Written by Sam on September 15, 2026. Posted in Property Refurbishment

How Much Does a Commercial Refurbishment Cost in the Midlands?

“How much will it cost?” is the first question almost every client asks us, and the honest answer is that it depends. But it doesn’t depend on guesswork. The cost of a commercial refurbishment in the Midlands comes down to a handful of factors you can understand and plan around before you ever request a quote.

We’ve delivered refurbishment projects across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Birmingham, the Black Country and the wider Midlands for offices, shops, warehouses, care homes, pubs and schools. This guide sets out what really drives the price, where budgets usually go wrong, and how to get a quote you can rely on.

1. The scope of work

The biggest single factor is what you’re asking for. A light refresh, where you redecorate, replace some flooring and update lighting, costs a fraction of a full strip-out and refit with new partitioning, ceilings, washrooms and mechanical and electrical work. Before you speak to contractors, write down what you need the space to do differently. Is it purely cosmetic, or are you changing layout, capacity or use?

If you’re unsure, a site survey is the best place to start. A good contractor will help you separate the essentials from the nice-to-haves so you can phase work if needed.

2. The size and condition of the building

Floor area matters, but condition often matters more. Older Midlands commercial stock, such as converted mills and pottery buildings in Stoke-on-Trent or Victorian terraces in Birmingham and Wolverhampton, can hide issues like damp, failed plaster, outdated wiring or asbestos-containing materials. These need to be identified early. An asbestos survey before any intrusive work is a legal requirement on most commercial refurbishments, and it is far cheaper to plan for than to discover mid-project.

3. Whether the building stays open

Working in an occupied building, such as a trading shop, an open office or a care home with residents in place, usually means phasing, out-of-hours working, extra protection and more careful logistics. That adds cost, but it is almost always cheaper than closing your business. We plan the majority of our retail, hospitality and care work around live operations, and the programme is built around your trading hours rather than ours.

4. Specification and finishes

Two refurbishments with identical scopes can vary widely in price based on specification. Commercial-grade paints, fire-rated products, specialist anti-bacterial coatings for healthcare, and branded colour schemes for retailers and car showrooms all have different cost profiles. Agree the specification before you compare quotes, otherwise you aren’t comparing like with like.

5. Programme and access

Tight deadlines mean more operatives on site at once. Difficult access, such as high-level work, restricted city-centre loading, or the need for scaffolding or MEWPs, adds plant and labour time. A realistic programme agreed early keeps costs down.

6. Who actually does the work

Many contractors subcontract most trades, adding a margin at every layer and making quality harder to control. We use our own employed workforce for the core trades, which keeps communication simple and accountability clear. Ask any contractor you’re considering who will actually be on site.

Where refurbishment budgets go wrong

• No contingency. Allow a contingency for the unexpected, especially on older buildings.
• Vague quotes. A single lump sum with no breakdown makes it impossible to see what is and isn’t included.
• Late design changes. Changing layouts or finishes mid-project is the most common cause of overspend.
• Forgetting the extras. Building control, out-of-hours premiums, waste removal and making good after other trades all need to be priced.

How to get an accurate quote

The most reliable quotes come from a proper site visit, a clear scope and an agreed specification. When we quote, we provide a written, itemised breakdown so you can see exactly where your money is going, with no hidden extras.

Find out more about our property refurbishment services across the Midlands, or see local pages for Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham and Staffordshire. You can also browse our case studies to see the kind of projects we deliver.

Planning a refurbishment?

If you have a project coming up anywhere in the Midlands, call us on 01782 717 507 or use our enquiry form. We’ll arrange a free site visit and give you a clear, itemised quote.

Written by Sam on July 6, 2026. Posted in Helpful Tips

Painting Through the Heatwave

2026 has already made UK weather history. We’ve seen record-breaking heat in May, June, and now into July, with the Met Office confirming this is the first year on record that temperatures have hit 35°C or higher in three separate months. Large parts of England have been under amber heat health alerts for days at a time, and for anyone running a commercial painting or refurbishment project across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, or the wider Midlands, that heat isn’t just uncomfortable — it directly affects the quality and lifespan of the work going on site.

Here’s what this summer’s heatwave actually means for commercial painting, and how a well-run contractor adapts to it rather than just pushing through.

Why This Heat Is a Real Problem for Paintwork

Most trade paints are designed to be applied somewhere between 10°C and 25°C. With daytime highs pushing into the low-to-mid 30s across much of the Midlands this summer, and surface temperatures on south-facing walls, cladding, and dark render running significantly hotter than the air temperature, a lot of exterior work this season has been sitting well outside that ideal range.

When paint gets applied in this kind of heat, a few things tend to go wrong:

• The surface skins over too fast. The top of the coat dries before the paint underneath has properly bonded, which weakens adhesion and shortens the life of the finish.
• Brush and roller marks stop blending out. Because the paint is setting almost as it’s applied, lap marks and stroke lines can stay visible in the final finish.
• Dark colours suffer more. Dark cladding and render can reach surface temperatures well above the air temperature in direct sun, making them especially prone to blistering and premature failure.
• Spray application becomes harder to control. Heat speeds up drying in the air between the gun and the surface, increasing overspray and leading to a patchier finish.

It’s Not Just the Heat — It’s the Dryness Too

This year’s heatwaves have also brought long dry spells, with hosepipe bans introduced across parts of southern and eastern England as reservoirs and rivers ran low. For painting contractors, extended dry weather isn’t automatically a bonus. Very low humidity combined with high heat causes the same rapid-drying problems as the heat alone, and dust and debris from parched ground can settle onto wet paint more easily when everything around a site is bone dry.

How We’re Adapting Our Programme This Summer

With 45+ years delivering painting, decorating, and refurbishment work across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Manchester, Birmingham, and the wider Midlands, we’ve adjusted the way jobs are run through this year’s heatwaves rather than just working through them regardless:

• Shifting exterior work to the cooler parts of the day — early morning starts to get coats on before surface temperatures peak in the afternoon sun
• Re-sequencing programmes so exposed, south-facing, or dark-coloured elevations are tackled when conditions allow, rather than forcing them through the hottest part of a heatwave
• Choosing appropriate products and, where needed, adjusting application techniques for hot-weather use
• Looking after our teams — hydration, shade, and sensible working hours during amber heat health alerts, in line with UKHSA guidance
• Keeping clients informed if a heatwave means part of the programme needs to move, so there are no surprises on completion dates

None of this is about avoiding work in the heat altogether — plenty of commercial sites, from retail units to warehouses, can’t simply pause for a few weeks. It’s about recognising that a rushed job finished during a 34°C afternoon often costs a client more in the long run than one paced sensibly around the conditions.

Planning Ahead for the Rest of the Season

With forecasters expecting further hot spells before autumn, it’s worth building weather contingency into any commercial painting or refurbishment programme now rather than reacting to it as it happens. If you’ve got exterior work planned — or a project that’s already fallen behind because of this summer’s conditions — it’s better to talk it through with a contractor who plans around the weather rather than in spite of it.

Get in Touch

If you’re planning a commercial painting or refurbishment project this summer and want a contractor who factors in the practical realities of this year’s heat, get in touch with the Wallace Contracts team. We cover projects across Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, and the wider Midlands, North West, and Wales, and for larger projects, nationwide.

Written by Sam on August 9, 2026. Posted in Helpful Tips

How to Choose a Commercial Painting Contractor

Choosing a commercial painting contractor sounds straightforward until you start getting quotes and realise the prices vary by 40%, the specifications are all different, and you have no reliable way to judge which company will actually deliver what they’re promising. Here’s what to look for.

Check Their Commercial Track Record — Not Just That They Paint

Commercial painting is a different discipline to domestic decorating. The preparation standards, paint specifications, access requirements, working-while-occupied logistics, and health and safety obligations are all significantly more demanding. A company that paints houses competently isn’t automatically capable of delivering a commercial contract to the required standard.

Look for a contractor with a demonstrable track record of commercial projects in your sector. If you’re a retailer, have they worked for retailers? If you’re a manufacturer, do they have experience of industrial environments? If you’re a pub company or hospitality operator, do they understand the constraints of working around licensing hours and trading customers?

At Wallace Contracts, our commercial painting portfolio covers offices, retail, industrial, hospitality, care homes, schools and public buildings across Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester, Birmingham and the wider Midlands and North West.

Accreditations and Insurance

Any commercial painting contractor working on your premises needs adequate public liability insurance — check the level of cover and make sure it’s current. For larger or more complex contracts, clients increasingly ask for Constructionline or equivalent supply chain accreditation as a minimum standard.

Wallace Contracts are Constructionline Gold accredited, which means our health and safety, environmental management, financial standing and quality systems have been independently verified. We’re also Dulux Trade Contract Partners, which reflects our commitment to using properly specified, commercial-grade paint products rather than whatever’s cheapest at the point of purchase.

Understand What’s Actually in the Specification

Two painting quotes that look similar on price can represent dramatically different actual outcomes if the specifications differ. Key questions to ask:

How many coats? One mist coat and one finishing coat is not the same as full preparation, mist coat, two finishing coats. The difference is visible within months on a busy commercial building.

What’s the paint product and grade? Trade-grade commercial paints from manufacturers like Dulux are formulated for durability, coverage and scrub resistance in a way that consumer retail paints are not. If the specification doesn’t name the product, ask.

What preparation is included? Filling, sanding, priming and masking are time-consuming but make the difference between a finish that lasts and one that starts peeling within a year. A quote that’s significantly cheaper than others is often cheaper because the preparation has been cut.

Get a Proper Written Specification

A verbal agreement about “painting the office” is not a specification. Before you commission any commercial painting work, make sure you have a written document that describes the surfaces to be decorated, the preparation required, the paint products to be used, the number of coats, and any specific requirements around colour matching, protection of fittings, or working hours.

This protects you if the finished job doesn’t match your expectations, and it allows you to compare competing quotes on a genuinely like-for-like basis.

Consider Programme and Disruption

For commercial painting in occupied premises — which is most commercial painting — the programme matters as much as the price. A contractor who’s slightly more expensive but can complete the work out of hours, in phases around your operations, or to a tighter timeline may represent better value than a cheaper option that requires you to vacate the building for two weeks.

Ask specifically how the contractor plans to manage access, dust and fume protection, waste removal, and coordination with your occupants or customers. A contractor who’s done a lot of commercial work will have clear, practical answers. One who hasn’t may not.

References and Recent Work

Ask for references from recent commercial clients — ideally in your sector or with a similar project type. A contractor who’s genuinely proud of their work will have case studies and client contacts they’re happy to share. If they’re reluctant, that tells you something.

Our project case studies give a representative cross-section of our commercial painting and refurbishment work across Staffordshire and beyond. If you’d like to speak with a recent client about their experience of working with us, we’re happy to arrange that.

Getting a Quote

If you’re looking for a commercial painting contractor in Stoke-on-Trent, across Staffordshire, or anywhere across the Midlands and North West, we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your project and provide a written quotation. Call us on 01782 717 507 or fill in our online enquiry form.

Written by Sam on June 18, 2026. Posted in Car Showroom

Dilapidations at a Car Showroom: What We Learned Working with Arnold Clark, Rugeley

Dilapidations work on a car showroom brings its own challenges: large expanses of glazing, branded colour schemes tied to the manufacturer’s corporate identity, and a forecourt that can’t simply be closed while repairs happen. We recently completed dilapidations works at an Arnold Clark showroom in Rugeley, and it’s a good example of what this type of project actually involves.

Unlike a standard repaint, dilapidations work is measured against a schedule of condition set out in the lease — every wall, ceiling and fixture is assessed against what it should look like at handback, not just what needs a fresh coat of paint. If you haven’t come across the term before, we cover the basics in What Is a Schedule of Dilapidations and What Does It Mean for Your Business?

What made this project different

On a car showroom specifically, we had to work to the manufacturer’s exact colour and finish specification, protect display vehicles and glazing throughout, and keep the forecourt trading during the works. It’s a similar balancing act to the one we describe in The Benefits of Refurbishing Your Car Showroom, where presentation standards are just as important as the condition of the building itself.

Dilapidations and end-of-lease projects like this one are a core part of our work across Staffordshire and the wider Midlands — if you’re a landlord, tenant or letting agent facing a dilapidations schedule, get in touch for a survey and a straightforward breakdown of the works involved.

Written by Sam on August 9, 2026. Posted in Property Refurbishment

What Does a Commercial Refurbishment Actually Involve?

The phrase “commercial refurbishment” gets used to cover an enormous range of work — from a single room repaint through to a full strip-out and fit-out of an entire building. If you’re planning a refurbishment project and trying to understand what you’re actually commissioning, here’s a straightforward breakdown of what’s typically involved.

The Initial Survey and Scope

Any properly managed commercial refurbishment starts with a thorough site survey. This isn’t just a walkthrough to admire the problem — it’s the point at which a good contractor identifies everything that needs to happen in the right sequence, flags any issues that could affect programme or cost, and establishes what the end result actually needs to look like.

This stage matters more than most clients realise. A refurbishment that’s been properly surveyed and scoped is far more likely to be delivered on time and on budget than one that’s priced off a brief phone call. At Wallace Contracts, we always carry out a full site visit before providing a written quotation — it protects both sides.

Strip-Out

Many commercial refurbishments begin with some level of strip-out: removing existing fixtures, partitions, flooring, ceilings or fittings before the new works can begin. The scope of strip-out varies enormously — it might be lifting a carpet tile and removing a couple of partition walls, or it might be gutting an entire floor back to the structural shell.

Strip-out generates waste, which needs to be managed and disposed of correctly. A responsible contractor will have waste carriers’ licences, provide waste transfer notes, and demonstrate that materials are being disposed of legally — this matters particularly for clients who have environmental reporting obligations.

Building Work and Structural Changes

Depending on the scope, a commercial refurbishment may involve structural changes — moving or creating doorways, installing new partitioning, building extensions, or making alterations that require building regulations approval. Where this is the case, the work needs to be designed, approved and sequenced correctly before decoration or finishing trades begin.

For clients in Stoke-on-Trent and across the Midlands, Wallace Contracts handles building works as part of our multi-trade commercial refurbishment service, coordinating structural and building elements alongside decoration and fit-out to keep the programme tight.

Mechanical and Electrical Works

Heating, ventilation, lighting, data cabling and power all typically need to be addressed as part of a significant commercial refurbishment — either because the existing systems are being reconfigured, or because the new layout requires new service runs. These trades need to be coordinated carefully with the building and decoration programme so that ceilings and walls aren’t finished before cabling has been chased in, or lighting positions haven’t been agreed.

Decoration and Finishing Trades

For most commercial refurbishments, painting and decorating is the trade that clients and their customers notice most — it’s the finish that everyone sees. Getting this right means proper surface preparation (filling, sanding, priming) before a brush goes near the wall, using the right paint specification for the environment, and applying it to a standard that actually looks good rather than just technically qualifying as “decorated”.

We’re a Dulux Trade Contract Partner, which means our clients benefit from access to Dulux’s commercial-grade paint specifications and colour consultancy alongside our own application expertise. See our commercial painting and decorating services.

Flooring

Flooring is often one of the last trades to complete but one of the first decisions to make — because the floor specification affects what happens before it (screeds, underfloor heating, moisture barriers) and what happens after it (skirting, thresholds, furniture positioning). Getting the specification right for the use — a warehouse needs something different to a restaurant, which needs something different to an office — matters as much as the finish quality.

Programme Management and Sequencing

The difference between a commercial refurbishment that runs smoothly and one that overruns and causes disruption is usually programme management. Every trade needs to be on site at the right time, in the right sequence, with the right materials available. When that works, a refurbishment looks almost effortless from the client’s side. When it doesn’t, the delays compound and the cost consequences follow.

At Wallace Contracts, our project managers have delivered enough commercial refurbishments across Stoke-on-Trent, the Midlands and the North West to know where the pressure points are and how to manage them before they become problems.

Handover and Snagging

A proper handover means walking the finished project with the client, identifying and resolving any snagging items, providing relevant documentation (including any warranties, waste transfer notes and O&M information where applicable), and leaving the site clean and ready for occupation.

If you’re planning a commercial refurbishment in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, the Midlands or the North West, we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your project. Call us on 01782 717 507 or fill in our online enquiry form.