Playground painting
Paint is how playground markings were done for decades, and it still has a place: it is quick, cheap per square metre and easy to change. What it does not do is last under hundreds of feet a day. Published UK buying guides put painted games on a busy playground at under a year before they need repainting.
Today most schools use paint for three jobs: court lines on sports surfaces, large areas of colour, and a cheap refresh of lines that already exist.
- £400 to £500painting lines on one basketball court
- £4,000 to £5,000wash, seal, colour coat and lines
- Under a yearrepaint interval UK guides give for busy areas
When painting is the better buy
- You are relining courts that already exist and want it done for the lowest cost.
- The surface is a porous or polymeric sports surface where hot thermoplastic is not suitable.
- You want a whole area coloured, such as a court in two tones or a calm zone.
- The playground is due to be resurfaced in a year or two, so a long-life marking would be wasted.
- You are spending the PE and sport premium, which can fund repainting existing lines.
- You want to test a layout before committing to thermoplastic.
What playground painting costs
| Item | Guide, before VAT |
|---|---|
| Line markings, one basketball court Painting the lines only, on a sound surface | £400 to £500 |
| Court refresh with colour coat Jet wash, seal, new colour coat and lines, one court | £4,000 to £5,000 |
| Netball lines added to a resurfacing job One court, painted, quoted as an add-on | £360 |
| Basketball lines with keys, add-on One court, painted, quoted as an add-on | £520 |
| Road safety and zone lines Per linear metre; paint at the low end, thermoplastic at the top | £3 to £12 per m |
Where these figures come from
Court painting figures are from Basketball England’s outdoor project costs sheet for one basketball-court-sized area. Add-on line sets are from a contractor’s quotation attached to a public notice on Contracts Finder (undated). Per-metre figures are from published UK contractor price guides, autumn 2026. Before VAT. A guide, not a quote.
What a good painting job gets right
The right paint for the surface
Tarmac takes a hard-wearing line or floor paint; artificial and polymeric sports surfaces need a paint made for them. The wrong one peels within weeks.
Clean and dry
Moss, algae and dust stop paint keying. A jet wash a day or two before, and a dry forecast, matter more than the brand of paint.
Two coats
Sports surface contractors commonly spray two coats some weeks apart. One coat looks fine on the day and patchy by half-term.
Crisp edges
Court lines are set out with string and tape and sprayed or rolled to a straight, even width. Ragged edges are the giveaway of a rushed job.
Paint or thermoplastic: the honest trade-off
Per marking, paint is cheaper on the day. Over five years it usually is not: a painted game repainted every year or two costs more in visits than one thermoplastic marking that lasts the whole period. Paint wins where the surface or the timescale rules thermoplastic out, or where the job is long lines rather than detailed shapes.
There is a funding twist too. The PE and sport premium can pay for repainting lines that already exist, because that is maintenance. That makes paint the natural choice for keeping existing court lines bright from the premium, while new thermoplastic games come from another budget.
Can staff or volunteers paint the playground?
For a one-off mural on a wall, often yes. For lines on the playground surface, it is worth paying a contractor: the setting out of courts has to be accurate, the paint has to suit the surface, and a slippery finish is a real risk. A PTA painting day is better spent on something that does not take children’s weight at speed.
Need lines repainted or a court coloured? Send the brief and we find a contractor who does school painting near you.
Get marking quotesHow a painting job runs
Survey and measure
The contractor checks the tarmac for cracks, loose stone, moss and old markings, measures the space and asks how break and lunch times actually run.
Clean and set out
The surface is jet-washed and left to dry, then lines are measured and set out with string and tape.
Paint
Lines and colour areas are sprayed or rolled, usually two coats, with drying time between.
Cure and reopen
Most line paints are touch-dry within hours; the contractor will say how long before games can be played.
Questions schools ask about markings
How much does playground painting cost?
Painting the lines on one basketball-court-sized area costs about £400 to £500, and a full refresh with a new colour coat £4,000 to £5,000, according to Basketball England’s cost sheet. Before VAT.
How long does playground paint last?
UK buying guides put painted games on a busy playground at under a year. Court lines touched only by feet and balls last longer than hopscotch grids that children stand on all day.
Is painting cheaper than thermoplastic?
On the day, yes. Over several years, usually not, because paint needs repeat visits. It is the better buy for relining, sports surfaces and short-term layouts.
What paint is used for playground lines?
A hard-wearing line or floor paint made for tarmac outdoors, or a dedicated sports surface paint on artificial and polymeric courts. Ask the contractor which product and how many coats.
Can we use the PE and sport premium for repainting?
Yes. The conditions of grant name repainting lines on a playground as allowable, because it maintains an existing asset.
Do schools pay VAT on playground markings?
Yes, at the standard 20%. Most maintained schools and academies get it back, which is why marking budgets are quoted ex VAT; a PTA registered as its own charity generally cannot, so it should raise the VAT-inclusive figure.
Get quotes for playground painting
Three short steps: where the school is, what you want marked, and how to reach you. It takes about two minutes.
We are a free matching service, not a marking firm. You get the contractor’s name from us first, and the brief only goes to them once you say yes.
Thanks, your enquiry is in.
- We look for a marking contractor who covers your area, then email or phone you with their name.
- Nothing is passed on until you tell us to go ahead.
- The contractor looks at the tarmac, draws a layout and prices it. We never send marketing.