COMMERCIAL · PAINTING CONTRACTORS
Painting contractors for large-scale projects
Borthwick Decorators delivers painting programmes to main contractors, developers and FM teams across the UK. New-builds, multi-property estate refurbishments, fit-outs, retail rollouts. Six decades on the tools.
4.9 / 5average rating
175+verified reviews
1959est. — 65 years of craft
£10 millionpublic liability cover
WELCOME — PAINTING CONTRACTORS
Borthwick Decorators is a UK painting contractor working with main contractors, developers, FM teams and council estates since 1959. Multi-property programmes, new-build fit-outs, retail rollouts, public-sector estate refurbishments. CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS, PDA, SDF, PPG Trade Elite accredited. £10 million public liability cover.
A painting contractor that finishes on time
Main contractors want a painting trade that arrives on schedule, hits the programme dates, and clears site cleanly. Developers want a contractor that can scale from one property to a portfolio. FM teams want one named contact and weekly progress reporting. We do all three.
Borthwick Decorators is a family firm, third generation, six decades in the trade. Our painting contractor work covers new-build residential and commercial, large-scale estate refurbishments, retail rollouts, public-sector estate programmes, hospitality fit-outs, and warehouse and industrial repaints.
AWARD WINNING
2025 Cultural Renovation Project of the Year
2025 Residential Category
2024 Private Domestic (Pre-1919) Project of the Year — Contract Manager 2024
View all awards →
CONTRACTOR-READY OPERATIONS
Built for main contractor programmes
£10 million public liability
Insurance to the level main contractors and PMs require, evidenced before site mobilisation.
RAMS on file
Risk Assessment and Method Statement supplied for every job, updated per phase as the work changes.
Fixed programme dates
We work to the master programme. Start dates and completion dates set in advance and committed to.
Multi-property scalable
From a single shop unit to a 30-property retail rollout. Resourced from Edinburgh HQ and London office.
IPAF, PASMA, PAL
In-house scaffold tower, MEWP and cherry-picker access. PAL for signage and large-format work.
Site safety
CHAS, SafeContractor, SMAS approved. PDA + SDF trade body membership. Annual independent re-assessment.
RECENT PROJECTS
Recent contract work
A sample of recent commercial programmes across Scotland.
ABOUT BORTHWICK
65 years of contracted decorating
Borthwick Decorators Ltd has been a UK painting contractor since 1959. We are one of the longest-established painting contracting firms in the UK still owned by the family that founded it.
Sectors we contract in: hospitality (hotels, restaurants, holiday lets), retail (shops, department stores, retail park rollouts), residential development (new-builds, apartment blocks, social housing), education (schools, colleges, universities), public sector (council and government estates), and industrial (warehouses, factories, distribution centres).
Our painters work throughout Scotland and England from the Edinburgh HQ and the London office. Multi-award-winning craft work, contractor-grade operations.
FAQ
Questions from main contractors and developers
Are you set up to work as a sub-contractor on a main contractor framework?
Yes. CHAS, SafeContractor and SMAS accredited — the three main contractor PQQ frameworks. PAS 91, Constructionline and other QPC frameworks completed on request. We supply standard sub-contractor pack (RAMS, COSHH, ITPs, ELI, PLI) on enquiry.
Can you scale to a multi-property programme?
Yes — we resource from the Edinburgh HQ and London office, and split estates by region for parallel delivery where the programme allows. Multi-property retail rollouts, social housing estate programmes, hospitality group refurbishments all routinely run two or more crews simultaneously.
What do you typically deliver on a new-build residential plot?
First and final mist coats, two-coat finish to walls and ceilings, primer and undercoat to joinery, eggshell or satinwood finish to architrave, skirting and doors, exterior masonry and joinery as the spec requires. Sample panels supplied where the developer requires pre-approval.
Do you handle exterior masonry and industrial coatings?
Yes. Keim and Beeck mineral systems for breathable and heritage masonry. PPG Trade Elite for industrial steel and warehouse coatings. Sikkens for exterior joinery. Sandstone, brick, harling, render, metalwork — all routine.
How quickly can you mobilise?
A site visit typically arranged within five working days of first contact. Programme start dates depend on size — small jobs can mobilise within two weeks; large programmes are scheduled to your master programme.
OTHER COMMERCIAL WORK
Related sectors
The painting-contractors offer overlaps with our commercial painting and decorating service. London-only clients should see our dedicated London commercial decorating page.
Accreditations & memberships
Public liability insurance to £10 million.
PDA
Painting & Decorating Association
SDF
Scottish Decorators Federation
SSIP
Safety Schemes in Procurement
Trusted Trader
Edinburgh — Trading Standards Vetted
SafeContractor
Independent H&S Verification
CHAS
Contractors Health & Safety
SMAS
Safety Management Advisory
PASMA
Mobile Access Towers
IPAF
Powered Access (PAL)