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What should a PVA line on a plaster quote say?
A plastering quote that only says PVA does not name the product or the problem on the wall, so ask for both in writing before you compare prices. This page does not print a dilution, a temperature or a thickness for any preparation coat.
Last reviewed:What is PVA in a plastering quote?
PVA is the liquid many people know as wood glue or as a sealer. In plastering talk it is often a line on a quote: "PVA the walls" before a coat of plaster. That line is the problem. A sealer, a suction primer and a bonding coat are different preparations, and a single word does not say which one the plasterer intends.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire. Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach are among the first places people can post a plastering job, and anyone in the UK can post or register. The wall itself, not the town, decides what the preparation should be called.
This page does not print a maker's comparison of PVA with a bonding coat, and it does not print a dilution or a temperature. Those details belong on the tin the plasterer names. If the quote does not name a tin, you cannot compare it with another quote that does.
What should the quote name?
Ask each plasterer to write the preparation in words you can put side by side:
- The background: bare brick, old plaster, plasterboard, a cement undercoat, or something else.
- The problem they are treating: dust, a very dry wall, a smooth surface, or a board sold for a bathroom.
- The product name, not only "PVA" or "bond".
- How many coats, and whether plaster goes on while that coat is still tacky or after it has dried.
- Whether the finish is a skim only, or a skim over an undercoat. The undercoat page is what float plaster is. The finish-coat page is what a skim coat is.
Two quotes can both be honest and still name different products, because the plasterers have judged the wall differently. The useful comparison is the reason, written down. Citizens Advice says to get written quotes from at least three traders. A quote is a fixed price, so you know what you will pay. An estimate is a rough guess, so you might pay more [S1]. After you accept a quote it is a binding agreement, which is why the preparation has to be in it [S1].
If they ask for a deposit to pay for materials, Citizens Advice says to offer to buy the materials yourself instead of paying a deposit [S1]. If a deposit cannot be avoided, do not agree to more than 25 per cent, and get a receipt [S1].
When does the size of the wall matter?
Preparation on a cupboard wall is not the same paperwork as replastering the inside of an outside wall. The Planning Portal says that where 25 per cent or more of an external wall is re-rendered, re-clad, re-plastered or re-lined internally, the regulations would normally apply and the thermal insulation would normally have to be improved [S2].
A patch is a different case from a whole elevation. Say how much of the wall is in the job, and ask the plasterer whether they think that line is in play. This page cannot see your wall.
What about a textured ceiling or work overhead?
Older ceilings sometimes carry a textured coating. HSE's diagrams of where asbestos can occur include textured decorative coatings on walls and ceilings, for example Artex [S3]. A pattern or the age of the house does not tell you whether asbestos is in it. Do not sand the peaks off to "get back to something you can PVA". Leave the coating alone until you know. Health and Safety Executive (HSE). QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Those coatings are on HSE's building diagrams.
Working on a ceiling or a stairwell is overhead. HSE says you are working at height if you work above ground or floor level and, if precautions were not taken, you could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury [S4]. A slip on the level is not work at height. Brushing a ceiling from a chair is not a method this page will describe. Ask the plasterer what they will stand on. HSE: work at height. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
The definition is on HSE's work at height questions.
Moisture-resistant board in a bathroom is its own question, and this page does not print a maker's rule for skimming it. See bathroom plasterboard. For the thin finish after the preparation, see how a skim is set up.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts.
- "Hall and stairs are bare plasterboard. Please say in the quote whether you will use a primer or a bonding coat, and name the product. I do not want a line that only says PVA."
- "Old brick wall in a cupboard, very dry and dusty. Please quote to prepare it and skim. Name the product if you use one."
- "Textured ceiling. Please do not sand it. Quote for advice on testing before any preparation."
Asking a plasterer about preparation
Describe the surface and send photos of a corner, a crack and any green-faced board. 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.
Questions about PVA before plaster
Is PVA a full description of the preparation?
No. PVA is a word people put on quotes for a liquid brushed on before plaster. It does not say whether the wall is dusty, very dry, smooth, or a moisture-resistant board, and it does not name the product. Ask for those two lines before you treat two quotes as the same job.
What should the plasterer write instead?
The background, the problem they are treating, and the product name. Citizens Advice says a quote is a fixed price and an estimate is a rough guess, so the preparation has to be in the writing you accept, not only in a conversation on the doorstep.
Does a large internal replaster change the rules?
It can. The Planning Portal says that where 25 per cent or more of an external wall is re-rendered, re-clad, re-plastered or re-lined internally, the regulations would normally apply and the thermal insulation would normally have to be improved. A small preparation before a skim is not that sentence. A whole wall might be.
What if the ceiling is textured or overhead?
HSE lists textured decorative coatings on walls and ceilings, for example Artex, among places asbestos can occur. Do not sand or scrape the coating to see what the preparation should be. Overhead work is work at height where a fall could cause injury if precautions were not taken. Leave both to the person you hire.
Does QuoteZila check the plasterers who quote?
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
- Render Mix: What Goes Into Render and Who Decides. What a render mix is made of, why the right mix depends on the wall and the coat, how lime and cement renders differ, and what to ask a renderer before work.
- Render Repair: Patch, Partial or Full Re-render?. How to tell whether damaged render needs a small patch, a larger repair or a full re-render, why matching the finish matters, and what to ask before work.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ How does getting quotes work.
- S1: Before you get building work done, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S2: Building regulations: external walls, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/external-walls/building-regulations/
- S3: Where asbestos can occur in buildings, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/diagrams.htm
- S4: Work at height: frequently asked questions, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/faqs.htm