Painting Business Software for UK Contractors
Surfacely is built for UK painting and decorating contractors — metric measurement in m² and litres, RAMS generation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, GBP pricing with 20% VAT handled at checkout, and a client portal that works on every job. Locale-specific defaults reflect the UK on-cost stack: 15% employer NI, 3% auto-enrolment pension, 28 days statutory leave.
What's built specifically for the United Kingdom
- RAMS (Risk Assessment & Method Statement) generation. Locale-aware safe work plans referencing the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, HSE guidance, Work at Height Regulations 2005, NASC TG20 (scaffold), BS 7671 and HSG85 (electrical).
- "Painting and decorating" terminology. The trade is referred to in UK terms throughout — emulsion (interior acrylic), gloss/eggshell (interior enamel), masonry/exterior (exterior).
- GBP pricing with VAT. Stripe Tax adds 20% VAT at checkout for UK customers. Quote totals can display inc-VAT or ex-VAT per client preference.
- Lead paint cutoff at 1992. Buildings built before 1992 trigger automatic lead-paint hazard with Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 controls.
- Asbestos cutoff at 1999. Pre-1999 buildings auto-flag for asbestos register check under Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.
- UK rate benchmarks. Validated 2026 UK rates: cost rate £18–30/hr, sell rate £32–55/hr, margin range 35–50%. London and the South East run 15–25% above regional average.
- Statutory on-cost defaults. 15% employer National Insurance (Class 1 secondary, from 6 April 2025), 3% auto-enrolment pension minimum, 28 days statutory annual leave (includes bank holidays), 5 days SSP-eligible sick leave.
- CIS / sub-contractor model. Subcontractor mode skips employer NI and pension load — the painter pays the invoiced rate without statutory uplift.
- Emergency number 999. Pre-set on safe work plans for UK businesses.
Pricing in GBP
Free
2 users, 5 free buildings, full feature access
Solo
1 user, unlimited buildings
Starter
3 users, unlimited buildings
Professional
10 users, unlimited buildings
Enterprise: Professional base + £12 per seat above 10. Stripe Tax adds 20% VAT at checkout.
HSE references for painting work
- HSWA 1974. The primary statute. RAMS demonstrates due diligence under it.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. Risk assessment requirement.
- Work at Height Regulations 2005. Fall prevention, equipment selection, training. Relevant for almost all exterior painting.
- NASC TG20. Scaffold compliance — required for scaffolded work where TG20 applies.
- BS 7671 / HSG85. Electrical safety on construction sites.
- Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002. Triggered for pre-1992 building disturbance.
- Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012. Asbestos register check on pre-1999 buildings.
- COSHH Regulations 2002. Hazardous substance assessment — relevant for solvents, two-pack systems, biocides.
- CDM Regulations 2015. For construction projects above defined thresholds (notifiable if >30 days with >20 workers, or >500 person-days).
UK features in the platform
- Simple measurement, real rates behind the scenes — painter taps in length × height; the system runs production rate × surface formula × prep level × spread rate × cost-plus formula. Clean output, accurate math.
- Mobile-first design — measure and track on the phone in the field, refine the quote detail on desktop in the office.
- AI intelligence engine integrated throughout — photo analysis, voice transcription, auto-hazard derivation. Catches lead paint risk on pre-1992 buildings, asbestos risk on pre-1999 buildings, plus 10 other painting hazards.
- Homeowner self-scope portal — branded link prospects fill in. Tire-kickers self-disqualify; serious leads arrive pre-qualified.
- Surface measurement with formulas for 18 surface types — emulsion on plasterboard walls, gloss on woodwork, masonry on rendered exteriors, etc.
- Cost-plus quoting with margin protection.
- RAMS as part of crew brief generation, with QR code crew sign-off.
- Client portal for online quote acceptance, variation decisions, and invoice payment.
- Stripe payment processing with VAT handling.
- Offline-first PWA — works on site without internet.
- Permanent surface register — re-quote without re-measuring.
FAQ
What is the best painting software for UK painting and decorating contractors?
UK-specific software with metric, GBP with VAT, RAMS under HSE, Stripe payments. Surfacely starts free; paid tiers from £25/month.
Does Surfacely generate RAMS documents for UK painting contractors?
Yes — referenced to HSWA 1974, Work at Height Regulations 2005, NASC TG20, BS 7671/HSG85.
How much does painting software cost in the UK?
£0 Free, £25 Solo, £39 Starter, £79 Professional. Stripe Tax adds 20% VAT.
Does Surfacely support CDM regulations?
Captures CDM duty holder on commercial projects, includes CDM content in RAMS generation. Painter confirms applicability.