✓ Verified Google reviews·✓ Reviewed regularly·✓ Updated 29 May 2026
Written by Mark Reid,
Trades Editor ·Verified 29 May 2026
Torquay's housing stock is genuinely varied, and that matters when you're choosing a decorator. The Victorian and Edwardian terraces around St Marychurch and Ellacombe sit alongside 1930s semis in Shiphay, post-war council builds in Hele, and a good number of holiday lets and seafront apartments near the Harbour and Torre. Older properties often have lath-and-plaster walls that need careful preparation before any paint goes on, and the coastal exposure along the English Riviera means exterior paintwork takes a battering from salt air and moisture, often needing attention more frequently than you'd expect inland. A decorator who knows the area will account for that when recommending products and prep work.
The businesses on this page are drawn from third-party public business listings and ranked by their public review rating and review count, with a small lift given to those that show a working website and phone number. We read each business's homepage to confirm that painting and decorating work is what they primarily offer, which is how unrelated trades get kept off the page. Listings that have been flagged as permanently closed are removed automatically. Where you see a Trust Verified badge on a listing, that business has additionally 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 any business on this page without that badge, those checks haven't been carried out by us, and it's worth doing them yourself before you book.
Before you commit to anyone, it pays to get at least two or three written quotes rather than verbal estimates. Ask each decorator to break down the cost of labour and materials separately so you can compare properly. Check whether their quote includes preparation work such as filling, sanding, and priming, because cutting corners at that stage is usually why paint fails early. For exterior jobs, ask specifically which exterior-grade masonry paint or wood paint they're using and why. It's also sensible to ask how they'll protect floors, furniture, and any fixtures during the work. Proof of public liability insurance is something any reputable decorator should hand over without hesitation, and for listed buildings or leasehold flats, it's worth checking whether you need written permission before any exterior work begins.
How We Select & Rate The Best Painters & Decorators in Torquay
Rankings on this page are driven by public review rating and review count pulled from third-party business listings, with a small lift for businesses that have a working website and phone number. We read each business's homepage to confirm that painting and decorating is what they primarily offer, which keeps unrelated trades off the page. Permanently-closed listings are removed automatically. Businesses showing 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 full list. Other businesses on this page 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) may be 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 Torquay
Homeowners and commercial clients across Torquay turn to O'Neill & Holman for interior and exterior painting and decorating work. The business holds a five-star rating across 46 Google reviews, suggesting consistent results on local projects. TQ3 3BP places them well for covering the wider Torbay area.
Households across Torquay turn to Chelston Decorators for interior and exterior painting and decorating work. The company holds a five-star rating across 40 Google reviews, reflecting consistent results for residential clients in the TQ2 area. Chelston Decorators operates locally, keeping its focus on the neighbourhoods it knows well.
Rated five stars across twenty Google reviews, LJC Decorating operates as a painting and decorating service based in Torquay. The company covers both interior and exterior work for residential clients in the area. With a consistent review record and a dedicated website at ljcdecorating.com, it offers a straightforward point of contact for householders across the TQ2 postcode and surrounding neighbourhoods.
A painting and decorating service covering Torquay and the surrounding area, The Finishing Touch by Louise handles residential interiors and exteriors with a consistently high finish. Rated 4.7 on Google from 26 reviews, the business has built a solid local reputation for reliable, tidy work. Bookings and further details are available through the company website.
Interior and exterior decorating work for residential and commercial properties in Torquay is the focus at PaintOn Decorators. The company holds a five-star Google rating across 15 reviews, suggesting consistent results on site. Covering the TQ3 area, they handle projects from single-room refreshes to full exterior repaints.
Interior and exterior painting and decorating for residential and commercial properties in Torquay, D W Webster Ltd has built a local presence across the TQ3 area. The company handles preparation and finishing work to a consistent standard, covering everything from fresh colour schemes to full redecoration projects. An established name in the area, it offers the kind of continuity that neighbours often recommend to one another.
Transparency notice: Recommended (#1) and Featured (positions 2-5) listings may be 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 Torquay?
Day rates for a sole trader painter and decorator in Torquay typically run from around £150 to £250 per day, depending on experience and the type of work involved. A small bedroom repaint including ceilings and woodwork might come in at £300 to £500 in total. A full interior repaint of a three-bedroom house, walls, ceilings, and gloss woodwork throughout, is more likely to be £1,500 to £3,000 once materials are included. Exterior work on a mid-terrace in an area like Babbacombe or Plainmoor, involving masonry paint to the front elevation and painted timber windows, could range from £600 to £1,500 depending on the condition of the existing paint and how much prep is needed. Specialist work such as coving, papering feature walls, or decorating a listed property will add to the cost. Getting two or three written quotes from different decorators is the straightforward way to understand the going rate for your specific job.
How long does it take to paint and decorate a room in Torquay?
A standard double bedroom, fresh coat on walls and ceiling plus gloss or satin on the woodwork, usually takes one to two days for a single decorator. That assumes the walls are in reasonable condition and don't need significant filling or lining. A living room with coving, a chimney breast, and more complex woodwork detail can stretch to three days. If you're having wallpaper hung as well, add at least a day depending on the pattern repeat and the number of walls being papered. Bear in mind that older properties in areas like Chelston or the town centre often have less-than-flat walls from years of settlement, and getting a clean finish on those takes longer than a modern new-build. Always ask your decorator at the quoting stage what their realistic timeline looks like, and factor in drying time between coats.
Do I need to do anything to prepare before a decorator arrives?
A good decorator will do most of the preparation themselves, including filling holes and cracks, sanding surfaces, and applying primer where needed. That said, there are a few things you can do to keep costs down and the job moving. Clear the room as much as possible before they arrive. Large furniture doesn't usually need to go out of the room entirely, but pushing it to the centre and covering it saves time. Take down pictures, curtain poles, and wall fixings if you're happy doing that yourself. If you have pets, make arrangements to keep them out of the work area. For exterior jobs, trim back any climbers or shrubs growing against the wall so the decorator can access the surface properly. Let them know in advance about any damp patches, peeling paint, or areas of concern so they can factor in the extra prep work when quoting.
What's the best type of paint to use on exterior walls near the coast in Torquay?
The salt air and frequent moisture coming off Torbay means standard masonry paint won't always cut it on exposed elevations. A breathable, weather-resistant masonry paint with a textured or smooth flexible finish is generally the right call for properties facing the sea or on elevated positions like those around Babbacombe Downs or the hillside streets above the Harbour. Smooth masonry paints tend to show up hairline cracks more quickly, so a textured finish can be more forgiving on older render. Some decorators working on period properties in Torquay will specify a silicone-based masonry paint, which is more resistant to moisture penetration. For painted timber windows and doors, a high-quality exterior gloss or satin, properly primed, will last longer than a budget alternative. Ask your decorator to name the specific products they plan to use and explain their reasons. A decorator who can't answer that question confidently is worth treating with some caution.
Can a painter and decorator help with damp or mould issues before decorating?
Painting over damp or mould without treating the underlying cause is one of the most common decorating mistakes, and any experienced decorator should flag it rather than just get on with the job. Minor surface mould, the kind that appears on a cold external wall in a bathroom or bedroom, can sometimes be treated with a specialist fungicidal wash before decorating. More significant damp problems, rising damp, penetrating damp through old render, or condensation from poor ventilation, need the source identified and fixed before decoration. A decorator can apply damp-seal or stain-block primer to help with localised issues, but they're not damp-proofing specialists. If you've got a serious damp problem in an older property, which isn't uncommon in Torquay's Victorian stock, it's worth getting a damp surveyor to look at it first. That way, when the decorator starts, the fix is actually going to last.
How do I choose between painters and decorators in Torquay and know they're reliable?
Start by asking each decorator to show proof of public liability insurance before you agree to anything. A sole trader doing interior work should carry at least £1 million of public liability cover, and many carry £2 million or more. Ask for two or three references from recent jobs in the local area and actually follow them up. A quick phone call or message to a previous customer in Torquay or nearby Paignton tells you far more than a decorator's own description of their work. Look at their reviews across public platforms, but read them rather than just checking the star rating. Consistent comments about punctuality, tidiness, and communication are good signs. For anything more complex, such as a full exterior repaint or specialist wallpaper hanging, ask to see photos of comparable past work. Check whether they're a sole trader or a small company, because it affects what happens if something goes wrong. And if a quote comes in dramatically cheaper than the others, ask what they're leaving out, because there's usually a reason.
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