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Which plasterboard belongs in a bathroom?
Bathroom boarding is a question of which board the plasterer will use, whether a tanking layer goes on before tiles, and how the room is ventilated. This page does not name a board or a water-absorption figure, and electrical work near a bath stays with a registered electrician.
Last reviewed:What is bathroom plasterboard?
Ordinary plasterboard and a board chosen for a bathroom are not automatically the same product. People use "bathroom plasterboard" for a board meant to cope with intermittent steam and splashes, often with a coloured face so it can be told apart on site. This page does not name that board, and it does not print a thickness or a laboratory absorption figure. Those details belong on the sheet for the product the plasterer will actually fix.
The coloured face, where a board has one, is an identifier. It is not, by itself, a waterproof membrane. Ask what goes on the face before paint or tiles.
QuoteZila is open to jobs in Cheshire first, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the early towns. Anyone in the UK can post or register. The board choice follows the room, not the postcode.
What should the quote say about tiles?
Intermittent moisture means the splash and steam of a bathroom that can dry out. A shower wall that is soaked whenever someone washes is a harder case. Ask whoever boards and whoever tiles to agree, in writing, whether a tanking layer goes on before the tiles. This page does not name a tanking product.
A quote that says "board and tile" can mean the board and then tiles, or the board, a tanking coat, then tiles. Those are different jobs. If the shower is part of the room, say so in the first line.
Paint for bathroom walls is a different question from the board, and it is covered on moisture-resistant bathroom paint. Paint on the bath itself is not this job: painting a bath.
Should the board be skimmed?
Ask. This page does not print a maker's instruction for skimming a moisture-resistant board, and it does not say that every green-faced board must be left bare. A plasterer who wants to skim should say why this wall is suitable, and a plasterer who will not skim should say what finish they will use instead.
What a skim coat is is the thin finish on backgrounds that are suitable for one. PVA and bonding coats is about why a quote should name the preparation product. Neither page prints a rule for this board.
What about the fan and the electrics?
Board does not replace a fan. The Planning Portal says any new bathroom or shower room should be provided with extract ventilation to reduce condensation and remove smells [S1]. If you are refurbishing a bathroom, any existing extract must be kept or replaced. If there is no existing system, the Portal says you need not provide one, though you may [S1]. A room with no fan will work the walls harder. Say what ventilation you have when you ask for quotes.
Electrical work near a bath is a building regulations matter. GOV.UK lists changing electrics near a bath or shower among alterations that might need approval [S2]. With the exception of some minor tasks, Electrical Safety First says electrical work must be reported to the local authority building control body or carried out by a registered electrician who is a member of a government-approved scheme [S3]. Do not move a light or a fan yourself as part of the boarding. Electrical Safety First: find a registered electrician; NICEIC; NAPIT. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Electrical Safety First explains the building regulations route for electrical work.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Bathroom walls are bare brick. Please quote to board them, ready for tiles outside the shower and for a tanking layer inside the shower. Name the board."
- "Shower wall is ordinary plasterboard and the tiles are loose. Please quote to strip back and reboard. Say whether tanking is included."
- "New en-suite, timber studs. Please quote for the board only. The electrician will do the fan. Say whether you will skim the board."
Getting board quotes
Measure the walls, and say whether a shower, a bath or only a basin is in the room. Up to five matched local businesses can send a quote [QZ2]. QuoteZila is free for customers and local businesses [QZ1].
Honest status: QuoteZila is new. We're starting in Cheshire, beginning with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach, and growing area by area. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business. How fast you get quotes depends on how many local businesses have joined near you. Businesses can register and receive jobs straight away. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire.
Posting a job is not open yet
See our plasterers page and electricians page.
Questions about bathroom board
What is moisture-resistant plasterboard?
It is the board people ask for when a bathroom or kitchen will see steam and the odd splash. This page does not name a product, a thickness or a water-absorption figure. Ask the plasterer which board they will use, and ask them to write the name in the quote so you can compare it with the next one.
Can it go in a shower?
A shower wall is wetter than a wall beside a basin. Ask whether a tanking layer goes on before the tiles, and get that answer in writing. A quote that says only 'board and tile' can mean tiles straight onto the board, or a tanking coat in between. Those are different jobs.
Should bathroom board be skimmed?
This page does not print a maker's rule for skimming bathroom board. Ask the plasterer whether they will skim it, and what they would do instead if they will not. A bathroom that is already lived in is not the same case as boards used only while a new building was open to the weather.
Does a new bathroom need a fan?
The Planning Portal says any new bathroom or shower room should have extract ventilation to reduce condensation and remove smells. If you are only refurbishing and there is already a fan, it says to keep it or replace it. If there is no fan, it says you need not add one, though you can.
Does QuoteZila check the businesses?
No. We don't check insurance, qualifications or registrations, so please check these yourself before you hire. You can report a quote or a business from your job page.
This page is general information, not professional or legal advice. QuoteZila does not check Gas Safe, WaterSafe, NFRC, NICEIC or other registrations against the register on your behalf: look them up yourself.
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Related pages
- Blown Plaster: Causes, Signs and Repair Options. What blown plaster is, how to spot it with a tap test, why it happens, when a patch is enough and when a wall needs replastering, and what to ask a plasterer.
- Cracked Plaster: Which Cracks Matter and Who to Call. How to read cracks in plaster walls and ceilings, which are cosmetic and which need a builder or engineer, how to keep an eye on them, and what to ask first.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Building regulations: ventilation for kitchens and bathrooms, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/kitchens-and-bathrooms/building-regulations-need-for-additional-ventilation/
- S2: Building regulations approval, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/building-regulations-approval
- S3: Building regulations, Electrical Safety First. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/find-a-registered-electrician/building-regulations/