Painting and Decorating Terms & Conditions
1. About Painting and Decorating Terms
These Terms & Conditions apply to painting, decorating, wallpapering, surface preparation and related services provided by Artur Ovod trading as APpartners Painting & Decorating (“APpartners”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
When you accept our quotation or otherwise confirm that you wish us to proceed, the agreement will normally consist of the written quotation, the agreed scope or specification, these Terms & Conditions and any later written variations agreed between you and APpartners.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions affects any statutory rights you may have as a consumer under applicable law.
Business details:
Artur Ovod trading as APpartners Painting & Decorating
Email: info@appaintinganddecorating.co.uk
Telephone: 07561 470115
For consumer contracts, any geographical business or correspondence address required by law will be provided directly in the quotation or other pre-contract information before the contract is concluded. Formal correspondence details are also available on request using the contact details above.
2. Quotations & Scope of Work
Quotations are based on the work described, the information supplied by the customer and the condition of surfaces and areas reasonably visible at the time of inspection, or visible in photographs where a quotation is prepared remotely.
The quotation covers only the work specifically included in the written scope. Anything not expressly included is not automatically included in the price.
Additional rooms, surfaces, repairs, preparation, colour changes, specification changes or other work requested or discovered after the quotation is accepted may be treated as a variation.
Where additional work is required, APpartners will explain the issue and, where reasonably possible, agree the additional work and any resulting labour or material cost before proceeding.
3. Quotation Validity
Unless stated otherwise in the quotation, quotations remain valid for 30 days from the date of issue.
A quotation does not reserve or guarantee a project start date until the quotation has been accepted and, where applicable, the required booking deposit has been received.
After the validity period has expired, APpartners may revise the quotation to reflect changes in labour costs, material prices, supplier pricing, availability or project requirements.
If information supplied by the customer or the requested scope changes after the quotation has been issued, the quotation may also need to be revised.
4. Hidden Defects & Existing Surface Conditions
Quotations are based on the condition of surfaces and areas that are reasonably visible or otherwise known when the quotation is prepared.
The quoted price does not automatically include defects or conditions that could not reasonably have been identified beforehand, including:
• unstable or blown plaster;
• rotten or deteriorated timber;
• failed or poorly adhered previous coatings;
• hidden cracks or movement;
• damp, water ingress, mould or condensation;
• salts or efflorescence;
• silicone, wax, grease or other surface contamination;
• concealed wallpaper or adhesive residues;
• defective previous repairs or workmanship;
• structural movement;
• inaccessible or concealed areas; or
• other defects discovered once preparation, stripping or removal work begins.
If additional work becomes necessary because of such conditions, APpartners will explain the issue and, where reasonably possible, agree any additional work, cost and effect on the programme before proceeding.
5. Preparation & Expected Finish
APpartners will perform the agreed decorating services with reasonable care and skill.
We will carry out the preparation included within the agreed quotation using reasonable care and skill.
Filling, sanding, caulking, priming, stain blocking and minor repairs are carried out where included and reasonably necessary for the agreed finish.
Decorating improves existing surfaces but does not automatically make old plaster, timber, walls or ceilings equivalent to newly plastered or newly manufactured surfaces. Historic movement, patch repairs and age-related imperfections may still be visible to some extent.
Unless extensive resurfacing, re-plastering or specialist repair has been specifically included in the quotation, minor historic imperfections may remain.
Filling, caulking and localised repairs cannot guarantee that cracks, joints or movement will never reappear where they are caused by building movement, settlement, vibration, moisture changes, timber movement or movement within the underlying substrate.
New plaster, repair compounds, timber, masonry and other substrates must be sufficiently dry and ready to receive the specified coating. Where additional drying or curing time is reasonably required, the programme may need to be adjusted.
6. Dust-Extracted Sanding
Where suitable, we use professional dust-extraction sanding equipment to significantly reduce airborne dust during preparation.
The process is not dust-free. Dust extraction greatly reduces, but cannot eliminate, all dust generated during preparation and decorating. Some dust and disruption are unavoidable.
7. Materials & Product Selection
We normally supply professional or trade-quality products appropriate to the agreed surface and finish.
Product selection may take account of:
• the condition and type of substrate;
• durability and expected use of the area;
• manufacturer guidance and technical data;
• application requirements; and
• the required finish and appearance.
Where a specific product or brand has been agreed, we will not normally substitute it without discussing this with you, unless the original product becomes unavailable, discontinued or clearly unsuitable. In that case, we may propose a suitable alternative.
8. Customer-Supplied Materials
Where you supply paint, wallpaper or other materials, you are responsible for ensuring that sufficient quantities, correct colours, batch numbers and suitable products are available when required.
We are not responsible for manufacturing defects, colour variation between batches, insufficient quantities, suitability problems or delays caused by customer-supplied materials, except where we have expressly agreed in writing to take responsibility for selecting or supplying those materials.
Any additional time caused by unsuitable, defective or insufficient customer-supplied materials may be chargeable.
9. Colour & Sample Approval
You are responsible for approving final colours, finishes and specifications before the relevant materials are ordered or applied.
Colours shown on screens, photographs, printed colour cards or digital visualisations may differ from the finished coating.
Where colour accuracy is particularly important, you should approve a physical sample or test area before full application.
Changes requested after materials have been purchased or work has begun may be treated as a variation and may result in additional labour and material charges.
Exact matching to an existing or aged coating cannot be guaranteed, even where the same colour name, reference or formula is used. Existing paint may have faded or changed with age, and differences in substrate, sheen level, product formulation, batch and lighting can affect the finished appearance.
10. Wallpapering
Walls must be reasonably suitable for wallpapering. Existing wallpaper, paint, plaster and substrates may conceal defects that only become apparent once preparation or stripping begins.
Additional preparation discovered after existing wallpaper is removed – such as blown plaster, loose coatings, damp staining or poor previous repairs – may be chargeable if it could not reasonably have been identified beforehand.
Where wallpaper is supplied by you, we are not responsible for:
• manufacturing or print defects;
• colour or batch variation;
• pattern mis-registration;
• faults in the paper itself.
Pattern matching and normal material wastage must be allowed for when estimating quantities. We will use reasonable care and skill when hanging wallpaper in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.
11. Booking & 25% Deposit (Residential Customers)
For residential and private homeowner customers, a 25% booking deposit is required to secure the agreed project dates unless we have expressly agreed otherwise in writing.
Your booking is not treated as secured until the required deposit has been received.
The deposit forms part of the total contract price; it is not an additional fee. It may be used towards:
• reserving working time in our schedule;
• administration and planning;
• ordering materials and other project commitments.
The deposit forms part of the total contract price and is not an additional charge.
Where a deposit is required, the booking is not secured until the deposit has been received.
12. Consumer Cancellation Rights
If you are acting as a consumer and the contract is concluded online, by telephone, by email or away from APpartners' business premises, statutory cancellation rights may apply under UK consumer law.
Where those rights apply, the cancellation period will normally be 14 calendar days beginning the day after the contract is entered into.
Before the contract is concluded, APpartners will provide the cancellation information required by law, including the relevant geographical business address and, where required, the statutory model cancellation form, directly with the quotation or other pre-contract information.
You do not have to use the model cancellation form. You may cancel by making any clear statement that you wish to cancel, including by emailing:
info@appaintinganddecorating.co.uk
If you expressly request that work begins during an applicable statutory cancellation period and later exercise a valid right to cancel, APpartners may be entitled to payment for the proportion of services already supplied, to the extent permitted by law.
Where the service has been fully performed during the cancellation period following the necessary express request and acknowledgement from the customer, the statutory cancellation right may be lost where the law permits.
Statutory cancellation rights take priority over the general cancellation policy in Section 13.
13. Cancellation by the Customer (General Policy)
This section applies after any applicable statutory cooling-off period has expired and does not restrict any statutory cancellation rights.
Please notify APpartners as soon as possible if you need to cancel a confirmed booking.
Cancellation 14 calendar days or more before the scheduled start date
APpartners will refund the 25% booking deposit less any reasonable and non-recoverable project-specific costs already incurred, such as specially ordered or non-returnable materials or other commitments made specifically for the project.
Cancellation fewer than 14 calendar days before the scheduled start date
APpartners may retain from the 25% booking deposit an amount reasonably required to cover losses directly caused by the cancellation. These may include:
• non-returnable or project-specific materials already ordered;
• administration or project-specific costs already incurred; and
• loss of reserved working time which cannot reasonably be filled with alternative work.
Where those reasonable losses equal the amount of the deposit, the full deposit may be retained.
APpartners will take reasonable steps to reduce losses resulting from the cancellation. Any part of the deposit exceeding the reasonable loss actually incurred will be refunded.
Nothing in this section permits APpartners to retain more than is fair and reasonably justified by the cancellation.
14. Postponement & Rescheduling
If you request a significant postponement, we will try to accommodate a new date, but:
• the original dates may be treated as cancelled;
• new dates are subject to availability;
• costs already incurred and materials ordered specifically for your project may remain payable;
• repeated postponements or failure to provide access may require the project to be re-quoted.
We will act reasonably and discuss any additional costs with you.
15. Cancellation or Delay by APpartners
We will make reasonable efforts to attend on agreed dates. However, start and completion dates may occasionally change because of:
• illness or emergencies;
• delays to earlier projects;
• weather or unsuitable site conditions;
• supplier delays or material availability;
• access problems;
• other circumstances outside our reasonable control.
If APpartners has to cancel the agreed work permanently, any money paid for work or materials that have not been supplied will be refunded as appropriate. Amounts properly due for work already completed, materials already supplied or reasonable project-specific costs already incurred may still remain payable where permitted by law.
16. Project Dates & Completion Times
Project durations and completion dates are given in good faith as estimates, unless we expressly agree otherwise in writing.
They may change because of:
• additional work or variations;
• drying and curing times;
• surface conditions and hidden defects;
• access restrictions;
• customer changes or delays;
• the presence and timing of other trades;
• weather and product requirements;
• events outside our reasonable control.
We will keep you informed of material changes to the programme where reasonably possible.
17. Working Hours
Standard working hours are normally around 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday, although this may vary depending on the project, location, site rules and progress.
We do not guarantee fixed daily arrival or departure times unless specifically agreed in writing.
18. Access to the Property
You must provide reasonable access to the property and agreed work areas during arranged working periods.
Where keys, access codes or other access arrangements are provided, we will use them only for the agreed project and will take reasonable care of them.
Delays caused by unavailable or restricted access may extend the project and may result in reasonable additional charges where we incur extra cost.
19. Water, Electricity & Facilities
Unless agreed otherwise beforehand, reasonable access to electricity, clean water and basic washing/toilet facilities should be available while work is carried out.
If these will not be available, please tell us in advance so that we can discuss suitable arrangements. Additional costs arising from lack of basic facilities may be chargeable where reasonable.
The customer should also provide reasonable heating and ventilation where required for preparation materials, paints, primers, adhesives or other coatings to dry and cure correctly.
Drying and curing times depend on temperature, humidity, ventilation, substrate conditions and the products being used. Where site conditions materially delay drying or curing, the project programme may need to be extended.
20. Customer Responsibilities Before Work Starts
Before work starts, we ask you to:
• remove or safely store fragile, valuable and personal items from the working area;
• clear small belongings, ornaments and loose items from surfaces to be decorated;
• identify any particularly delicate or high-value items;
• ensure areas required for safe access remain reasonably clear.
Larger furniture may remain where previously agreed. We may move it towards the centre of the room and protect it where practical, but moving unusually heavy, delicate or specialist items is not included unless specifically agreed.
Unless specifically included in the written quotation, APpartners' work does not include the removal, disconnection or reinstatement of radiators, wall-mounted televisions, fitted furniture, blinds, curtain tracks, sanitaryware, electrical fittings, alarms, specialist equipment or unusually heavy items.
Where specialist disconnection or removal is required, this should be arranged by the customer using an appropriately competent trade unless APpartners has expressly agreed otherwise.
The customer should tell APpartners before work begins about any known leaks, damp, mould, suspected hazardous materials, defective surfaces, access restrictions, alarms or other conditions that could materially affect the work or site safety.
21. Children, Pets & Other Occupants
You are responsible for keeping children, pets and other occupants away from:
• active work areas;
• tools, ladders and equipment;
• materials and waste;
• freshly coated or drying surfaces,
where necessary for safety and to protect the finish.
22. Protection of the Property
We will take reasonable precautions appropriate to the project to protect floors, furniture and adjoining surfaces.
Protection may include:
• floor coverings;
• dust sheets and masking;
• plastic sheeting;
• dust extraction or other suitable measures.
The level and type of protection will depend on the work being undertaken and the surfaces present. We will take care to minimise mess and disruption, but decorating work cannot be carried out with absolutely no dust or disturbance.
23. Third-Party Work
We are not responsible for work carried out by builders, plasterers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, flooring contractors, other decorators or other third parties unless that work was specifically supplied and controlled by us as part of the agreed scope.
Where defects in another trade's work affect the decorating finish, we will explain the issue where reasonably identifiable before proceeding.
Where the customer instructs APpartners to proceed over, around or following defective or incomplete work carried out by another person or contractor, APpartners cannot be responsible for subsequent defects in the decorating finish that are caused by that underlying third-party work.
24. Delay Caused by Other Trades or the Customer
Where we are unable to carry out the agreed work because an area is not ready, another contractor has not completed preceding work, access is unavailable, furniture or belongings have not been moved as agreed, utilities are unavailable, or another matter within your or another contractor's control prevents progress, the programme may be rearranged.
Any reasonable additional time or costs directly caused by such delay may be treated as a variation.
We are not responsible for consequential delays caused by other contractors or trades.
25. Changes & Variations During the Project
Any customer-requested change to the agreed scope should, where practical, be confirmed in writing (for example by email, message or updated quotation).
Variations may:
• change the overall price;
• require extra materials;
• extend or alter the programme and completion date.
Additional labour and materials will be charged reasonably according to the extra work required.
26. Events Outside Our Reasonable Control
We will not be responsible for unavoidable delays caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including severe weather, serious illness, emergencies, utility failures, material shortages or supply disruption, unsafe site conditions, unexpected access restrictions or comparable events.
Where such circumstances materially affect the agreed programme, we will inform you where reasonably possible and make reasonable efforts to rearrange or continue the work as soon as practicable.
27. Photographic Project Records
We may take photographs before, during and after work to record existing conditions, pre-existing damage, protection measures, preparation, work in progress and completed workmanship.
These photographs may be retained as legitimate private project and workmanship records where reasonably necessary for administration, quality control, complaints, disputes or legal claims.
Private project records are separate from photographs selected for marketing use. Any public marketing use will remain consistent with our Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection requirements.
28. Privacy & Personal Information
Personal information relating to enquiries, quotations, bookings, projects, invoices, communications, photographic records and other business records is handled in accordance with the APpartners Privacy Policy published on this website.
The Privacy Policy should be read alongside these Terms & Conditions.
29. Complaints & Opportunity to Remedy
If you have a concern regarding workmanship, you should notify us as soon as reasonably practicable after becoming aware of the issue.
We must be given a reasonable opportunity to inspect the reported issue and, where we are responsible, to carry out reasonable remedial work.
You should not arrange for another contractor to alter or replace disputed work before we have been given a reasonable opportunity to inspect and, where appropriate, remedy it, except where urgent action is reasonably necessary.
Nothing in this clause removes or restricts your statutory rights as a consumer.
Where a concern relates to an alleged defect in APpartners' workmanship, photographs and other project records may be used to establish the condition before work, the preparation undertaken, the work completed and the condition at handover.
30. Responsibility for Loss or Damage
We will exercise reasonable care and skill while working at your property and will be responsible for loss or damage caused by a failure to exercise reasonable care and skill where required by law.
We are not responsible for pre-existing damage, inherent defects, hidden defects, defective substrates, structural movement, damp, water ingress, defective previous workmanship or damage caused by you, other occupants, other contractors, other trades or third parties.
Nothing in these Terms & Conditions excludes or restricts liability where doing so would be unlawful, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.
31. Payment Methods
APpartners accepts payment by:
• bank transfer; and
• cash.
Credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, finance, instalment-payment facilities and other payment methods are not accepted unless specifically agreed in writing.
Payments will be recorded against the relevant quotation or invoice and a payment record or receipt can be provided where appropriate.
32. Residential Final Payment
Unless the written quotation states otherwise:
• the outstanding balance for residential work becomes due on completion of the agreed work; and
• authorised variations and additional work will be included in the final balance or relevant invoice.
We will provide appropriate invoice and payment records.
33. Unpaid Amounts
If an undisputed payment becomes overdue, we may:
• issue reminders;
• contact you to discuss the outstanding amount;
• where reasonable and lawful, suspend further work until payment is made;
• take proportionate steps to recover sums lawfully due.
We do not apply excessive or unfair penalties to consumer invoices. Any interest or recovery costs will only be claimed where legally permitted and in a reasonable manner.
This section applies to consumer customers. Separate statutory rights relating to late commercial payments may apply where the customer is acting in the course of a business, trade or profession.
34. Business-to-Business Losses
This clause applies only where you are acting in the course of a business, trade or profession and does not apply to residential consumers.
To the extent permitted by law, we will not be responsible for indirect or consequential business losses, loss of profit, loss of revenue, loss of business, loss of opportunity or similar commercial losses which were not reasonably foreseeable when the agreement was made.
Nothing in this clause limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.
35. Severability
If any provision of these Terms & Conditions is found by a court or other competent authority to be invalid, unlawful or unenforceable, that provision will be treated as modified or removed only to the extent necessary.
The remaining provisions will continue to apply so far as legally permitted.
36. No Waiver
If we do not immediately enforce a particular provision of these Terms & Conditions, this does not mean that the provision has been waived or that we cannot rely on it later.
37. Entire Agreement
The written quotation, agreed specification or scope of work, these Terms & Conditions and any subsequently agreed written variations together form the agreement between us and you.
Statements or discussions that are not included in the written quotation, specification, these Terms or a subsequently agreed written variation do not automatically form part of the agreed scope.
This clause does not exclude liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation and does not restrict statutory consumer rights.
38. Governing Law & Jurisdiction
These Terms & Conditions and contracts entered into under them are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
If you are a consumer, nothing in this section removes any mandatory right you may have to bring proceedings in another court where applicable law allows.
Where you are acting in the course of a business, trade or profession, the courts of England and Wales will have jurisdiction, subject to any different written provision contained in an agreed commercial contract.
39. Conflict with Separate Commercial Contracts
Where we carry out work for a builder, contractor, developer or other business under a separately signed subcontract or written commercial agreement, expressly agreed written terms in that contract will take precedence where they conflict with these standard Terms & Conditions.
All other provisions of these Terms & Conditions will continue to apply where they are compatible with that separate agreement.
40. Parking, Permits & Site-Related Charges
Where carrying out the agreed work reasonably requires paid parking, parking permits, congestion charges, tolls or other site-specific access charges which were not included in the quotation, those costs may be added to the project price.
We will take reasonable steps to avoid unnecessary charges. Where you can provide suitable parking or a permit, this should be arranged before work begins.
41. Hazardous or Unsafe Materials & Conditions
If APpartners encounters or reasonably suspects asbestos-containing materials, hazardous coatings, lead-based paint requiring specialist handling, unsafe mould contamination, unsafe electrical installations, structural instability or another material health or safety risk, work in the affected area may be stopped.
Testing, specialist surveys, removal, treatment or disposal of hazardous materials are not included unless specifically stated in the quotation.
Work may resume once the affected area has been made reasonably safe. Any additional work, delay or reasonable cost arising from such conditions may be treated as a variation where appropriate.
42. Business & Contractor Payment Terms
This section applies where the customer is acting in the course of a business, trade or profession, including builders, developers, main contractors, property companies and other commercial clients.
Payment terms will be those stated in the accepted quotation, purchase order, subcontract, commercial agreement or invoice.
Any purchase-order number, invoice reference, portal requirement or other administrative requirement necessary for payment should be supplied to APpartners before the relevant work is carried out or the invoice is issued.
Where the Construction Industry Scheme applies, deductions should be made only as required by law and the appropriate CIS deduction statement should be provided.
Where a qualifying commercial payment becomes overdue, APpartners reserves the right to claim statutory interest, fixed compensation and reasonable recovery costs to the extent permitted by applicable late-payment legislation.
43. Damp, Water Ingress, Mould & Contamination
Decorating coatings rely on the underlying surface and building conditions being suitable.
APpartners cannot guarantee the performance of coatings where failure is caused by unresolved:
• damp or water ingress;
• condensation;
• mould;
• salts or efflorescence;
• grease, silicone, wax or chemical contamination;
• defective or unstable substrates; or
• another underlying building defect outside the agreed decorating work.
Where such a condition becomes apparent, APpartners may recommend that the underlying cause is investigated or remedied before decorating continues.
44. Paint Coverage & Additional Coats
Where a quotation specifies a coating system or expected number of coats, this is based on the surfaces, colours and products reasonably known when the quotation is prepared.
Additional coats may occasionally become necessary because of:
• significant colour changes;
• unusually porous or inconsistent substrates;
• staining or contamination;
• poor coverage from a specified product or colour;
• defective previous coatings; or
• another condition that could not reasonably have been identified beforehand.
Where additional coats materially increase the agreed work, APpartners will discuss the requirement and any additional cost with the customer before proceeding where reasonably practicable.
45. Finished Appearance & Inspection
Decorating is applied to the existing building and substrate. Unless specialist resurfacing, plastering or other corrective work has specifically been included, the finished decoration will follow the underlying shape and condition of those surfaces.
Normal brush or roller texture, minor historic substrate imperfections and slight variations caused by lighting, sheen or viewing angle may remain.
Gloss, satin and other higher-sheen finishes can make existing surface imperfections more visible.
Nothing in this section reduces APpartners' obligation to carry out the agreed work with reasonable care and skill or affects a consumer's statutory rights.
46. Assistants & Subcontractors
APpartners may use suitably skilled assistants or subcontractors where reasonably required to complete the agreed work.
Where APpartners supplies or arranges that work as part of its contract with the customer, APpartners remains responsible for the services supplied under that contract.
47. Waste & Disposal
Unless specifically included in the written quotation or separately agreed in writing, removal and disposal of waste is not included in the project price.
Waste generated during the decorating work, including used masking materials, empty containers, removed wallpaper, sanding waste, packaging and other decorating-related waste, will be left safely and reasonably tidily at the property for you to dispose of.
If you would like APpartners to remove and dispose of waste, this must be agreed separately and may be subject to an additional charge.
Hazardous waste, building rubble, waste produced by other contractors, furniture, household items and specialist disposal materials are not included unless expressly agreed in writing.
48. Suspension or Termination for Safety or Customer Default
APpartners may reasonably suspend work where:
• an undisputed payment that is due remains unpaid;
• safe access cannot be provided;
• the site or working conditions become unsafe;
• APpartners or anyone working on its behalf is subjected to threatening, abusive or seriously unreasonable behaviour;
• the customer repeatedly prevents access or progress;
• continuing the work would require APpartners to act unlawfully or unsafely; or
• the customer commits another serious breach of the agreed contract.
Where reasonably appropriate, APpartners will first give the customer an opportunity to resolve the issue.
If the issue cannot reasonably be resolved and the contract has to be ended, the customer will remain responsible for work properly completed, materials properly supplied or ordered for the project and other reasonable sums lawfully due up to the date the contract ends.
Nothing in this section removes or restricts any statutory consumer rights.
49. Exterior Work & Weather Conditions
Exterior preparation and decorating will only be carried out when APpartners considers conditions reasonably suitable for the products and work involved.
Exterior work may be postponed, suspended or rearranged because of:
• rain or expected rain;
• wet or damp substrates;
• excessive humidity;
• unsuitable temperatures;
• frost or risk of frost;
• strong wind;
• dew or condensation; or
• other conditions outside the relevant manufacturer’s recommendations.
Weather-related changes to exterior schedules do not by themselves constitute a failure to complete the work within an estimated programme.