Short answer: Decorating is a visual, referral-driven trade with low barriers to entry and heavy local competition. UK decorators win by documenting finished work relentlessly, separating domestic from commercial intent, and turning the strong word-of-mouth the trade generates into public reviews that Google can actually see.
The referral trap
Decorators typically get most work through recommendation — a neighbour, a previous customer, a builder they work with. That is a good business, and it is also why so many decorators are invisible on Google.
The problem with a purely referral-based book is that it is entirely dependent on other people remembering you at the right moment. It does not scale, it dries up when a key referrer stops working, and it leaves you competing on price when the pipeline thins.
The fix is not to abandon referrals — it is to capture them publicly. Every satisfied customer who would recommend you privately is a customer who could leave a review that works for you permanently.
Categories
Primary: Painter or Painting, depending on availability in your region.
Secondaries: wallpaper installer, plasterer (if you do it), commercial painter, decorator, drywall contractor.
Photography is the entire portfolio
Decorating is judged almost entirely on appearance, and customers cannot assess quality from a description. Your photo library is your portfolio, your credibility and your differentiator all at once.
Discipline that pays:
- Before shots on every job, however unglamorous — the contrast is the story
- Consistent angles so before and after line up
- Detail shots — cut-in lines, coving, woodwork, edges. This is where skill is visible
- Difficult work highlighted — staircases, high ceilings, period features, wallpaper matching
- Good light, daytime, curtains open
Detail shots matter more than most decorators realise. Anyone can roller a wall; a crisp cut-in against a ceiling is what a discerning customer recognises as competence.
Domestic and commercial are different customers
| Domestic | Commercial | |
|---|---|---|
| Search | painter decorator near me | commercial decorating contractor [town] |
| Priorities | Tidiness, trust, finish quality | Scheduling, minimal disruption, insurance |
| Decision | Homeowner, quick | Facilities or property manager, slower |
| Value | Lower per job | Higher, often repeat |
If you do commercial work — offices, landlords, letting agents, schools — say so explicitly and address what those buyers care about: out-of-hours working, public liability cover, DBS checks where relevant, and the ability to work around occupied premises.
Landlord and letting agent work
Worth targeting specifically. Rental properties need redecorating between tenancies on a predictable cycle, agents commission it repeatedly, and the work is straightforward and schedulable.
Content aimed at landlords — turnaround times, void-period working, what a between-tenancy decorate typically costs — targets a lower-competition search intent with strong repeat potential.
The tidiness signal
Ask any homeowner what worries them about having decorators in and it is rarely the paint. It is dust sheets, mess, whether their carpets survive, whether strangers will be respectful in their house.
Address it directly. Photograph your dust sheets and masking. Mention in your profile description that you protect floors and furniture and clean up daily. Encourage reviews to mention it — “left the house cleaner than they found it” is worth more to a nervous homeowner than any description of finish quality.
Standing out in a crowded category
Decorating has low barriers to entry, which means high competition and a lot of undifferentiated listings. Things that genuinely separate a professional operation:
- Public liability insurance, stated
- Written quotes with specification detail — how many coats, what preparation
- Named paint brands and systems used
- Specialisms: period property, heritage colours, spray finishing, exterior masonry
- A real photo of a real person
Specialism is the most effective of these. “Decorator” is a crowded search. “Period property decorator” or “spray finishing kitchen respray” is not, and it commands better rates.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get reviews when work comes by referral?
Ask the referred customers directly. They are usually the most satisfied ones — they came pre-trusted and the work confirmed it. Ask at completion, text the link before you pack up.
Should I show prices?
Day rates or per-room indicative ranges help filter enquiries and set expectations. Precise fixed pricing rarely works for decorating because preparation varies so much.
How many photos do I need?
Add from every job. A year of consistent uploading produces a portfolio that new competitors cannot match quickly.
Do I need a website?
It helps prominence and gives serious customers somewhere to assess you properly, but a well-maintained Google Business Profile with a strong photo library does a lot of the work.
We manage Google Business Profiles, review growth and local SEO for UK decorators and trades — including the photo and posting rhythm that visual trades depend on. Book a free audit.
Related reading: Google Business Profile for builders · How to ask customers for Google reviews