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What changes the cost of hiring a plasterer?
The Federation of Master Builders renovation guide of 5 June 2026 puts a plasterer at around £300 a day [S6], and its garage conversion guide of 29 July 2025, updated February 2026, lists £300 a day [S7]. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
Last reviewed:What plasterers price for
A plasterer gives walls and ceilings a flat, smooth surface ready to decorate. The work ranges from a quick patch to replastering a whole house. Because the jobs vary so much, plasterers price them in different ways: by the job, by the room, by the square metre or by the day.
The main types of work are:
- Skimming. A thin finish coat over sound plaster, plasterboard or a backing coat.
- Patching. Repairs to cracks, holes, chases for cables and pipes, or damaged corners.
- Hacking off and replastering. Removing loose or blown plaster back to the brick or block, then applying a backing coat and a finish.
- Boarding and skimming. Fixing plasterboard to walls or ceilings, then skimming over it.
- Rendering. Coating outside walls. Many plasterers also render, though some leave it to specialists.
QuoteZila is starting in Cheshire, with Crewe, Nantwich and Sandbach among the first towns. Anyone in the UK can post a job or register a business. The Federation of Master Builders renovation guide of 5 June 2026 puts a plasterer at around £300 a day [S6]. Its garage conversion guide of 29 July 2025, updated February 2026, lists £300 a day and attributes that labour list to member firm Fittra Construction [S7]. It is not a Cheshire price and not a price per square metre. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices.
What changes the cost of plastering
| What is being priced | What makes it bigger or smaller | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Type of work | Skim, patch, backing coat and skim, board and skim | Exactly which coats are included |
| Area | Size of walls and ceilings, room height | How the area was measured |
| Ceilings | Included or not, height, cracks, old textured coatings | Whether ceilings are part of the price |
| Preparation | Removing wallpaper, PVA or bonding, filling, hacking off | Who does the preparation |
| Beads | New corner beads, stop beads at window reveals | Whether new beads are fitted |
| Access | Stairwells, high ceilings, scaffold towers | What access equipment is needed |
| Protection and waste | Dust sheets, rubble, skips or waste bags | Who removes the waste |
| Furniture | Empty room or full room | Whether you need to clear the room |
| VAT | Whether the business is VAT registered | Whether the total includes VAT |
A business must register for VAT when its taxable turnover goes over £90,000 [S5]. Many plasterers work as sole traders, so some quotes will include VAT and some will not.
Skim, patch or full replaster
The biggest difference between quotes is often what the plasterer thinks the wall needs.
A skim works when the wall is basically sound. British Gypsum gives an application thickness of 2 mm for its Thistle MultiFinish finish plaster on walls and ceilings [S1]. A thin coat like that will not hide deep dips or cover plaster that is coming away.
If the old plaster is loose, cracked or hollow when tapped, it may need hacking off. The plasterer then applies a backing coat to bring the wall up flat, followed by the finish. That takes longer, makes more mess and costs more.
Sometimes a plasterer will suggest plasterboard on adhesive dabs instead of a backing coat. It is quicker to dry, but it changes the wall's depth slightly, which can affect skirting, sockets and window reveals.
Two plasterers can look at the same wall and suggest different work. Ask each one why they recommend their approach.
Ceilings
Ceilings are harder and slower to plaster than walls, because everything happens overhead. They also come with their own problems:
- Cracks along board joints, which may need taping before skimming.
- Old lath and plaster, which may be sagging and need overboarding or replacing.
- Textured coatings, which may contain asbestos in older buildings.
HSE lists textured decorative coatings such as Artex on walls and ceilings among the places asbestos can be found [S3]. Before anyone sands, scrapes or drills an old textured ceiling, ask for a sample to be tested. Do not try to remove a textured coating yourself.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE). QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
If ceilings are part of your job, mention any textured finish and the age of the house when you post.
Building regulations and outside walls
Most plastering does not need building regulations approval. One exception is worth knowing about. The Planning Portal says that where 25% or more of an external wall is re-plastered or re-lined on the inside, the regulations would normally apply, and the wall's thermal insulation would normally have to be improved [S2]. That can mean adding insulated plasterboard or another lining, which changes the price.
GOV.UK: find your local council for building control. QuoteZila is not affiliated with this organisation.
Ask your plasterer whether this applies to your job, or ask your council's building control team before work starts.
Preparation, mess and drying
Preparation is where much of a plasterer's time goes. Before plastering, walls may need:
- wallpaper stripping
- loose paint scraping off
- a bonding coat or other treatment on shiny or very absorbent surfaces
- holes and chases filling
- beads fitting to corners and window reveals
Plastering is messy. Floors, windows and doors need protecting, and hacking off fills bags with rubble. Ask who clears the room, who protects floors and who takes the waste away.
New plaster then needs time to dry. Thicker coats take longer, and cold or damp weather slows things down. Ask your plasterer how long to leave it before painting and what first coat they suggest.
Plastering in Cheshire
When you post a plastering job, give the rooms, rough wall and ceiling sizes, photos of the surfaces and what is on them now, such as wallpaper, paint or a textured coating. Say how old the house is if you know. A plasterer covering Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach or the villages nearby can then judge whether a skim is enough or whether hacking off is likely.
Some plasterers quote from photos and others prefer to visit. A visit usually gives a firmer price, because the plasterer can tap the walls and see what is behind the paint. Anyone in the UK can still post a job or register a business on QuoteZila.
What to have ready before you ask for quotes
- the rooms involved, with rough sizes and ceiling heights
- photos of each wall and ceiling
- what is on the surfaces now: paint, paper, textured coating
- any cracks, damp patches or loose areas
- whether the room will be empty
- whether electrical or plumbing work is being done first
- your postcode and when the work could be done
How to compare plastering quotes
Check each quote for:
- The rooms, walls and ceilings included.
- The type of work: skim, patch, backing coat, boarding.
- Preparation, beads and bonding treatments.
- Protection of floors and furniture.
- Waste removal.
- Access equipment for stairwells or high ceilings.
- Whether VAT is included, and whether the price is fixed.
Citizens Advice suggests getting written quotes from at least three different traders [S4]. It says a quote is a fixed price, while an estimate is a rough guess, so you might end up paying more [S4]. If a plasterer gives a day rate, ask how many days they expect the job to take.
Order of works
Plastering usually comes after first-fix electrics and plumbing, when cables and pipes are in the walls, and before second fix, decorating and new floors. If an electrician is chasing cables into walls, the plasterer will need to come after. If you are fitting a new kitchen or bathroom, ask the fitter and the plasterer to agree the order, so nobody undoes anyone else's work.
Jobs you might post
These are examples, not taken from real job posts. "Skim the walls and ceiling of a small bedroom. Wallpaper is already off." Or: "Old plaster on two walls of the back room is blown. Please quote to hack off and replaster." Or: "Overboard and skim a cracked lath and plaster ceiling in the hall."
Get quotes from plasterers
Describe the rooms, the surfaces and the work you think is needed, with photos and your postcode. Up to five matched local businesses can reply [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 the plasterers page, or painters and decorators for finishing. For ceilings, see what changes the cost of plastering a ceiling. For outside walls, see what changes the cost of lime render.
Official and public sources
QuoteZila is not affiliated with these organisations.
- Finish coat thickness: British Gypsum product data sheet for Thistle MultiFinish [S1].
- Building regulations for walls: Planning Portal: external walls, building regulations [S2].
- Asbestos in textured coatings: HSE: where asbestos can occur in buildings [S3].
- Quotes and estimates: Citizens Advice [S4].
- VAT: GOV.UK on when to register [S5].
Questions about plasterer costs
How much does a plasterer charge?
The Federation of Master Builders renovation guide of 5 June 2026 puts a plasterer at around £300 a day, and its garage conversion guide of 29 July 2025, updated February 2026, lists £300 a day. That is a day rate, not a price per square metre and not a price for one room. Prices vary by the job and the location, and QuoteZila does not set prices. Ask each plasterer to quote for the same walls and ceilings.
What is the difference between skimming and replastering?
A skim is a thin finish coat over walls or ceilings that are already sound and flat, or over new plasterboard. British Gypsum gives an application thickness of 2 mm for its Thistle MultiFinish skim coat. Replastering means removing old plaster and building the wall back up with a backing coat before the finish.
Do I need building regulations approval for plastering?
Usually not for patching or skimming. The Planning Portal says that where 25% or more of an external wall is re-plastered or re-lined on the inside, the regulations would normally apply and insulation would normally have to be improved. Ask building control if a big outside wall is being redone.
Can a plasterer skim over Artex?
Often, but check first. HSE lists textured decorative coatings such as Artex on walls and ceilings among places asbestos can be found. Ask for a test before anyone sands, scrapes or drills it. Skimming over sound textured coating avoids disturbing it, but drilling or sanding does not.
How long does new plaster take to dry?
It depends on the thickness, the background, the weather and how well the room is aired. Ask your plasterer how long to wait before decorating, and what mist coat they suggest for fresh plaster.
Who cleans up after plastering?
It varies. Some plasterers protect floors, bag waste and take it away, and some leave rubble for the customer. Hacking off old plaster makes a lot of waste. Ask what is included in the price.
Does QuoteZila check the plasterers?
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.
Related guides
- Plasterers: skimming, patching and replastering
- Painters and decorators: decorating new plaster
- Builders: when plastering is part of a bigger job
- All cost guides
Part of Cost guides. All services
Related trades
Related pages
- Render Cleaning Cost: What Changes the Quote. What moves a render cleaning quote: render type, wall area and height, access, the cleaning method, treatment and any repairs found. No price printed here.
- Tyrolean Render: What Changes the Price. What changes the price of a tyrolean render finish: wall area, base coat repairs, colour, masking, access and waste, plus permission points and what to ask.
Sources
- QZ1: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila home and FAQ copy.
- QZ2: QuoteZila product fact. QuoteZila FAQ "How does getting quotes work?".
- S1: PDS Thistle MultiFinish product data sheet (15 September 2026), British Gypsum. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.british-gypsum.com/documents/product-data-sheet-pds/british-gypsum-pds-thistle-multifinish.pdf
- S2: Is building regulations approval needed for work to external walls?, Planning Portal. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.planningportal.co.uk/permission/common-projects/external-walls/building-regulations/
- S3: Diagrams showing where asbestos can occur in buildings, HSE. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.hse.gov.uk/asbestos/diagrams.htm
- S4: Before you get work done on your home, Citizens Advice. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/getting-home-improvements-done/before-you-get-building-work-done/
- S5: Register for VAT, GOV.UK. Accessed 2026-10-28. https://www.gov.uk/register-for-vat
- S6: How much does a house renovation cost?, Federation of Master Builders. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/how-much-does-a-house-renovation-cost.html
- S7: Garage conversion costs UK, Federation of Master Builders. Accessed 2026-10-30. https://www.fmb.org.uk/resource/garage-conversion-costs-uk.html