5323 — Painters and decorators

What this occupation covers

Painters and decorators use traditional and modern methods to apply or repair paint, varnish, wallpaper and other protective and decorative materials to interior and exterior walls and surfaces, paint designs on wood, glass, metal, plastics and other materials, and stain, wax and French polish wood surfaces by hand.

Typical duties

erects working platform or scaffolding up to five metres in height

prepares surfaces by cleaning, sanding and filling cracks and holes with appropriate filler

applies primer, undercoat and finishing coat(s) using brush, roller, or spray equipment

mixes adhesive or removes self-adhesive backing and positions covering material on wall, matching up patterns where appropriate and removing wrinkles and air bubbles by hand or brush

stains, waxes and French polishes wood surfaces by hand

Entry routes and qualifications

There are no formal academic entry requirements, though GCSEs/S grades are advantageous. Entry is typically through an approved apprenticeship programme or college course in conjunction with on-the-job training, leading to a NVQ/SVQ level 2/3 qualification, or through building up work experience supplemented with short courses.

Sponsorship information

Medium Skilled. Actual duties, sponsor, applicant, salary and any transitional or shortage-list conditions must be checked.

Temporary Shortage List: Painters and decorators. Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued before 31 December 2026.

DBS assessment

No code-wide DBS assessment is assigned. Check actual duties, activities, workplace, frequency and jurisdiction. This code does not determine the level of check.

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