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New face painters often charge whatever the last painter at the school fete charged, or they set a low price to get started and then struggle to raise it. Your price has to cover more than the hour you spend painting. It also has to pay for the travel, setup, kit, insurance and the admin time before every booking.
This guide is for UK face painters and kids' party entertainers. It covers what painters charge in 2026, how to price different types of booking, and how to make sure each job pays.
UK booking sites and face painting surveys put most professional painters at £40–£100 per hour. A planning figure for a children's party is around £60–£100 an hour, usually with a two-hour minimum. Where you sit in that range depends on:
Start from what you need to earn, not from what other painters charge.
Run these numbers and many new painters find that £35 an hour, once travel and admin are counted, pays less than minimum wage.
| Booking type | Common pricing approach |
|---|---|
| Children's birthday party | Hourly rate with a 1.5–2 hour minimum, or a package (for example, up to 15 children) |
| School fete or community event | Hourly fee from the organiser, or pay-per-face with a guaranteed minimum |
| Corporate family day | Higher hourly rate, often with two painters |
| Wedding (kids' entertainment) | Premium hourly rate or a fixed package |
| Festival or large public event | Pay-per-face, sometimes with a pitch fee to the organiser |
As a rough guide, a painter doing simple designs can paint 10–15 faces an hour, and fewer for full-face designs. Use your own average speed to check that a package price works. If 20 children are expected at a two-hour party, you need a quick design menu, or a second painter.
Build package tiers, work out travel charges automatically from distance, track deposits, and keep your DBS and insurance renewal dates in one place. It's an offline app with no subscription.
See PartyPaint Pro — £19 →Take a deposit when the booking is confirmed, often 25–50% or a flat fee. Say in writing what happens if the client cancels. Saturdays in summer and October half-term are hard to rebook at short notice, so a non-refundable deposit on peak dates is standard practice.
Most professional UK face painters charge £40–£100 per hour in 2026. Children's parties are commonly £60–£100 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Prices are higher in London and for corporate events and weddings.
A face painter doing simple designs can usually paint around 10–15 faces an hour, and fewer for detailed full-face designs. Use your own average speed to plan packages and to decide when a second painter is needed.
There is no general legal requirement for a self-employed face painter to have a DBS check. Many schools, venues and parents ask for one, though. Self-employed people can apply for a basic DBS check themselves.
Yes. Most face painters include travel within a set radius, often 10–15 miles, and charge per mile or a flat fee beyond that. Parking and congestion charges are usually passed on to the client.