A Star Decorators

Commercial decorating · Reading

Commercial decorators in Reading.

We decorate shops, offices and other working buildings during refits, fit-outs and planned maintenance. Your site keeps trading while we work. Every job comes with RAMS (risk assessments and method statements) written for it, and the finish matches your brand spec. We have decorated Primark, Tesco and M&S stores for main contractors including R.G. Carter, Uplands Retail and Morris & Spottiswood. Delivered across Reading and Thames Valley. Commercial and office decorating across Reading and the Thames Valley, from the M4 business parks to town centre offices. That covers corporate fit outs, spraying partitions and joinery on site, and decoration phased around occupied office floors.

Request a surveyCall 077 6178 1304See relevant projects

Why Reading

Why choose us for commercial decorating in Reading and Thames Valley.

Track record

  • We work mostly at night, always around trading hours
  • We have decorated Primark, Tesco and M&S stores for main contractors including R.G. Carter, Uplands Retail and Morris & Spottiswood
  • Our RAMS describe how we will really do your job. They are not a tick box exercise. We are CHAS accredited and Dulux Academy trained. A director signs off every job
  • We are based in Poole and work across the UK. Recent jobs run from Primark Hammersmith to Tesco Aberdare

Right fit when

  • The site needs to keep trading through the works.
  • When the shop has to keep trading, and the decorator is the trade that gets squeezed when everyone else runs late.
  • Brand consistency across the estate matters as much as the finish itself.

Scope · included

What you get when you brief us for commercial decorating in Reading.

  • RAMS written for the project, COSHH and method statements
  • Out of hours and phased shift delivery
  • Colour specifications matched to the brand
  • Snagging and photo handover record

Sectors · Reading

Types of building we cover with commercial decorating in Reading.

  • Retail
  • Office
  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Heritage
  • Logistics

Reading programme

How we run commercial decorating schemes locally.

01

Survey

Walk the scope with the PC. Moisture readings on suspect substrates, cross hatch adhesion test on existing finishes, photo log of every elevation. Programme overlay with other trades captured on the day.

02

Specification

Dulux Trade primers and Diamond Matt or Sheen 4-coat system as standard. Sheen level per area: matt to back of house, eggshell to shopfloor, satin to skirtings. Colour matched to the brand, dry film thickness specified per coat.

03

RAMS

RAMS pack written for the project with COSHH for every product, dust curtaining strategy, out of hours method and PPE matrix. Signed off by site management before mobilisation.

04

Delivery

Phase by phase. Masking goes up before paint comes out of the kettle. Daily clean down. Snag list maintained live by site supervisor, not retrofitted at the end.

05

Handover

Walk the line with PC, photo handover record, paint touch up kit left on site. Decant labels on any leftover product.

CHAS accreditedCHAS-0024812, valid to 13 January 2027
  • Dulux Academy trained
  • £10m Employers' Liability and £5m Public Liability (AXA, to February 2027)

Frequently asked · Reading

What clients in Reading usually ask first.

Can you decorate occupied office floors?
Yes. We phase the work floor by floor, use low odour paints, and work evenings or weekends so staff keep working around us.
Do you spray on site?
Yes. Spraying on site gives a factory grade finish to partitions, doors and joinery without removing them, contained and masked for an occupied building.
How far do you cover from Reading?
The whole Thames Valley: Bracknell, Slough, Maidenhead, Newbury and the M4 parks between Reading and London.
What is a commercial decorating contractor?
A construction subcontractor specialising in painting, decorating and surface finishing on commercial premises: retail, offices, hospitality and industrial. We typically work under a main contractor on a fit out or refurbishment programme.
How is commercial decorating different from domestic?
The paperwork and the timetable are much stricter. Commercial jobs need accreditations, RAMS and COSHH assessments, and work around a site that stays open. Some need intumescent (fire protection) paint on steel, using manufacturer-certified systems. You also deal with payment applications, retentions and variations through the main contractor.
What does a commercial decorating quote include?
A clear breakdown by area or phase, with units and rates on every line. Site setup costs (prelims) are shown as a separate line. We list what is excluded, what we have assumed and how long the price stands. We also send our insurance, accreditations, a similar past job and our RAMS approach. Our capability statement and example quote pages show both.
What does a commercial decorator do that a regular decorator does not?
Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS), COSHH documentation per product, Working at Height compliance, CDM 2015 procedural compliance, and live site delivery around occupied premises.
What sectors do you cover?
Retail, office, education, healthcare, heritage and logistics. Most of our programme is repeat work for main contractors and retail estate teams.

Also in Reading

Other services we deliver in Reading and Thames Valley.

Keep exploring

See the full Commercial decorating service →All services in Reading →

Start a conversation

Send us the drawings or a few photos.

Where we can, we check access and the state of the surfaces before we price, so the quote matches the real job. Email drawings to office@astardecorators.com, or send photos on WhatsApp.

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