TradeLinkers
Price it room by room, take the deposit, invoice when the dust sheets come up
TradeLinkers lets painters and decorators price a job room by room as an estimate, ask for a deposit to cover paint and paper, and turn the accepted estimate into the invoice when the last coat is dry. Longer jobs book across several days, and the customer gets an email if drying times push the finish back.
14 days free, no card. Then £9.99 a month. iPhone users can use the web app.
Typical decorator jobs, all in one list
Any job works. These are the ones a decorator books in most weeks.
What changes when a decorator runs the paperwork on TradeLinkers
Room-by-room estimates
Put each room on its own line so the customer sees what the hall costs against the lounge, and can drop a room without you redoing the lot. A valid-until date stops last spring's price coming back.
A deposit for paint and paper
Ask for a deposit as a percentage on the estimate and email the request before you buy the materials. When it's paid, it carries onto the final invoice.
Days that move with drying times
Book a full redecoration across separate days, each with its own start time. When a ceiling needs another day or rain stops the outside work, the reschedule sheet moves it and can email the customer.
Keep the customer posted
Send On my way, On site or Running late emails in a tap, or a custom message when you need a colour confirmed. Status changes email them automatically, so they know when you are booked in.
Rental turnarounds for agents
Letting agents need flats painted between tenants. Save each one as a property with landlord, tenant and access notes, so whoever holds the keys is on the job before you set off.
Colour schedules to hand
Attach the colour schedule, paint codes or a photo of the finish they want from your gallery. The customer can see it in their portal too, so nobody argues about which white it was.
What a decorator's invoice looks like
Priced room by room, the way the customer thinks about the job, with materials on one line. If you took a deposit for the paint on the estimate, it carries onto the invoice.
Example figures to show the layout, not a price guide. Your own prices, business details, bank details and VAT setting go on the real thing.
| Description | Qty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge: walls and ceiling, two coats, woodwork in satin | 1 | £540.00 |
| Hall, stairs and landing: walls, ceilings, spindles and doors | 1 | £820.00 |
| Chimney breast: lining paper and feature wallpaper | 1 | £180.00 |
| Paint and materials | 1 | £230.00 |
Straight answers
How much deposit should a decorator take?
Enough to cover the paint, paper and materials you buy for that job, agreed before you start and written on the estimate. Labour is then billed at the end, or in stages on longer jobs once each part is finished.
In TradeLinkers you set the deposit as a percentage on the estimate and email a request. When it's paid it carries onto the final invoice, and the PDF shows the balance still to pay. More in our guide to taking a deposit.
Should I price by the room, by the day or by the job?
Give the customer a price by the room or the job, but work it out from your day rate. Estimate how many days each room takes, multiply by your day rate, add materials, and you have a price you can defend if a customer pushes back.
Use the day rate calculator to set the rate, and pricing a job for the rest.
Do decorators come under CIS?
Only when you work for a contractor. GOV.UK lists decorating as construction work under CIS, so a builder or main contractor paying you should deduct 20% if you're registered for CIS, or 30% if you're not. A homeowner having their own house decorated isn't a contractor, so private jobs fall outside CIS.
TradeLinkers doesn't work out CIS deductions, so keep track of them with your bookkeeping or accountant.
What if the customer changes the colour after I've started?
Agree the extra cost before you do it, in writing. A change of colour often means another coat and more paint, so price both and give the customer the figure before you open a new tin.
In TradeLinkers, send a custom message from the job confirming the change and the price. When you create the invoice from the estimate, add it as its own line so the original price is still clear.
What TradeLinkers does not do yet
- Decorating isn't one of the fixed job categories (Electrical, Plumbing, Gas & Boilers, Air Con, Other), so it goes under Other, and your booking form shows the same list.
- No CIS deductions for work you do for contractors.
- No saved price list. Each room or item is typed as a line.
Tell us what would help: get in touch. The person who reads it builds the app.
Tools and guides
Free quote template
A clean quote or estimate PDF in two minutes.
Day rate calculator
What to charge per day to hit the income you want.
Should you take a deposit, and how much?
When to take a deposit, how much to ask for, the 14-day cancellation rules for work agreed in a customer's home, and what to put on the quote.
How do you price a job as a tradesperson?
Price a job from your real costs: a day rate, materials markup, call-out, travel and contingency, then VAT if you're registered. With a worked example.
Run your decorator paperwork from the van.
14 days free, no card needed. After that it's £9.99 a month for everything, and you can cancel any time.
Android app on Google Play. On an iPhone or a computer, use the web app with the same account.