Going self-employed

Going self-employed as a painter and decorator?

Cutting in a clean line is one thing: sort the quoting, materials pricing and paperwork side before you take on your first room or whole-house job.

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Instant digital downloads · UK-focused templates and guides · Not a substitute for professional advice.

The work is one thing. The setup is another.

Cutting in a clean line and getting a flawless finish is one thing; running it as a business is another. Once you're on your own you're not just prepping, undercoating and topcoating, you're measuring up jobs, working out paint and materials quantities, deciding between a day rate, a per-room price or a whole-project price, taking a deposit to cover the paint, and chasing the final payment after the snagging's done. LaunchKit is a set of UK-focused, downloadable templates and guides to help you think through that setup side and get organised from day one. It's a practical starting point, not a substitute for professional advice.

  • Quoting a job and underestimating the prep time, so filling, sanding and masking eats into a price you've already agreed
  • Getting paint and materials quantities wrong, then either eating the cost or making an awkward call about extra coats
  • Customers changing colours or adding rooms mid-job and expecting the original price to stand
  • Exterior masonry and fascia work stalling at the mercy of the weather while the schedule slips
  • Taking a deposit on bigger jobs to cover the paint without it feeling awkward, then chasing the final payment once the snagging list is done

What to sort first

Your get-set-up checklist

  1. 1

    Decide how you'll price work

    Work out whether you'll quote a day rate, a per-room price or a whole-project price, and how you'll handle paint and materials on top.

  2. 2

    Get your quote and invoice templates ready

    Have consistent, professional documents to send so measuring up and billing don't swallow your evenings.

  3. 3

    Pin down scope and colours in writing

    Set out the rooms, coats and finishes you've quoted for so mid-job colour changes and added rooms are clearly extra.

  4. 4

    Plan deposits and payment terms

    Decide how you'll take a deposit to cover paint on bigger jobs and what's due on completion after snagging.

  5. 5

    Set up simple money records

    Get a basic system for tracking what's coming in and what you're spending on paint and sundries so tax time isn't a scramble.

  6. 6

    Show off your before-and-afters

    Plan how you'll capture and share before-and-after photos so homeowners, landlords and letting agents can find and re-book you.

Suggested starter stack

A sensible order to build up

The same tools, grouped in the order most people pick them up. You don’t need everything at once — start with the essentials, then add the rest as your business grows.

Start with

Best first step
Startup Guide£4.99

Your map for the practical setup steps before your first paid job.

See what’s inside

Add next

Business Documents — Premium£19.99

The quotes, estimates and invoices you'll send on every decorating job.

See what’s inside
Pricing Calculator — Premium£14.99

So your day-rate, per-room and whole-project pricing covers prep, paint and materials.

See what’s inside

Useful later

Social Media Content Kit£4.99

To help your before-and-after photos get you found and re-booked locally.

See what’s inside
Financial Forms Bundle — Premium£19.99

To keep deposits, paint costs and final payments tidy as you take on more work.

See what’s inside

Common questions

Before you buy anything

Do I need to buy everything before I start taking jobs?
No. Most decorators start with the startup guide to get the basics organised, then add quote and invoice templates and a pricing tool as they go. It's designed to help you build up your setup at your own pace.
Are these legal or compliance documents?
No. These are downloadable templates and guides to help you get organised and set up practically. They are not a substitute for professional advice and don't replace any qualifications, registrations or insurance you're responsible for as a decorator. Sorting your own cover is a prompt to look into, not insurance advice.
Can I use these if I'm already trading?
Yes. Plenty of decorators who are already working pick these up to tidy up their quoting, pricing and paperwork rather than starting from scratch.
How do I receive the files?
They're instant digital downloads. After purchase you can download the templates and guides straight away and start using them.
Which should I buy first?
A sensible order is the startup guide first to get set up, then the business documents so your quotes and invoices look the part on every room and whole-house job, then the pricing calculator to settle your room and day rates with prep and paint built in. Add the rest as the work grows.

Start with the right tools

Get the admin side organised so you can focus on the work. Browse the tools built for painter decorator businesses.

Start with the Startup Guide See all painter decorator tools

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