Plasterer Prices UK 2026: Complete Plastering Costs, Rates & Pricing Guide
By Tom Ellis
How much does a plasterer cost in the UK in 2026? The cost of hiring a plasterer depends on the type of plastering, the size and condition of the surface, preparation required, access, materials, location, and the finish required.
A basic estimate needs to cover far more than simply multiplying the room size by a price per square metre. It must account for stripping walls, plasterboard, beads, bonding, PVA/primer, heavy gypsum waste disposal, scaffolding, and curing times. This definitive guide covers benchmark 2026 rates for skimming, rendering, heritage lime work, and dry lining.
Contents
Plasterer Hourly, Day & Regional Rates (2026)
April 2026 data gives a typical plasterer rate of £300/day and £37.50/hour. However, small jobs can appear expensive on an hourly basis because the plasterer still has to cover travel, setup, and mixing time.
Plasterer Hourly Rates
- Basic plastering:£25 – £35 / hr
- Standard plastering (UK Average):£30 – £45 / hr
- Experienced plasterer:£35 – £50 / hr
- Specialist plasterer (Lime/Heritage):£45 – £70+ / hr
- Decorative/Venetian plaster specialist:£50 – £100+ / hr
- Emergency / Small repair minimum:£50 – £80+ / hr
Plasterer Day Rates
- Apprentice / Helper:£100 – £160 / day
- Labourer (Mixing/Boarding):£120 – £200 / day
- General plasterer:£250 – £350 / day
- Experienced plasterer:£300 – £400 / day
- Venetian / Decorative / Lime specialist:£350 – £600+ / day
- Plasterer + Labourer:£400 – £550+ / day
- Two plasterers:£500 – £700+ / day
| Region | Hourly Rate | Day Rate |
|---|---|---|
| London | £40 – £65+ | £350 – £500+ |
| South East | £35 – £55 | £300 – £450 |
| East of England | £30 – £50 | £275 – £400 |
| South West | £30 – £50 | £275 – £400 |
| Midlands | £25 – £45 | £250 – £375 |
| North West | £25 – £45 | £250 – £375 |
| Scotland | £25 – £45 | £250 – £375 |
| Yorkshire and North East | £25 – £45 | £240 – £350 |
| Wales | £25 – £45 | £240 – £350 |
Minimum Charge Reality
A plasterer may have an hourly rate of £35, but they cannot drive to your house, sheet up your floors, mix a bucket of multi-finish, plaster a tiny 1m² patch, clean their tools, and drive home for £35.
Emergency/small-job minimum:
£100 – £200+
Plastering Prices Per Square Metre
Per-square-metre pricing is particularly useful for larger plastering projects, new builds, and rendering. June 2026 figures put standard skim plastering at about £24/m².
| Type of Plastering Work | Typical UK Price (£/m²) |
|---|---|
| Basic skim | £20 – £30 |
| Standard skim (Average ~£24) | £22 – £30 |
| Full plastering from scratch | £35 – £60 |
| Bonding + skim | £30 – £50 |
| Plasterboard + skim | £35 – £65 |
| Difficult ceiling overhead | £30 – £50+ |
| Artex preparation + skim | £25 – £45+ |
| Lime plaster (Heritage) | £40 – £60 |
| External sand/cement render | £30 – £50 |
| Silicone / Monocouche render | £70 – £80+ |
| Venetian / Polished plaster | £100 – £150+ |
Why m² Pricing Fluctuates
- Corners & Reveals: A flat 10m² wall is fast. A 10m² wall with two windows, a door, and four alcoves takes twice as long due to installing metal angle beads and trowelling tight corners.
- Substrate Condition: Skimming over sound existing plaster is cheap. Having to hack off blown plaster, apply SBR primer, and apply a thick bonding coat first doubles the price.
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Cost to Skim / Plaster Rooms & Ceilings
Skimming involves applying a 2-3mm finishing coat over an existing sound surface. Plastering "from scratch" involves backing coats or boarding, making it significantly more expensive.
Cost to Skim a Wall
- Small wall:£150 – £300
- Medium wall:£250 – £450
- Large wall:£350 – £650+
- Difficult / poor surface:£30 – £45+ / m²
Cost to Skim a Room
Benchmarks (June 2026)
- Small room (Avg £440):£380 – £500
- Medium room (Avg £480):£430 – £550
- Large room (Avg £650):£535 – £700
- Large / High ceilings:£700 – £1,000+
Plaster Room From Scratch
Involves hacking off old plaster, bonding, and beads.
- Small room (Avg £636):£600 – £750
- Medium room (Avg £755):£700 – £950
- Large room (Avg £1,300):£1,000 – £1,400+
- Whole House:£5k – £15k+
Plastering a Ceiling
Ceiling work costs more than an equivalent wall because the plasterer is fighting gravity, working overhead on platforms/stilts, and floor protection is critical to catch falling wet plaster.
Ceiling Skimming Prices
- Small (9m² - Avg £275):£200 – £350
- Medium (15m² - Avg £360):£280 – £440
- Large (25m² - Avg £575):£425 – £725
Overboarding a Ceiling
Screwing new plasterboard over a failing/cracked ceiling before skimming. (£35–£60/m²)
- Small ceiling:£500 – £800
- Medium ceiling:£700 – £1,000
- Large / Complex ceiling:£1,000 – £3,000+
Plaster Repairs, Crack Fixing & Artex
Fixing blown plaster, structural cracks, and dealing safely with outdated textured Artex ceilings.
Patch Repairs & Cracks
- Tiny hole:£50 – £100
- Small crack repair:£100 – £200
- Damaged wall section:£200 – £500
- Large blown area:£300 – £800+
- Water damaged ceiling:£500 – £1,500+
Where cracking suggests structural movement (e.g. subsidence), the underlying cause must be investigated rather than simply filling the crack with Polyfilla.
Door & Window Reveals
Fixing broken corners and lintels after new windows or doors are fitted.
- Small reveal repair:£100 – £200
- Window / Door reveal:£150 – £350
- Full replacement of reveals:£300 – £1,000+
Artex Ceilings
- Skim over prepared Artex:£25 – £35 / m²
- Difficult Artex (Heavy stipple):£30 – £50+ / m²
- Overboard + skim:£35 – £60+ / m²
- Full removal / replacement:£50 – £100+ / m²
Plasterboard, Dry Lining & Dot and Dab
Dry lining involves fixing plasterboard to masonry (Dot and Dab) or timber framing (Stud walls) rather than applying traditional wet backing plaster directly to the wall.
Dry Lining Costs (£/m²)
- Basic dry lining:£25 – £45 / m²
- Dot-and-dab (Board+Adhesive):£25 – £45 / m²
- Stud wall + Board:£40 – £70 / m²
- Insulated dry lining:£45 – £90+ / m²
- Board + Adhesive + Skim:£35 – £60 / m²
Specialist Plasterboard
- Standard board:£20 – £40 / m²
- Moisture-resistant (Green):£25 – £50 / m²
- Acoustic (Blue/SoundBloc):£40 – £80 / m²
- Fire-rated (Pink/FireLine):£40 – £80 / m²
- Thermal insulated board:£40 – £100+ / m²
Stud Partitions
- Basic stud partition:£40 – £70 / m²
- Insulated partition:£60 – £100 / m²
- Acoustic partition:£70 – £120 / m²
- Fire-rated partition (Part B):£80 – £150+ / m²
Plaster Beading & Corner Reinforcement
Installed pricing depends on labour and the amount of preparation. (PVC, Galvanised angle, Stop bead, Arch bead).
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Coving, Venetian & Lime Plastering
Specialist finishes cannot be priced against standard gypsum skimming. Lime requires week-long curing times, and Venetian is high-art polishing.
Decorative & Heritage Finishes
- Internal Lime plaster:£40 – £60 / m²
- External Lime render:£50 – £80 / m²
- Lath and plaster repair:£150 – £300 / patch
- Full traditional Lath ceiling:£1,000 – £2,500+
- Venetian / Polished plaster:£100 – £150+ / m²
- Venetian feature wall:£800 – £2,000+
Coving & Cornicing (Supply & Fit)
- Polystyrene / Polyurethane:£5 – £40 / m
- Standard plaster coving:£25 – £60 / m
- Ornate bespoke cornice:£150+ / m
- Average room coving:£600 – £1,700
Ceiling Roses & Mouldings
- Small simple rose:£100 – £250
- Medium decorative rose:£200 – £500
- Large ornate rose:£400 – £1,000+
- Electrical work for light fitting is normally additional.
External Rendering Prices UK 2026
Rendering is effectively external plastering and represents a massive sector. Silicone and Monocouche systems dominate modern domestic upgrades.
Render Systems (Installed £/m²)
- Traditional Sand/Cement:£30 – £50 / m²
- Acrylic Render:~£55 / m²
- Silicone Render (e.g. K-Rend):£70 – £75 / m²
- Monocouche (Through-colour):~£80 / m²
- External Wall Insulation (EWI):£100 – £200+ / m²
Rendering a House (Project Cost)
Approximate guide including prep, scaffolding, and waste.
- Bungalow:£1,500 – £4,000+
- 3-bed semi-detached:£2,700 – £7,200+
- 3-bed detached:£5,000 – £10,000+
- 4-bed to 5-bed detached:£7,000 – £12,000+
A current 2026 example for a 140m² detached property gives approximately £9,690–£12,075.
Removing Old Render & Pebbledash
Removing old render requires heavy SDS breakers and generates massive dust and skip waste.
- Straightforward removal:£15 – £40 / m²
- Difficult / Stubborn removal:£30 – £60+ / m²
- Very difficult removal:£60 – £100+ / m²
Rendering Preparation
Pressure washing, raking cracks, applying stabilising primer, mesh reinforcement, and corner beading.
Materials, Equipment & Waste Disposal
Gypsum waste is heavily regulated. Plasterers must build waste separation and heavy tool hire into every project quote.
Material Mark-Up
Markup covers fuel to the merchant, yard storage, 10% cutting wastage, and damaged bag risks.
- Basic materials (Skim/Boards):10 – 25%
- Specialist materials (Lime/Render):15 – 30%
- Small-job consumables:20 – 40%
Waste Disposal
Plasterboard (gypsum) must be separated from general mixed waste at commercial tips.
- Small waste / Plasterboard:£50 – £150+
- Standard 8-Yard Skip:£250 – £400
- Heavy waste (Render removal):£300 – £500+
- Large project waste:£500 – £2,000+
Equipment Hire
- Paddle mixer:£30 – £60 / day
- Plasterboard lifter:£30 – £70 / day
- Scaffold Tower:£50 – £100 / day
- Dust extraction:£30 – £80 / day
- Small fixed scaffold:£300+
- Full rendering scaffold:£1,000 – £3,000+
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Plastering Extensions, Lofts & After Rewires
Plasterers usually arrive immediately after the "First Fix" electrical and plumbing work is completed, making good the damage and creating the final shell.
Making Good After Plumbers & Sparkies
Filling chases left by electricians running cables or plumbers dropping radiator pipes.
- Small single chase:£50 – £100
- Several chases:£100 – £300
- After full 1-bed property rewire:£500 – £1,000
- After 3-bed house rewire:£800 – £1,500
- Large property rewire:£1,500 – £3,000+
Whole House Plastering
The biggest variable is whether the property requires simple skimming or extensive hacking off, boarding, bonding, and replastering.
- 1-bedroom property:£3,000 – £6,000+
- 2-bedroom property:£4,000 – £8,000+
- 3-bedroom property:£5,000 – £12,000+
- 4-bedroom property:£7,000 – £15,000+
- Major structural renovation:£20,000 – £40,000+
House Extensions
- Small extension:£1,000 – £3,000
- Medium extension:£2,000 – £5,000
- Large extension:£4,000 – £8,000+
- High-spec / Complex:£8,000 – £15,000+
Loft Conversions
Requires complex angles, fire-rated board, eaves, and Velux reveals.
- Small loft:£2,500 – £5,000
- Medium loft:£4,000 – £7,500
- Large loft (Dormers):£6,000 – £12,000+
Commercial Plastering & Quoting Formulas
Never quote a job purely by looking at the square meterage. You must calculate every moving part of the project to ensure a profitable margin.
Materials (Plaster + Board + Bonding)
+ Consumables (Beads + Mesh + PVA)
+ Protection & Waste
+ Access Equipment / Scaffolding
+ Labour (Prep + Boarding + Skim)
+ Travel & Parking
+ Business Overheads Allocation
+ Profit Margin
= FINAL CUSTOMER QUOTE
Mark-Up vs Profit Margin
If a job costs £1,000 to deliver and you apply a 30% markup, the price is £1,300. The £300 difference is NOT pure profit. It must cover your van, fuel, insurance, tools, accountant, advertising, and unpaid admin time.
What Makes Plastering More Expensive?
- Preparation: Hacking off blown plaster and applying SBR bonding.
- Access: Staircases and high ceilings take twice as long.
- Corners: Cutting and setting metal beads on windows/reveals.
- Artex: Dealing with asbestos risks and thick stipple coatings.
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Worked Plastering Pricing Examples
Medium Room Re-Skim (39m²)
Sound existing plaster, minor prep, no scaffold.
- Labour:£400
- Plaster/materials:£100
- Beads/scrim/protection:£60
- Waste & Travel:£60
- Direct cost:£620
- Overheads + Profit:£100+
Full Room From Scratch (52m²)
Hack off old plaster, board, bond, bead, and skim.
- Labour:£700 – £1,000
- Plasterboard & Plaster:£450 – £850
- Waste / Skip:£100 – £200
- Protection/Travel:£100 – £200
External Silicone Rendering
100m² net area. Includes prep, scaffold, and waste.
- Silicone Render System (100x£72.50):£7,250
- Scaffolding:£1,500+
- Prep, Beads & Waste:£500+
Plastering SEO & Social Media
To win premium work and escape low-margin price wars, you need a cluster of dedicated landing pages targeting exactly what homeowners are searching for locally, combined with a highly satisfying visual portfolio.
High-Value SEO Keywords
Create dedicated pages targeting specific services in your local towns (e.g., "Cost to skim a room in [Town]"):
Social Media Portfolios
Plastering is incredibly visual. Homeowners want to see smooth glass-like finishes and clean work sites.
- Satisfying Process Videos (TikTok/Reels): Videos of trowelling the final polish on a wall or skimming over a ceiling are highly engaging and showcase your muscle memory and skill.
- Venetian & Specialist Finishes: Highlight high-end polished plaster, microcement, and media wall installations to attract luxury budgets.
- Cleanliness Proof: Always post photos showing your extensive floor protection and spotless clean-up. The biggest fear homeowners have about plasterers is the mess.
The Final Plasterer Pricing Checklist
Never quote a job purely by looking at the square meterage. Ensure your quote calculates:
Materials (Plaster/Board) + Consumables (Beads/Scrim/PVA) + Protection & Cleaning + Access/Scaffolding + Labour (Prep+Board+Skim) + Travel & Parking + Waste + Overheads + Profit
Quick UK Plastering Pricing Reference (2026)
Use this table for rapid job estimating and sanity-checking client quotes.
| Plastering Work / Service | Typical 2026 UK Benchmark |
|---|---|
| General Plasterer Hourly Rate | £25 – £50 / hour |
| Experienced Plasterer Day Rate | £300 – £400 / day |
| Plasterer + Labourer Day Rate | £400 – £550+ / day |
| Basic Skimming (Labour Only) | £20 – £30 / m² |
| Plasterboard + Skim | £35 – £65 / m² |
| Full Plastering From Scratch (Hack off & replace) | £35 – £60 / m² |
| Skim a Small Room (Approx 38m² total area) | £380 – £500 |
| Skim a Medium Room | £430 – £550 |
| Skim a Large Room / High Ceilings | £535 – £700+ |
| Skim a Ceiling (Medium 15m²) | £280 – £440 |
| Overboard & Skim a Ceiling | £35 – £60 / m² |
| Skim over Prepared Artex | £25 – £45+ / m² |
| Internal Lime Plastering | £40 – £60 / m² |
| Venetian / Polished Specialist Plaster | £100 – £150+ / m² |
| Plaster Coving (Supply & Fit) | £40 – £100 / linear m |
| External Sand/Cement Render | £30 – £50 / m² |
| Silicone / Monocouche Through-Colour Render | £70 – £80+ / m² |
| External Wall Insulation (EWI) | £100 – £200+ / m² |
| Waste Disposal (Plasterboard/Skips) | £150 – £400 |
| Material Markup Allowance | 10% – 25% |
| Small-Job Minimum Charge | £100 – £200 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a plasterer cost per day in the UK?
Around £300/day is a current UK benchmark for 2026, although typical rates vary from £250 to £350. Specialist plasterers (Venetian/Lime) and London tradesmen charge considerably more.
How much does plastering cost per square metre?
Standard skim plastering averages around £24/m² in current 2026 data. Full plastering from scratch and external rendering cost substantially more (£35-£80+/m²).
How much does it cost to skim a room?
A medium room costs approximately £480 to re-skim on current 2026 benchmarks, with small and large rooms typically around £440 and £650 respectively.
Is skimming cheaper than replastering?
Yes. Skimming uses the existing sound plaster as the substrate. Replastering requires hacking off the old surface, waste disposal, and applying thick bonding or backing coats first.
Can you skim over Artex?
Sometimes, but the coating needs assessing. Older textured coatings applied before 2000 may contain asbestos. Never scrape or sand Artex without an asbestos survey.
How much does external rendering cost?
Rendering generally costs £30–£80/m² depending on the system (sand/cement vs silicone monocouche). A 3-bed semi-detached house typically costs £2,700–£7,200+.
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