Plastering

Newly finished plaster leaves a wall or ceiling looking refreshed, crisp and smooth, ready for a new lick of paint which will really transform a living space.

If it’s been a while since your home was last renovated, however, chances are that the standard of plaster may be lacking. As our homes expand and contract, as they do naturally with the changing temperatures and the seasons, old plaster surfaces can become brittle in places, and begin to crack or crumble. This is not only aesthetically undesirable, but can have a knock-on effect on the overall quality of the space.

Plastered ceiling and walls serve several functions, not including looking smart! The smooth finish of a perfectly plastered surface not only looks great, but can give a wipe-clean surface making it much easier to maintain than, for example, Artex. Also unlike Artex, a plastered surface can be easily repaired if cracks appear further down the line, with none of the difficult matching of swirls and patterns that accompany an Artexed ceiling repair. Plastered ceilings and walls can be repaired in the existing plasterwork, leaving the ceiling repair indistinguishable from the original work; and once your Painter and Decorator has repainted, you’ll never notice the difference!

Dust can often work itself loose from original stone and brickwork, dropping to the ground and floating through the air. A plastered surface will prevent dust and small particles from leaving the original wall and prevent it from entering the air. Having a smooth plastered surface will take paint easily, leaving a smooth, seamless canvas for your Plasterer, Painter and Decorator for professionally decorate or, indeed, for an avid DIYer to finish off!

A perfectly plastered surface won’t just appear by magic! Often a little out of the reach of even the most avid DIYers, plastering is a skill honed and refined over many years; as Raymond has been “practicing” for over 30 years now, he’s gotten pretty good at it!

How much does plastering cost?

The cost of plastering, as you might imagine, does vary from job to job; however, your Plasterer, Painter and Decorator will take the following into consideration when quoting your plastering project.

Dimensions of the surface to be plastered
Access to the surface to be plastered
The current condition of the existing plaster or surfaces
The size of the plastering company doing the plastering

Dimensions of the surface to be plastered

If the Sod’s law of plastering are to be followed, a smaller “surface” doesn’t always mean a smaller “job”! A small wall covered in old plaster, damaged plasterboard or several obstacles such as pipe work, awkward corners, or even windows for that matter, may cost just as much as a larger wall will no such problems. Whereas a large surface which proves to be straight forward and behaves the way your Plasterer would like! Would probably cost less money from time, but would probably cost more money in materials. Generally speaking, a larger surface would cost more than a smaller surface of similar condition and level of poxyness!

Access to the surface to be plastered

Your Plasterer will need to be able to access the ceiling or walls, even if they are quite high, or jut into awkward annexes. Ladders and steps can be used to help your Plasterer gain access to high ceilings, but if scaffolding is required this will be an addition to your quote. For the same reason, walls that do not require additional access considerations would likely be cheaper to plaster. Any Clutter, furniture and other obstacles will also need to make way to give your Plasterer the space they need to move around your project. If furniture cannot be moved, or access to the working space is very difficult or troubling, the Plasterer may need to factor the additional time created into the quote, or may be unable to carry out the work at all.

The current condition of the existing plaster or surfaces

Not all walls were created, or plastered, equally! And some are overdue a complete overhaul! The state of the existing plaster work will dictate the amount and type of work your Plasterer will need carry out. Your Plasterer will advise you on whether it would be better to patch a hole, and re-plaster; or if the surface has too many small holes, it may be more economical to re-skim with existing surface; or, in extremis, and in many cases where a plastered or Artexed ceiling is too far gone, your Plasterer may suggest that over-boarding with plaster boarding is the only way! In any of these scenarios, an experienced Plasterer will need to see the condition of the existing plaster work in order to gauge an accurate quote.

The size of the plastering company

Size isn’t everything! You would be forgiven for thinking that a large plastering company, with a high volume a big plastering jobs, may charge less per area than a one-man-band. Contrary to this, larger plastering companies will also have large overheads, staff to pay, additional expenses, and will likely charge VAT. Smaller companies, such as Raymond Ellul – Plasterer, Painter and Decorator Services, will tend to be self-employed, have fewer overheads and be agile enough to take on smaller jobs at shorter notice. Your local tradesman will also be more familiar with, and more suited, to domestic plastering jobs, and have more experience working in people’s homes. For this reason, a domestic plasterer may be better suited to working on your plastering project in your home, than a bigger commercial plastering company.

How much does it cost to plaster a room?

An average room will usually cost between £500 to £600 to plaster the walls and ceiling, however, as previously mentioned, a “small” surface to plaster, doesn’t always mean a small job. More often than not, it’s the easier sounding jobs that throw up the most surprises! Depending on the condition of the existing plaster, your Plasterer may decide to remove the old plaster, skim, or start a fresh with an overboard and a whole new surface. The costs involved in each of these types of jobs will vary, largely depending on the factors mentioned previously.

Often your Plasterer will charge with a base price per average room size in their head, then add on access issues, obstacles and additional headaches to this price. Your Plasterer will know roughly how much preparation, actual plastering, and finishing they can achieve in one day, and will charge depending on how long they anticipate it will take to complete the job. A professional Plasterer, like Raymond, will also factor in tidying up afterwards too! Most Plasterers will have an approximate room size in their head, and will quote from that. Although quotes will vary, the below table give a rough guide per average room size for Plastering.

Project size	Approximate price	Approximate project duration
Plastering walls and ceilings
Small room	£300 to £500	2 to 3 days
Average room	£500 to £600	3 to 4 days
Large room	£800 to £1,200	5 days +

From this base price, your Plasterer will then account for access, obstacles, and any additional repairs and may factor for any unforeseen surprises!

It is important to point out that an estimate and a quotation are different things. When your Plasterer gives you an estimate, it’s exactly how it sounds. Your Plasterer is giving you a broad brush, educated guess at what the quote is likely to be, based on their experience of similar sounding jobs over their careers. When you’re given a quote for some plastering work, on the other hand, this is how much the job will cost, if no surprises crop up! An example of one of these surprises might be the discovering of lime plaster under old surfaces, needing to be washed off before plastering over; or discovering a structural issue with the underlying walls, needing further repairs before plastering; often in some older houses, the amount of debris hiding behind plasterboard can leave quite the clean-up. Your Plasterer will communicate any surprises to you if they are likely to affect the original quote, but will try their best not to deviate too far from it.

Small repairs which can be in-and-out jobs will, of course, cost considerably less than those ceiling repairs that will require more setup time and clean up. It is therefore worth acting quickly on discovery of a small issue, before it becomes a big one!