yours. Check they're happy to provide proof of public liability insurance and ask how they handle any snagging issues after completion. If a job involves significant money upfront, be cautious of anyone asking for a large deposit before work has started, a smaller deposit with the balance on completion is more standard practice.
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