How to become a painter and decorator

Why should you become a painter and decorator?

No matter what sort of trade industry you have your eye on, changing to a new career, especially one as surprisingly skilled as painting and decorating, can be as exciting as it is imposing.

Requiring a great eye for detail, the ability to follow detailed briefs, and no short amount of courage when working at heights. It’s safe to say that the world of painting and decorating isn’t for everyone.

However, few people in this profession would deny just how satisfying a job painting and decorating can be.

Ideal if you have a methodical artistic streak or enjoy hands-on work, no two days or projects are ever really the same for a decorator. Nor are they ever short of work, as painting and decorating is a job that’s always in demand.

So, if you enjoy the feeling of a job well done, and you want to earn a good salary doing something practical, we’ve broken down exactly what’s required to become a painter decorator, giving you the insight you need to decide if this type of trade is right for you.

What does a painter and decorator do?

Despite a clear name the role of a painter and decorator is actually varied and rather varied.

Encompassing a variety of different tasks and projects, you might be putting up wallpaper one day and filling in floor cracks the next – it’s an incredibly flexible job.

However, simply put, the main aim of your decorating role is to assist people in transforming their chosen space.

For that reason, you’ll likely find yourself doing a variety of the following jobs over the course of any working week:

Common decorator jobs

• Prepping a variety of workspaces for yourself and other tradespeople
• Painting walls floors, and other surfaces
• Stripping away and putting up wallpaper
• Filling in holes and cracks in floors and walls
• Plastering surfaces and priming walls and floors with undercoats
• Staining, varnishing, and marbling different materials
• Mixing paints to achieve a desired shade or hue
• Cleaning down your work area in full at the end of every day or project

On top of this, you may also be asked by your clients to advise on how best to approach a particular installation or painting project. It’ll be up to you to decide how to approach the tasks before you.

Naturally, this all might seem like a lot to learn for anyone just starting out in this position.

But the good news is that the sheer variety of work you can carry out gives you plenty of room to specialise your talents in the areas you’re interested in.

If you only want to focus on the painting aspect of this trade, then that’s a perfectly feasible career path.

What skills are needed to train to be a painter and decorator?

Much like with any form of trade, painting and decorating requires you to have a varied and learned skillset to complete the different jobs you’ll be presented with to a satisfactory level.

But learning to paint and decorate properly is not nearly as easy as it might seem.

It’s a highly skilled role, though your first steps into this trade will be made much easier if you can train yourself in some or all of the following areas:

• Learning to stick to a given brief
• Having good attention to detail
• Developing a thorough, neat, and diligent work attitude
• Having good teamwork and customer service
• Developing a flexible mindset for when projects change on the fly
• Being good with numbers
• Being comfortable with criticism of your work
• Working well under pressure
• Being comfortable working at heights

What else do I need to be aware of as a painter-decorator?

Alongside these, you’ll also want to familiarise yourself with the appropriate health and safety regulations that decorators need to be aware of for their work. You’ll also need to buy the right painting and decorating tools and protective gear for your job specialisations.

Fortunately, with the right attitude and initiative, you’ll likely find that you can quickly cultivate plenty of the skills mentioned above to start mastering your craft.

As an aside, for the specifics on what types of tools you might need to buy for this trade, you can read our piece on the essential tools for painters and decorators.

And don’t forget that you get discounts on your purchases as well when you become a Checkatrade member.

How do you train to be a painter and decorator?

For those looking to train to be a painter and decorator, there are several avenues of training open to you that you can take advantage of in order to develop your trade skills.

For beginners in this trade, we recommend looking into both of the following areas to get started:

1. Painting and decorating courses

Whatever your chosen specialisation and role, it always pays to begin learning your craft from a professional source.

Decorating courses are the perfect way to go about doing this as you can learn both theory and direct skills from those who have experience in the field.

2. Decorating apprenticeships

While theory is helpful, it is only as good as your ability to apply it to your work.

That’s why applying for an apprenticeship is such a smart idea. Not only does it give you a chance to earn while you learn, but you get to study the trade first-hand from a qualified expert.

And speaking of earning as a decorator. If you’re curious as to how much you can make in this sort of profession, then we highly recommend reading our article on how much a painter and decorator can earn.

Painter and decorator qualifications

Although not an essential step when learning how to become a painter and decorator, acquiring the associated qualifications in your field is a smart decision.

Not only will they reaffirm your own skills, but they’ll show any potential customers that you know your stuff.

As for which course to choose, there are plenty of options out there online and in colleges, though we’d suggest starting with a level 1 and 2 NVQ course.

This course will help to familiarise you with all aspects of the decorating trade alongside hands-on training.

However, if you decide you want to pursue a course that offers different training to that of an NVQ, then we’d recommend looking into what City & Guilds vocation training has to offer, as well as carrying out your own research into local courses.

Do you need qualifications to be a painter and decorator?

While we have just discussed how to go about getting your painter and decorator qualifications, unlike other trades, it is not a legal requirement to be qualified before starting your own painting and decorating business.

However, given the prevalence of alleged tradespeople offering low-quality decoration jobs at high prices, customers are more likely than ever to avoid companies that can’t show evidence of their own skills and qualifications.

So, while not essential, we’d strongly recommend investing in as many qualifications as possible.

How to get more experience as a painter decorator

Once you’ve got qualifications as a painter, it’s only natural that you might want to improve your skills further.

There are many ways to go about doing this, the most popular of which is to pursue further qualification courses.

However, if you want to develop more experience while also adding a new aspect to your painting and decorating services, then you may want to specialise in a niche decorating area. That way you get to learn a new skill and provide more to your customers.

Naturally, you can also practise your skills in your own time.

Doing this lets you try new ideas and styles without the associated risk of ruining an ongoing customer project by accident.

Where should you apply for decorator jobs?

Painter-decorator jobs are available the length and breadth of the UK, so you should have no trouble finding apprenticeship courses online or in your local area.

Of course, if you decide to set up your own business, then you’ll need to start advertising locally.

We touch upon the specifics of how to start doing this in our article on how to start a painting and decorating business, but one of the best ways to go about doing this is by using an online directory – like Checkatrade!

As a Checkatrade member, you’ll get access to numerous benefits and discounts that will go a long way to boosting your business’s visibility and customer trust.

Sign up today to find out more about what we have to offer!

Key takeaways

• Painting and decorating is a highly skilled job
• You’ll need to carry out a variety of tasks
• You’ll need to build a varied skillset
• You should look to find training through a college or apprenticeship course
• You should look for further training avenues to upskill once you’re qualified

Content disclaimer: This content has been created for general information purposes and should not be taken as formal advice. Read our full disclaimer here.