✓ Verified Google reviews·✓ Reviewed regularly·✓ Updated 29 May 2026
Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 29 May 2026
Lincoln's housing stock is genuinely varied, and that matters more than you'd think when you're hiring a decorator. The city has a strong concentration of Victorian and Edwardian terraces around the Monks Road and West End areas, where original cornicing, picture rails, and lath-and-plaster walls are still common. Getting a clean finish on those surfaces takes different preparation than working on the smooth plasterboard walls of a newer home on one of the Waddington or Nettleham Road developments. Uphill Lincoln, with its Georgian townhouses near the Cathedral Quarter, throws up its own challenges too, particularly with bare stone or lime-render exteriors that need breathable masonry paint rather than standard exterior emulsion. A decorator who knows Lincoln's housing mix will usually factor all of this in from the first look around, rather than quoting for a straightforward job and then finding surprises halfway through.
The businesses on this page were drawn from third-party business listings and ranked by public review rating and review count, with a small lift applied to those that show a working website and a contactable phone number. Before any business appears here, we check its homepage to confirm that painting and decorating work is what it primarily offers, which is how unrelated trades get kept off the page. Permanently closed listings are removed automatically as flagged. Where you see a Trust Verified badge next to a business, that means it has additionally passed our full verification process, covering trade qualifications and accreditations, public liability insurance, trading history, customer review history, and registered company information. You can see the full list of what that covers on our How We Verify page. For any business on this page that doesn't carry that badge, those independent checks haven't been carried out by us, and it's worth doing them yourself before you book.
Before you commit to anyone, it's worth getting at least two or three written quotes rather than a verbal estimate over the phone. Ask each decorator to specify what preparation is included, because the prep is often where corners get cut. For exterior work, confirm whether they're using a breathable or standard masonry paint, particularly on older rendered surfaces. Check whether they carry public liability insurance and ask to see a copy if it's not already mentioned. References from recent jobs in Lincoln are useful too, especially for larger projects like a full house repaint or a commercial fit-out. Labour rates across Lincolnshire vary, but for a typical two-bedroom terrace in Lincoln you'd be looking at roughly £800 to £1,400 for a full interior repaint, depending on the condition of the walls and how much prep is involved.
How We Select & Rate The Best Painters & Decorators in Lincoln
Rankings on this page are driven by public review rating and review count from third-party business listings, with a small lift for businesses that have a working website and a contactable phone number. We check each business's homepage to confirm that painting and decorating is what they primarily offer, keeping unrelated trades off the page. Permanently closed listings are removed automatically. Businesses marked Trust Verified 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 full list. Other businesses listed here have not been independently verified by us, and inclusion is not an endorsement. Always do your own checks before hiring.
Positions 1–5 (Recommended and Featured) are paid placements. Every other listing is ranked on rating and review count from third-party business listings. How we rank & verify →
Quick Comparison — Painters & Decorators in Lincoln
Rated 4.9 from 135 Google reviews, Inol Ltd has built a consistent record across painting and decorating work in Lincoln. The company serves both residential and commercial clients in the LN6 area, with the volume of independent feedback pointing to reliable, repeat-worthy results. A solid option for anyone planning interior or exterior decorating work in the city.
Repair and Coat is a painting and decorating business based in Lincoln, covering both interior and exterior work across the local area. Rated 4.7 from 65 Google reviews, the company has built a consistent record among Lincoln residents. The LN5 postcode base puts it within straightforward reach of the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Feneley Decorating is a painting and decorating service based in Lincoln, covering both residential and commercial work. With a Google rating of 4.8 from 44 reviews, the business has built a steady local reputation across the LN5 area and beyond. Clients can find further details about the service at feneleydecorating.co.uk.
Rated 4.9 out of 5 from 28 Google reviews, J Beedham Decorating Services has built a consistent record across residential painting and decorating work in Lincoln since 2008. The business operates from the LN1 postcode area, giving it close familiarity with the local housing stock. Over sixteen years of sole-trader continuity, that rating points to reliable, repeat custom rather than a single spike in feedback.
ProFinish Services is a painting and decorating company based in Lincoln, carrying a five-star Google rating across its reviews. The company takes on residential and commercial work throughout the local area, covering interior and exterior projects. Six reviews returning a perfect score suggests consistent results on the ground, making it a straightforward option for Lincoln homeowners and businesses seeking decorating work.
Specialising in interior and exterior painting and decorating, Monks Road Decor Ltd serves residential and commercial properties across Lincoln. The company operates from the LN2 area, covering the northern parts of the city and surrounding neighbourhoods. Work spans preparation and finishing, with an emphasis on clean, consistent results across both domestic rooms and larger commercial spaces.
Painting and decorating services covering Lincoln and the surrounding area, Roger Fletcher takes on both interior and exterior work for domestic and commercial clients. The business operates from the LN4 postcode, making it well placed for properties across the city and into the neighbouring villages. A dedicated website sets out the scope of work available.
Transparency notice: Recommended (#1) and Featured (positions 2-5) listings are paid placements, so a business's fee affects whether and where it appears in those positions. 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 painter and decorator cost in Lincoln?
Day rates for a self-employed decorator in Lincoln typically run between £150 and £220 per day, though some more experienced tradespeople charge closer to £250. For a fixed-price job, expect to pay roughly £800 to £1,400 to have the interior of a two-bedroom terrace repainted, including ceilings and woodwork, assuming the walls are in reasonable condition. A three-bedroom semi where the walls need significant filling and sanding first can come in at £1,600 to £2,500. Exterior repaints vary widely depending on how much masonry is involved and whether scaffolding is needed. For a standard semi in Bracebridge Heath or Birchwood, exterior painting including soffits and fascias usually falls somewhere between £1,200 and £2,200. Getting two or three quotes is straightforward and normal, and the variation between them often reveals differences in what's actually included.
How long does it take to paint and decorate a room in Lincoln?
A single bedroom, painted two coats on walls and ceiling with gloss on the woodwork, generally takes one decorator a full day, sometimes two if the walls need significant preparation first. A large open-plan living and dining room in one of the newer Nettleham or Skellingthorpe developments might take two to three days, particularly if you're changing from a dark colour to a pale one and need extra coats. Victorian terraces in the West End often take longer because the cornicing, picture rails, and door architraves all need careful cutting in. If you're having wallpaper hung as well, add roughly half a day per average-sized room. Always confirm the estimated timeframe with your decorator before work starts, and ask whether the quote assumes one person or a team.
Do I need to move furniture before the decorator arrives?
Most decorators will move furniture to the centre of the room and cover it with dustsheets as part of the job, but it's worth confirming this when you agree the quote, because not all of them include it. For large items like wardrobes or sofas, it helps to clear as much as you can beforehand, especially in smaller rooms where access to skirting boards and corners is tricky. Paintings, mirrors, and curtains should come down before work starts. If you have fitted carpets and you're worried about paint splashes, ask your decorator whether they'll use proper floor protection rather than just a single thin dustsheet, which paint can bleed through.
Can a painter and decorator in Lincoln help with wallpaper removal as well as painting?
Most decorators will strip wallpaper as part of a wider job, and many are happy to do it as a standalone task. It's usually priced separately from painting work, and the cost depends heavily on how many layers are there and how well they come off. Old houses in areas like Uphill Lincoln or the Monks Road conservation area sometimes have multiple generations of wallpaper, which can be very time-consuming to remove cleanly. Confirm upfront whether the quote includes filling and skimming any damaged plaster once the paper is off, because the wall surface is often uneven underneath. Some decorators can arrange a plasterer if significant repairs are needed before painting can start.
What paint is best for older or period properties in Lincoln?
Breathable paints matter a lot on older properties, particularly anything with lime render, stone, or solid brick walls. Standard modern emulsions can trap moisture in older walls, which leads to damp, peeling, and in worse cases, damage to the structure over time. On older Lincoln properties, particularly in the Cathedral Quarter and Bailgate areas, a microporous masonry paint or a lime-based paint is usually the right choice for exterior surfaces. Internally, high-quality trade emulsions work fine on most surfaces, but if you're painting over walls that have had recurring damp issues, a decorator should flag this rather than paint straight over it. Any good decorator working on period property should know which products are appropriate and be able to explain why they're recommending a specific paint.
How do I choose between painters and decorators in Lincoln and know I'm hiring someone reliable?
Start by asking for a written quote that breaks down labour and materials separately. This makes it easier to compare quotes fairly and spots anyone who's been vague about what they're including. Ask for references from jobs completed in the last year or so, ideally from customers in Lincoln so you can gauge their familiarity with local housing types. Check that they carry public liability insurance and ask for a copy or a certificate number. Look at their public reviews on third-party platforms and pay attention to how they respond to any negative feedback. For larger jobs, a small deposit is normal, but be cautious of anyone asking for more than 30 to 40 per cent upfront before any work has started. If a business carries a Trust Verified badge on this page, the independent checks on qualifications, insurance, and trading history have already been done. For anyone without that badge, those are checks you'll need to do yourself before booking.
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